Engineers need writing skills

One of my college roommates got his degree in electrical engineering. He saw no need to study the humanities, because after all, engineers spend their time in the lab and don't produce anything but quantitative results. At least, that's how he saw his future. This fellow simply hated writing.

I wonder how many other engineers hate to write. It probably comes as a surprise when they find their job demands them to communicate. Not only must they present research results to others with technical training, they may have to make presentations to, and write for, non-engineers. Unfortunately, few engineering colleges prepare students to communicate well. Debates about changing engineering curricula usually center on what engineering courses get substituted for other engineering courses. It might help to replace an arcane electronics course with a semester course on writing for engineers. To me, choosing the right circuits and choosing the right words to explain the circuits carry equal weight.

Even those few engineers who don't mind, or even enjoy, writing may have their interest in written communication drubbed out of them by the dreary passive style adhered to by lab instructors and professional journals. Heaven help the journal author who uses the active voice, "We studied 500 op amps and found. . ." rather than the passive, "A study performed on 500 op amps found. . ." Unfortunately, many engineering professors don't know the difference and often prefer the more formal-sounding but sleep-inducing passive voice. I've heard technical people say, "but most engineers will know what we mean." Perhaps, but why not communicate with crystal-clear meanings that convey information quickly to all engineers without ambiguity?

At least a glimmer of hope has appeared. In late June, the College Board announced a decision to include a writing exam in the basic Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT). Starting in March 2005, the SAT will incorporate an essay question that students will have 25 minutes to answer. The writing exam will also include some multiple-choice questions. The College Board also believes the time has come to drop most of the analogies (lighthouse is to red as zymurgy is to ?) and, instead, test more reading comprehension. Perhaps the renewed emphasis on reading and writing will encourage high schools to better prepare all students with these key skills.

If you'd like to brush up on your own writing skills, I recommend William Zinsser's book, "On Writing Well," which garnered 41/2 stars on Amazon.com. You can zip through the book in a couple of evenings, but you may get hooked on the idea of writing well and end up reading the book several times.