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Language and style in engineering sciences

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Scientific texts primarily serve written communication among experts. You are therefore writing for readers with prior knowledge and should aim for a professionally advanced level of language. Here you will find tips on how to achieve this.

Content

In order for the readers to understand your engineering text as intended, it should have the following characteristics:

  • Impersonal writing style
  • Objective formulations
  • Evidence-based content
  • Neutral language
  • Precise and clear
  • Concise and to the point
  • Formal writing style
This is easier said than done, but: writing is a craft, and it can be learned with some practice.

Write Impersonally

In engineering sciences, the personal pronoun “I” or the phrase “in my opinion” is generally considered unscientific.

Therefore, avoid including the readers by using the first-person plural “we” in the text or addressing them with rhetorical questions. The impersonal pronoun “one” is not an alternative, as it formulates a generalization. Only when you can actually make a general statement should “one” be used, e.g. “One distinguishes…”.

Example:

Negative example: “After I had created the calculation, I had to present it to my team members to make sure that I had considered everything.”

The pronoun “I” should be avoided in engineering texts. Passive formulations are often more appropriate:

“After the calculation was created, it was discussed within the team to ensure that all relevant aspects were considered.”

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Illustration: Zwei Personen tauschen Feedback aus.

Revising Your Engineering Text

Revise texts systematically The Bietschhorn Model: Ask yourself the following questions for each point, and revise your text accordingly. 1. Content Are content, topic, and research question relevant and aligned? Is the content factually and technically correct, and supported by literature or your own research? 2. Thematic development Is the thematic focus clear and consistent? …

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Contributors: Autorengruppe Leitfaden efi, Maria Noll, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Dennis Christoph Wolff

Illustration zum technischen Zeichnen mit einem Zirkel, einem Lineal und einem Blatt Papier.

The Layout of a Paper in Engineering

Possible word processing programs You can write your thesis with any word processing program, e.g. Open Office Writer or MS Word. However, with large documents, mathematical formulas, and internal references, these programs reach their limits. As an alternative, LATEX is available, a professional typesetting program that is (not only in many Linux distributions) available free …

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Contributors: Fakultät EFI, Maria Noll, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Dennis Christoph Wolff

This article was published in August 2025 and last updated in November 2024.

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Contributors: Autorengruppe Leitfaden efi, Maria Noll, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Dennis Christoph Wolff

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