Academic discourse and business writing standards require a combination of clear readability and a high degree of communication skills. The primary responsibility of the writer is to present information in a concise and accurate manner. Computer science papers have a distinctly technical aspect inherent within the subject matter. Frequently there will be dense quantitative data included, which is the main point of the paper. However, this in no way excuses the writer from presenting research and ideas in a comprehensible manner. To reach the intended audience effectively, standards of excellence in writing include specific objectives of readability so that there will be no misunderstanding. Clear writing is a must. “For an idea to survive, other scientists must be persuaded of its relevance and correctness—not with rhetoric, but in the established framework of a scientific publication” (Zobel 2). These include a formal statement of the hypothesis, a brief explanation of why this theory contributes to the body of knowledge in the field, and the justification either by proof or experimental means (Zobel 2). Throughout the paper, every sentence must be a complete thought using proper forms of syntax, grammar, and other standard forms of writing. For this reason, proofreading one’s paper and even reading it aloud before submitting it to the intended audience is a good practice every time.
The standards for business writing in computer science are very high, and specific guidelines to follow are required. If the author does not follow the accurate writing procedures which businesses and government agencies expect to see, there is a real possibility that they will not even read past the first paragraph. It would be a great disappointment to miss the opportunity to share one’s ideas solely because of careless writing practices. Computer science papers can be effectively well-written by using standard objective methods of writing. As a major component for the acceptance of one’s work, the efforts put forth are well worth the results.
Works Cited
Zobel, Justin. Writing for Computer Science. Singapore: Springer, 1997. Print.
