How to Avoid Information Overload in Technical Writing

Too much information can be as bad as too little information in technical writing.

Too little information prevents us from understanding the context and relationships.

For example:

“The motherboard failed the temperature test.”

Yes, but in what way? Did it fail in the lower temperature zone or the high end of it? How long did the motherboard resisted the temperature extremes and functioned properly? Without knowing such specifics it is impossible to improve the motherboard.

But too much information, on the other hand, can also prevent us from understanding relationships by confusing us and hiding what’s important behind a fog of either unrelated or excessive data.

For example:

“The motherboard failed when tested for temperatures between 0-32 F, 33-65 F, 66-75 F, 90-97 F, and 97-100 F.”

Wouldn’t it be much easier to understand if the same sentence read:
“The motherboard failed when tested for temperatures between 0-100 F, except in between 75-90 F” ?

Another example:

“When the system displays the Red Warning screen, the operator must immediately call the Project Manager who in turn reports to the Site Manager and the two meet weekly to discuss many project related issues including the budgeting of the new expansion to the Granger Hall.”

Everything that comes after “Project Manager” is irrelevant to the task description.

A much better sentence would be:

“When the system displays the Red Warning screen, the operator must immediately call the Project Manager.” Period.