Document TitleTechnical Writing at Louisiana Tech University

FORMATTING OF TECHNICAL WRITING PAPERS

Introduction

Formatting is an important component in making papers suitable for different audiences and in making information accessible. In general, formatting concerns page layout, which includes headings, graphics, margins, "white space," lists, and page numbering.

The formatting specified for papers in this course is selected from the many possibilities for the formatting of documents. There are many successful ways of formatting papers and all are successful if they yield a pleasing appearance and make the information in them as accessible as possible. However, it is necessary to keep to one consistent pattern of formatting so that the instructor and student know how the paper is to be done. Specific sections giving instructions for formatting are listed in the Table of Contents, under Basic Information about Technical Writing. Chapter 13 in Markel, "Designing the Document," has a thorough discussion of formatting.

Click here to view a PowerPoint Presentation on Formatting

Headings

All papers must have titles; generally, those titles will be first order headings; in the Report, each major section will begin with a first order heading.

While there are many systems of headings, it is important that you learn to use the one specified in this material. Here is a summary of the rationale used for headings:

A heading centered at the top of a page is in the position of greatest importance.
A heading in all caps is more prominent than one in initial caps.

From these two ideas, it is evident that centering and all caps give the heading most prominence; centering in initial caps or at the left margin in all caps would be next most prominent; and headings in initial caps at the left margin would be at a third level of prominence or importance. Indented headings are at a lower lever of prominence than headings at the margin.

Each paper must have a minimum of three second order headings--an Introduction, a Body or major content section, and a Conclusion. Almost all papers will subdivide the body section; those subdivisions will be signified by the use of third order headings and, in some papers, fourth order headings. Material on Headings can be accessed through the Table of Contents, under Formatting of Technical Writing Papers. The material accessed through Information on Levels of Headings in the Table of Contents gives specific examples of First, Second, Third, and Fourth Order Headings.

Graphics

Most papers will use graphics. Graphics will be used in the first paper (on campus), the later instructions paper, the Report and, probably, the final examination. Only the proposal and sentence outlines will not have graphics in this English 303 course. The Process and Instruction papers and the Report must use graphics.Chapter 14 in Markel, "Creating Grahpics," covers Graphic Design.

The chapter in the text gives a good survey of the types of graphics; pay particular attention to the sections where the possible distortion of graphics is explained. An extended discussion of graphics, along with examples, is given in the Graphics Section of Logical Analysis and Other Terms and Concepts section in the Table of Contents.

Graphics are to be done this way in your text, from top to bottom:

Figure Number (such as Figure 1)
Figure Title (such as Wyly Tower) The title must include the source of the Figure: Wyly Tower (3:14)
The Figure itself

Finished figures should be done in black ink.

An Example:

Figure 1
Wyly Tower (3:14)

The text may go on either or both sides of the figure. The figure should be integrated into the text as well as possible.

Margins

Leave a minimum of 1" left, right, top, and bottom. On pages with first order titles at the top, leave a 2" margin. These margins are minimums; the text need not come over to the margin on each line. Use a ragged right margin; do not right justify or full justify the margins. This paragraph uses a ragged right margin, one justified only at the left. Also, do not hyphenate the lines; use wordwrap and do not break words with hyphens. The Examples sections shows pages with these margins and line forms.

"White Space"

White space is the space that surrounds the text. If too much material is written in too little a space, that material becomes difficult to read. If the Pace of the writing--the words per unit of space--is too high, the material is not as easily read and understood as is a text with adequate white space.

Lists

To make the best use of white space, lists should be indented and single spaced, to set them off with white space around them:

          1. White space is the space that surrounds the text.
         If too much material is written in too little space,
         that material becomes difficult to read.

     2. With too little white space, the pace of the writing --the
         words per unit of space--is too high, and the material is not
         as accessible as a text with adequate white space.

By arranging material in lists, the information is easy to find and to refer back to.

Page Numbering

All papers should have the pages numbered, beginning with the second page. For all papers except the Report, use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.). The Report will have small Roman numbers (i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, etc.) on the preliminary pages (everything up to and including the Introduction) and Arabic numbers for the main body all the way through the last page, including the Bibliography and the Appendix. Page numbers should be placed in the upper right corner of all numbered pages.