Section 1.11.2

Technical Review

The technical accuracy of a piece of writing should be the first level of review, since it is a waste of time to work on a document that is wrong in content. Technical reviews are most often conducted by routing a document among one's peers. A technical review may also be conducted by technical referees who are experts in the relevant field. Generally, the technical review is concerned with one or more of the following questions:

• Is the problem addressed one that is technically important?
• Does the document solve the problem it sets out to solve?
• Are the methodology and general practice technically sound?
• Does the research lead to other important questions?

Although technical reviews are strictly matters of expertise and should not be confused with editorial reviews, technical and editorial issues are not always easy to separate, for the following reasons:

• Sometimes technical inaccuracy is caused by stylistic cloudiness.
• Small terminological errors can introduce monumental technical errors. If, for example, the approach of an aircraft is monitored in nautical miles, and the cockpit operating procedure of an airline pilot is given in statutory miles . . . 

## Technical Review ##


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