Staying the Course!

Staying the Course!

Last night, I attended my next-to-last Technical Communications 1 class. We had a workshop, peer-review process, where the class broke down into small groups. My group had a scientist and a teacher, as well as me. Bonni rotated among the groups, sitting in on ours for the first and most difficult paper--the scientific one.

The problem with most science writing is that, if you're not an initiate into the domain, you really can't understand much of the work. The words are there, in English, but they signify little to the "layman." This signification problem is compounded by any flaws in the writer's technique, such as excessive density and poor formatting. One feels akin to a medieval monk, who can read the Latin words of Virgil but cannot grasp the imagery.

My own project is straightforward and relatively simple. I'm doing an FAQ for new ventilator patients. Since I'm not working with a high-tech company anymore, I saw little use in doing anything related to MT or computer science.

Next quarter, I'll be taking "Critical Thinking for Technical Communicators." I think I can handle that!