Look for key words that indicate specific mathematical operations. You
need to addwhen you see words such as “increased by,” “combined,”
“together,” “sum,” or “total of ”; subtractwhen you see “decreased
by,” “minus,” “less,” “difference”; multiplywhen you see “product,”
“increased,” “by a factor of,” and “times”; and dividewhen you see
“per,” “ratio,” “quotient,” or “percent.”
Another communication tool is the example. Authors use examples
to bridge abstract principles to concrete illustrations. These examples
are essential to your ability to comprehend intricate and complicated
theories.
Unlike other writing, technical writing places a very high premium on
brevity. Economizing words is the key to covering a large volume of
knowledge in a relatively small space. Few technical texts or articles
include anecdotal matter or chatty stories on the author’s experiences.
This fact challenges the reader to pay particular attention to the
examples that are included. Why? Technical writing often is filled
with new or foreign ideas—many of which are not readily digestible.
They are difficult in part because they are abstract. Examples work
to clarify these concepts, hopefully in terms that are more easily
understood.
A third tool frequently utilized in texts is classification and listings.
Classifying is the process by which common subjects are categorized
under a general heading. Especially in technical writing, authors use
classification to categorize extensive lists of detail.
A fourth tool used in communicating difficult information is that of
comparing and contrasting. Texts use this tool to bring complicated
material into focus by offering a similar or opposing picture. Through
comparison, a text relates a concept to one that has been previously
defined—or to one a reader may readily understand. Through con-
trast, the text concentrates on the differences and distinctions
between two ideas. By focusing on distinguishing features, these ideas
become clearer as one idea is held up against another.
56 How to Study