About Engineering Research

Get the facts. When writing about engineering research, it is easy to get bogged down in technical details. Nevertheless, it is vital to be sure about your facts, since the smallest detail can be critical to the success or failure of an engineering article. When interviewing, double-check details and facts, and fact-check sources you find on the Internet. Consider popular opinions. Find the story behind the research for your engineering writing to be interesting and engaging. As you read about the topic and conduct interviews, be on the lookout for patterns or unusual ideas that will get the attention of your readers. Try to find the story of the research: Were there roadblocks or human errors that hindered progress? Have the researchers discovered a new engineering technology?

Explain the impact on society and how it will affect your readers. Stories about lofty, technical research will not engage your audience; find the connections to everyday life. You might also consider future implications. Carbon nanotube research, for example, was inaccessible to the layperson until publications began to explain that the nanotubes might be used as an "elevator" into space.

Understand current trends. Read trade publications and popular magazines to get a sense of current publications on the same topic. Your editor will be unimpressed to read a piece that simply restates information that has been published elsewhere. As you research other engineering articles, consider what makes your story different, and focus on new information or research results.

Consider your audience. If you are writing about engineering research for an academic journal or technical publication, you should write differently than when writing for a newsletter or annual results. Take into consideration the technical expertise of your audience, and include details that will be understandable. Are your readers highly technical engineers or general newspaper readers? The success of an article about engineering research is dependent on the suitability of tone and complexity.