Tips for Technical Document Writing

In this post, I will not write about technical concepts on model development or model validation per se. I would write about elementary aspects that most folks overlook while writing technical reports, e.g., model validation reports. I have seen even seasoned professionals ignoring these aspects!

  • If you are writing a validation report, try to be in the shoes of someone who relies on the validation report to understand the model and corresponding model risk issues. One might have spent weeks understanding the model and model risk issues. As such, while writing, you are more likely to presume that a reader will know it all. Don't err on that side. 
  • Agree on a writing style, e.g., using passive voice, present perfect tense, etc., and use it consistently throughout the report.
  • Agree on terminologies and use them consistently throughout the report. For example, do you want to write model validation, model validation team, Model Validation Team, or something else? Although the choice is yours, please do write it consistently.
  • Expand all the acronyms at their first occurrence. 
  • Have a consistent figure/table size.
  • Caption figures/tables properly, e.g., keeping the first letter of every word in capitals, captioning below or above figure/table, etc.
  • Do a proper cross-referencing of figure/table/equation/section for easy navigation.
  • Correct use of an apostrophe. For example, it is KPIs and not KPI’s when you want to use it in the plural form!
  • It is redundant to use for e.g.,. E.g., expands to exempli gratia, whose English meaning is for example. You do not want to write for for example!
  • I.e., means that is. As a writer, if you feel that you need to restate something to simplify, that is when you use it.
  • You use etc. when you have something more to write but do not intend to write all the stuff. For example, consider this statement: “Organizations use various models for varied purposes, e.g., credit risk models, pricing models, operational risk models, stress testing models, fraud analytics models, marketing mix models, etc.”. While writing this statement, I know there are additional categories of models. However, as a writer, I want to emphasize on exemplified ones only.

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