LEM313:

English for Scientific,

Technical & Web-Based
Writing
Week 1
 h elp s s tu d e n ts to
This course
e d if fe re n t ty p e s o f
understand th
tec h n ic a l, w e b - b a s e d
scientific,
Course writing.The empha
style and format
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to
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manuals, webpa
als o g iv e n th e c h a n c e to
Students are
pri a te w ri tin g s ty le a n d
use the appro
en de s ig n in g a w e b s ite .
format wh
 e im p o rt a n t a s p e c ts o f
Elaborate on th
ie n ti fi c , tec hn ic a l a n d
discourse in sc
web-based texts.
o f
Course Present
discourse in
importa
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c
p
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e
n
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ica l a n d

web-based texts
o rt o n th e w e b s ite
Prepare a rep
Outcomes function
collaboratively
in v a ri o u s c o n te xts

bs ite fo r va ri o u s c o n te x ts
Develop a we
p ria te fo rm a t a n d s ty le
with the appro
of writing.
 Assessments
01 Website Proposal Presentation (10%)

02 Project (Website) (40%)

03 Individual Reflective Report (20%)

04 Final Exam (30%)

Albert Einstein
once said:
“Most of the fundamental ideas of
science are essentially simple,
and may, as a rule, be expressed
in a language comprehensible to
everyone.”
 What are we looking at when we
are writing for the web?
01 03
02 04
Process of Organisation
developing Users and Content
websites Purpose
The world’s most visited websites (as of Sept 2023)

https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/
 THE PROCESS OF CREATING A WEBSITE

IDENTIFY IDENTIFY DETERMINE DESIGN TEST &

users and purpose content of the website overall site organisation the pages; REVISE
of site write and code the content
edit and proofread

MAINTAIN LAUNCH
periodic editing, proofreading 6
the website
and revising the website
 1. Identify the users and
purpose of the website
Felder (2012, p.4) lists these important Do the users want to...?
questions:
Your content must be clear and --> buy a product or
obvious to readers; if not, you'll lose service?
readers' attention --> learn how to
What's the purpose of your content? If install or use a
you don't know, your content will not product?
be clear --> use the web to
What are the key messages that you answer questions?
want your reader to take away?
Who is the content written for?
 1. Identify the users and purpose
of the website
What do they want to
learn and expect
To identify users: from the web?
How do they want the
Research: info presented on the
web?
a) Surveys;
How do they search
Questionnaires
for information?
b) Interviews
How do they use the
c) Focus groups
info that you plan to
present on the
website?
 1. Identify the users and purpose of
the website - analyse your users

What do Are the

Why do users
users know users visit inte r n a l o r
about the ?
the ex t e r n a l
subject? website?
 1. Analyse your users (cont...)

Are your
What kind of
Is your users
equipment/ , o r
audience v i s u a l l y
resources
global? hearing
are needed? impaired?
ETHICS is an important part of web design
(we will discuss this next week)
2. Identify the content
for the site

01 To meet users’ needs and

expectations

02 To satisfy website purpose

Make the content interesting

03
and relevant
04 Include information and elements
that users need:

Information from paper documents -adapt for the

online format
Information (copyrighted) - permission
New content -time, research
Graphics -copyrighted
Audio -tools
Links
Budget
 3. Determine the overall site
organisation
01 Determine the overall organisation for the
site and individual pages;

02 User-oriented design
 3. Determine the overall site
organisation (cont...)
03 Search function
: keywords, product category

04 Amount of information

05 Ease of navigation
 4. Design the pages &
write and code the content
Layout for individual Locating devices: help
pages users access and
scan pages
Consistent design for
the pages Site map

Informative titles at Tool for creating the

the top of every page pages
 A) Making your website credible

Include organisation name

Include contact info
Date launched/date updated
Professional tone
Cite sources
Outbound hypertext links to carefully
selected websites
 B) Create user-oriented content

Adapt existing content created for

other media
Adapt for the online format -
necessary and relevant content
Write new content
Select or create appropriate graphics
Can users easily and quickly download
the graphics?
 C) Making web text easier to read
Write in small ‘chunks’ and short
pages
Simple words; short and concise
sentences
Use active voice verbs
Quality >>> Quantity
Introduction/Introductory sentence
that identifies the purpose of the site
and specifies the intended users
 D) Help users to navigate the site
Include a site map
Include an index
Provide a link to the homepage on
every page
Include text only versions of any
graphical links
Include a navigation bar on every
page of the website
SITE MAP
SITE MAP
INDEX
NAVIGATION BAR
HEADER

MULTILINGUAL
‘ABOUT’ PAGE
USERS
The icons and their text labels
(Shop Beauty; Shop Lifestyle,
etc.) provide links to the
different categories. The text
labels help users who use text-
only version of the site.
'LAST UPDATED'
INFORMATION
 5. Test and Revise
the site

01 03
Edit and
Test your
site in
02 proofread
Get feedback by
sections putting yourself
in the user’s
shoes
 Editing checklist:
Organisation & Content
Organisation - user-oriented
Navigational method - obvious to users
The buttons and links are understandable to
users
Navigation between webpages are easy and
logical
Each page links back to the homepage
Users know where they are at all times
Screens have informative titles and subtitles
All links are functional
 Editing checklist:
Layout & Design
Page layout consistent throughout the site

Page does not have too many elements

Graphics clear and download quickly

Graphics repeat and support information

Page elements: heading sizes, font sizes and font

colours consistent
 Editing checklist:
Text content
Text is written concisely

Sentences and paragraphs as short

as possible

Use of active voice (whenever

relevant and possible!)
 Editing checklist:
Interactivity & Multimedia

Multimedia support information

Sound files, video files

6. Launch the site
 7. Maintain & Revise
the site
REGULARLY CHECK all links to make
sure they work

RESPOND to emails/messages from

users

INCORPORATE user feedback

UPDATE the site regularly

Thank you!
[email protected]
D10/107 (Appointment basis)
 FRIENDLY REMINDER:
Check your attendance on ELearn
- from 11am to 1pm
Warning letters:
> 3 hours - 1st WL
> 6 hours - 2nd WL
> 9 hours - 3rd WL
 Click here for the video

Watch the video for some recommendations of free website

builders!