Technical Writing

Before submitting an article to a journal, you should check the guidelines for submission or instructions for authors. This is usually located on the front or back cover of a journal, look on the publisher's or society's web page, or see the web resources on this page. To contact a publisher directly, use the Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to lookup periodicals information or ask at any reference desk for the publisher's phone number. The following list of resources will aid in the preparation and format of your document. For more resources on writing styles or citation guidelines, check the Cameo library catalog.

• Print Tools
• Web Resources

Print Tools

• AMA Manual of Style. American Medical Association. Oxford University Press, 2007.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: R119 .A533 2007 (also at Mellon Institute Library)

• Budinski, Kenneth G. Engineers' guide to technical writing. Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 2001.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: T11 .B83 2001

• Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI). Columbus, Ohio: Chemical Abstracts Service.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference desk: Z5523 .A521
  Mellon Institute Library Reference office: Z5523 .A52C51
  Extensive list of scientific journal abbreviations.

• The Chicago Manual of Style. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: Z253 .C57
  Mellon Institute Library Reference Collection: PE1408 .C5

• Chicago Manual of Style online
  

• Day, Robert A. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. Phoenix: Oryx Press.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: T11 .D33
  Hunt Library Reference 808.0665 D27H
  Mellon Institute Library Reference Collection: T11 .D33 2006

• Dodd, Janet. The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, 1997.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: QD8.5 .A25 1997
  Mellon Institute Library Reference Collection: PN160 .A512

• Michaelson, Herbert B. How to Write and Publish Engineering Papers and Reports. 3rd ed. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1990.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: T11 .M418 1990
  *Older editions are located in the Engineering and Science Library stacks and are available for check out.

• Stewart, Rodney D. Proposal Preparation. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1992.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: HF5718.5 .S85 1992
  Older editions are located in the Engineering and Science Library stacks and are available for check out.

• White, John. From Research to Printout: Creating Effective Technical Documents. New York: ASME Press, 1997.
  Engineering & Science Library Reference Collection: T11 .W448 1997

Related Resources

• Carnegie Mellon Writer's Style Guide

• Citing Resources in the Sciences

• InterCultural Communication Center
  Writing Clinic for nonnative English speakers

• National Science Foundation : A Guide for Proposal Writing

• Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals
  The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) is an informal group whose participants fund work on the Universal Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. Originally begun in British Columbia in 1978, when it was known as the Vancouver Group, the committee first published requirements for manuscripts and bibliographic references in 1979. The ICMJE has since expanded and evolved to address concerns beyond manuscript preparation, such as editorial freedom, conflict of interest, confidentiality, journal advertising and the Internet. With participants from hundreds of journals worldwide, the ICMJE meets annually and is not a membership organization.