DSST Technical Writing common mistakes
DSST Technical Writing · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Placing a necessary warning only after the affected step.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Use approved information at the point the reader needs it before action.
Writing for every reader as if expertise and purpose were identical.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Identify actual audience tasks and appropriate depth/navigation.
Treating a figure number as enough explanation for an unlabeled graph.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Supply meaningful labels, units, context and accessible description.
Assuming a copied feature or source text automatically fits the current task.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Verify actual version, source scope and reader requirements.
Deleting a necessary condition just to shorten a sentence.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Preserve the actual technical meaning while improving wording.
Calling a spellcheck a complete technical review.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Review purpose, evidence, requirements and subject accuracy separately.
Using color as the only essential distinction.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Provide appropriate labels, structure or redundant accessible cues.
Changing substantive instructions without accountable review.
A narrow label, surface improvement or isolated measure does not establish the actual purpose, meaning, evidence or authority.
What to do instead
Obtain the appropriate subject approval and preserve controlled revision history.