A science professor was bemoaning the fact that in science writing has become less understandable and less easy to digest.
This is not only for lecture notes but also grant proposals and white papers and other documents.
It’s similar in business writing.
Business writing is often not understandable and not easy to digest.
There are many reasons for this. Some of them include the use of acronyms, language that is too formal, and ideas that are not communicated in a simple and easy way to understand.
How easy is your writing to read?
Do you know if your readers read your document to the end?
There are ways to make your writing more understandable and digestible.
These methods cover the basics of effective writing that works. They help you to get your message across, especially in today’s economy where speed has become even more important.
But not only this, business people are swamped with messages from all sides, from the top, including superiors, sideways from peers, and then, if you are a manager, emails upon emails from your employees.
I’ve been writing for business for many years and have helped many people with their business writing.
I started out making all the basic faults and learned how to correct them by going on courses, reading excellent books, and from the informal suggestions and instruction that I got from many practitioners in reporting, editing, and corporate communications.
I have helped people who write in business, individuals who run their own businesses and small businesses that need to attract and gain sales for their products. I have even assisted ?university students who battle with writing assignments for their professors and lecturers.
Let’s take this brief passage from the same Professor wrote the article about science being difficult to read and see if we can simplify it:
It’s amazing how much time those of us in the STEM disciplines in higher education spend writing. We write papers, grant proposals, white papers and notes for classes. But many of us often follow certain academic formulas and conventions that aren’t always accessible or understandable outside the narrow fields we are writing for. In fact, that is becoming more and more of an issue, according to a news article from Nature: “Science is getting harder to read.”
Here is the passage shorter without losing the meaning and with more punch:
STEM academics in higher education spend a significant amount of time writing papers, grant proposals, and class notes. However, many of us use complex academic language that can be challenging for those outside our fields. A Nature article highlights the growing issue: “Science is getting harder to read.”
Need help with your writing? Shoot me an email and we can discuss.
