TecHNicat. CommuNICATION INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL Previous Years Questions ComMMUNICATION In many cases, only the verbal aspects are taken into [rand ee QU. Define Technical Communication. (R.£.U.2019, 2018) ———— Ans. Technical Communication : Technical communication isa broad field and includes any form of communication that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: * Communicating about technical or specialized topics, such as computer applications, medical procedures, or environmental regulations. + Communicating by using technology, such as web pages, help files or social media sites. *+ Providing insturctions about how to do something, regardless of how technical the task is or even if technology is used to create or distribute that communication, Q.2 What is linguistic ability? OR Explain methods to improve vocabulary and linguistic abilities. [RTU. 2018] Ans, Linguistic intelligence/ability is a part of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory that deals with individuals ability to understand both spoken and written language as well as their ability to speak and write themselves. In a practical sense linguistic intelligence is the extent to which an individual can use language, both written and verbal to achieve goals. In addition to thi, high linguistic intelligence has been linked to improved problem solving, as well as to consideration, This is usually referred to as verbal intelligence or verbal fluency, and is commonly a reflection of an individual's overall linguistic intelligence, | Q3 Discuss the importance and characteristics of technical communication, (RT. 2019) Ans. Importance of Technical Communication : The functional importance of technical communication for an individual or an organisation cannot be overemphasised: Whether you are an executive working in a multinational company, and engineer workingat he shop floor level a scientist working in a premier scientific lab, or a technical student studying in a professional institution, you need effective technical communication skills in order to be successful. Technical communication is the essence of organisational life anda prerequisite to effective management. The list of ts multipurpose functions is very long, Itnot only makes professional interaction possible but also directs the flow of echnical information and knowledge forthe guidance of technocrats, engineers, and others in their professional activities. It stimulates scientists and researchers to act to achieve individual as well as social and organisational objectives and develops information and understanding essential or effective group functioning, Moreover, it leads to Unification between the activities of individuals as a work team and helps to foster positive attitude required for motivation, cooperation, and other important organisational processes, Finally, it ensure free exchange of information And ideas and promotes scientific temper and maintenance increased abstract reasonit ofpprofessional real PPPPPPIPPPPPPFTIIFETAVL ALSWith the informatio revolution and sooio-econo Pong in the new millennium, the importance of effective Techical communication skills ha increased. The whole world thas become a global market andthe transfer of technology is, Flaying a key role in economic growth and transformation. Deny fess wo becomes more diverse, competitive, \dresult-oriented, the importance of technical communication skills continues to increas. Infact, technical communication Mills are crucial to professional success today because ‘uecessin communicating in the technical environment will Mem event not just on an effective style but on the ability to Fanalyse, organise, and present essential information Remeagg el Revolution in information. technology: is having a rofound impact on technical communication tasks, and new nds of communications tasks or skills will be required in the changed technological environment, These skills include Pa sromiedse ‘of high-tech communication capabilities, ability to ipresentand explain complex technical information ina simple -and familiarstyle, ability to understand and explain quantitative Fata, cultural awareness capability, and ability to analyse and + Priortise information _ The changes that have taken place in the field of ecg and technology-reflect several development in the Seva technical communication skills are viewed. Infact, there hhas been a shift in perspective, so that communicaton skills ce priority over technical and professional skills. There is | ‘no doubt that good writing and speaking skills are essential to Le a ‘success in job. It is also true that some technical skills Mare as important as communication skills but knowledge of eget sophisticated technical or professional skills will be Wi seless if one does not know how to communicate the information and insights that result from the use and application (ag) f these technical and professional skills Characteristics of Technical Communication : Refer 10 1 74. Discuss the barriers of effective speaking. a [RTU.2019] ayAns. Barriers to effective speaking are : 1. Usage of words that can cause ambiguity : Words can mean different things to different people. So, one need to be aware that expected meaning may be different from that ofthe other person. ‘Alert Listener : One needs to be an alert listener, Listening well is one of the best things. It helps immensely to provide the speaker with the desired response that in turn leads to a healthy conversation, Emotional Barriers : Some people find it difficult to express themselves. They are complete introverts This acts as the biggest hurdle as breaking the ice at the preliminary stage is of immense importance. 4. Language Barriers : Different countries have different accents and different languages. This language difference. can lead to difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents that acts as a barrier. 5, Lack of Interest : Not only lack of interest, but lack of attention, distractions or irrelevance to the receiver are the factors that become barriers whi speaking. 6. Cultural Differences : Different cultures, greatly vary in the norms of social interaction, as ‘the way in which emotions are expressed differ greatly. 7. Psychological Barriers : It is the manner in which the message can be taken by the receiver. 8, Physical Barriers : Although modem technology serves to reduce the impact of physical barrier, the pros and cons should ‘be understood to use the appropriate medium to overcome physical barriers. Saal Q5 What do you mean by technical communication. DeSean ‘Ans, Technical Communication Skills : As technical ‘communication may be oral or written it may involve all the skills of language; listening, speaking, reading, and writting. Let us discuss each skill in details. Please note that many of the aspects discussed here are, applicable to general communication also The value that technical communicators deliver is twofold: They make information more useable and accessible. to those who need that information, and in doing so, they advance the goals of the companies or organizations that ‘employ them. The following examples illustrate the value of the products techni¢atcommunicators produce or the services they provide. + Software instructions help user be more successfull ‘on their own, improving how easily those products ‘gain acceptance into the marketplace and reducing costs to support them, + Medical instructions help patients and care- | providers manage a patient's treatment, improving. the health of the patient while reducing costs and. risks associated with incorrect care, + Functional specifications and proposals help one ‘group of technical experts communicate effectively with other technical experts, speeding upthe subject or lack of information might lead to incomplete ‘isunderstandings, and eliminatingrisks associated | and ineffective communication, with miscommun : 2, Linguistic Competence: linguistic competence, on the Taaning programs provide people with new or J other hand, isthe possession of appropriate language elle ‘improved sil, making them more employableand | andthe bility to present scientific facts or information leary theirorganizations and products more efiient and | and objectively. As technical communication involves echnieel safe. resentation of data in reports, proposals research papers, Well-designed websites make it easier for users J technical bulletins, manuals, and handbooks, linguistic to find the information, increasing used traffic to | competence includes several functional skills. Lack ofthese and satisfection with those websites, skills may lead to ineffective or incomplete communication, ‘Technical illustrations clarify steps or identify the | These skills include the ability to: parts ofa product, letting users focus on getting their task done quickly or more accurately Usability studies uncover problems with how products present themselves to user, helping those products become more user friendly Analyse facts or information for clear presentation, © Use appropriate rhetorical devices to present scientific data. © Use graphs, charts, and diagrams systematically. 3. Organisational Competence : Since technical 8: 'P Oe Din = | communication is a systematic and structured presentation Q6 Discuss different aspects of technical competence. } of information, it involves a process of logical and thematic SSS | crzsnisational competence isthe ability to organise technical | Aus. Aspects of Technical Competence : Technical | information ina logical and structured way. Itinludes several communication is a central factor in the emerging knowledge skills such as the ability to sequence thoughts ina sentence, Society, where technocrats and professionals in different areas | OT8enise @ paragraph according to the needs of the coe face new communication challenges. In order to be an | "4 the topic, use appropriate logical ordering, and provide effective technical communicator, one need to understand | thematic coherence to expression. the process of technical communication, We may define | <== technical communication asa transmission of scientific and | 0.7 Discuss different forms of technical communications technical information from one individual or group to another, | = : tN ni y include si A 1 Ese ii ae Highte en Ans. ‘Forms of Technical Communications : The'fast in , i chines : : growth of technical knowledge coupled with the development processes, or sophisticated explanation and interpretation of " ake : of sophisticated information technology has changed the way ve technical communication isa ; ; BPH echciee ar ae aacommnition is | cumin pote eae eteeaiae roclontibcand tetealentject interactive, and esult-oriented forms of communication such eee nse or as voice-mail, email, video transmission, teleconferencing, | Thethee important requirements of effective technical | videoconferencing, intranet transmission, and so on tolthe communication are traditional and slow forms of communication such as leters, + Subject competence memos, newsletters, and so forth Today, one may find a range ay f interactive technologies for communication, However, + Linguistic competence o ¥ 7 2 Oa technical communication still depends onthe two basic forms of communi oral and writen, * Organisational competence Bie dres comtelice Tenton in the tecbuioa] |} aie a form some hourerpstesntowne | foam i ers ad dena, Wil shen cmeraen panes {oa ete dering wien conman of appropriate knowledge of a particular technical subjest- eS Se aa eee can Fecal a te paar ny ome touch (o the communication process whereas writtenthe two communicators” Sa as eal pH iu < Q.8 Explain the style in tech runieation may depend on the need and purpose of the > = “communication. ‘Ans. Technical Style: When you write a letter to your | 2. External and Internal Communication : Thereare two | fiend, you try to be aa and pre ts ote idly recognised categories of technical communication: | hand, youareimpersoal,objestive, and direst when you write ‘xtemal communication and internal communication. Exteral | your project report. Similarly, when you talk toa friend, you communication consists primary of desribing the areas of} use informa language and casual tl. In contrast, you use ‘experts technical people or professionals provide. This may | formal language when you make an oral presentation, The include any communication that an organisation does with | reason js obvious. You may like to express your feelings, people belonging to other organisations. Internal | emotions, and sentiments through letter or an informal casual ‘communication includes memos describing problems or | conversation, but you are only concerned with facts when requesting addtional resources, different kinds ofreportsand | yoy are writing a technical report ot making an oral ‘proposals, intemal presentations, company meetings, policy | presentation. This difference of attitude and approach Statements office instructions, and ofice description oe | Getrines the characteris features of “general syle” and used for public releases or company websites cacti ie | 3. General and Technical Communication : Technical Since ‘style’ is a major consideration in technical ‘communication is the process of communicating a specific | communication, we need to look more closely at the concept message to a specific audience with a specific purpose. The of style in technical communication, Whatis style? Style refers | repetition of the word ‘specific’ indicates the special nature } to the way something is said rather than what is said. For our | of teetnieal communication, Is this need-based specific | purposes, sis the distintivemode or manner ofexpessng, sharastersi of technical communication that makes it} eas in language. But what this distintivemode ormaanes tifferent from general or literary communication of expression? This distinctive manner may refer to the process of choosing appropriate, | Style in Technical Communication ‘There are several characteristic features.of technical communication that makes it different from general Communication. Technical communication differs from general ‘communication in content, style and approach of presentation, altitude, organisation and language. | words and phrases (formal, informal, technical, and. | soon); © sentence structure (: ‘simple, complex, compound, | Difference between General and Technical Communication | ‘mixed, and so on); | General Communication | Technical Communication * sentence type (affirmative, negative, questions, + General content + Technical content | question tags, and so on); + General vocabulary | + Specialised vocabulary * thetorical devices or discourse writing techniques * Usuallynoformal | + Format elements | (description, narration, explanation, comparison and elements Contrast, and so on); and * Both fetal and + Always fomalinstyle |] + effective logical structure and organization, non-factual Style in communication depends on several factors. Itlargely * Both, objectiveand + Always factual | depends on pect: * the audience- for example, the same message when Beeresasmuced |>_ Ojecive addressed to a superior is expressed more a ee eo specific | + Boies organised and diplomatically and tactfuily, but when addressed to eae subordinates itis more direct and forceful. * Notalvaysfora |» Complex and important * thecommuniatve costa oto aa specific audience exposition teniques routine information and making requests, + May or may not + Specific audience communication god or bad new, comeing goo involve graphics or trying to persuade someone, + Usually, involves + the purpose- for example, the way one conveys good graphics news is not the same as conveying bad news.Style could be very formal, as in a technical report of a professional presentation, or very informal, as in a personal letter or casual conversation. The most effective style isthe ‘one that accurately encodes the thought content of the message into appropriate Ianguage. It is important to adopt and use an appropriate style in order to be effective, Thus, style in technical communication may refer to ‘the way a person puts words together into sentences, aranges sentences into paragraphs, and organizes paragraphs to frame apiece of writing or an appropriate oral discourse to convey technical information clearly and accurately. In shorts the way one speaks or writes when one deals with a technical or scientific subject. Let us try to understand this with the help of an example, Read the following short passage about sounds and note its style and language: "For a sound to be produced and heard, a source of vibratory energy, a material medium, and a receiver are required. Some of the energy from a vibrating source is transmitted as a longitudinal wave through the medium to the car. Sound waves will not travel through a vacuum. The car is sensitive to the small pressure variations caused by the sound wave and is able to convert these small pressure changes into electrical impulses. These are transmitted by auditory nerves to the brain, where they produce the sensation of sound. Sound sources are present almost everywhere in our envionment, and the control of sound is a major problem, Unwanted sounds are called noise. The control of noise is becoming an important consideration in our everyday lives. Excessive noise is known to produce drastic changes in our personalities, itis fatiguing, and it may cause deafness and even a reduction in our life spain.” - Now let us examine the salient features of the passage. + The passage describes the topic with objectivity as the writer does not use personal pronouns, subjective ‘comments, or emotional expressions. The writer uses formal words and makes the passage objective and impersonal by chossing passive constructions such as "to be produced and heard", "are required’, "is transmitted’, "caused by”, "arecalled’, "is knownto', and so forth. + Thewriteruses compact phrases containing scientific wordsitechnical terms such as "vibratory energy", ‘vibrating source", "longitudinal wave, pressure variations", "electrical impulse", and "auditory nerves", soon. + ‘The language is simple, direct, factual, and precise. ‘There is no use of decorative languages, figures of speech, of roundabout expressions. + Theauthoruses the rhetorical technique of description with linear logical organisation to present the ‘information, Q.9 What are the ABC of technical communication. ‘Ans, Remember that the acronym ABC denotes the three basic elements of technical communication: Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity. ‘Accuracy : The first characteristic feature of technical communication is accuracy, which includes accuracy of information as well as accuracy of expression. One must assure oneself of the accuracy of information before communication, For example, if a person has to write a technical report or give an oral presentation. He/she should repeatedly check all the facts that need to be included in the report/presentation. Any factual eror will puta question mark on the reliability of the report or presentation and thereby reduce its effectiveness. Moreover, facts have to be recorded carefully and appropriately Accuracy of expression demands that there should be no errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation, ‘or usage. One has to be careful about grammar and punctuation mistakes and should review revise the draft throughly forthese errors. Ifa person is making a professional oral presentation, or taking part ina conversation, meeting, or discussion, he/she should take care of pronunciations, accent, intonation, and non-verbal mannerisms. Accuracy is essential for a professional and technical communicator. en ~n Accuracy of expression also demands precision’ in the use of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. One must an be certain that one is expressing one's ideas precisely and exactly so that the reader/audience is able to understand oa without confusion or misunderstanding, ~\ \ \ Characteristics of Precision : Precision is the quality af being exact, accurate, and definite. In technical communication, percision refers tothe art of attaining exact correspondence between the matter to be communicated and its presentation, It is an essential feature of technical style, As words are the symbols of ideas and the ingredients ‘of thought, an effective sentence cannot be made from imprecise, incorrect, or inappropriate words. Words shape though and help us to organise ideas and facts into manageable larger units, To use words in their appropriate places one_— select words that convey the precise meaning from jong the synonyms at one's disposal. Thus, precision demands an exact knowledge of the meaning of words and solves the use of simple, familiar, and concrete words instead of vague, abstract, difficult and unfamitiar words, gaches and technical jargon. Techniques of Precision: The various techniques that be used to make expression precise and exact include using: + Simple and familiar words. me Exact words and phrases. + Avoiding excessive use of jargon. me’ : Brevity is the quality of being brief but prehensive in expression. You must try to be as brief as sible and give maximum information in the minimum SMber of words possible. Nobody has the time to read or listen to long and dull discourses. Lengthy documents or Rapeches and presentations with unnecessary details bore Teaders or listeners. ‘A document can be made brief and concise by avoiding liriess and repetition. Clarity : Clarity in communication is the quality of being = iguous and easily understood, Clarity is achieved when the communicator has communicated his or her meaning to. Weamy reader or listener. In technical communication, clarity ‘contributes to communicative effectiveness. You will not be Raggy 10 achieve your communicative objective if you are not clear. ‘Since clarity is the art of making your meaning clear to ‘our audience; it is essential for you to understand your dience before your try to communicate. Audience a tion can only come from a proper audience before you to communicate, Audience adaptation can only come from WEmmroper audience analysis. Audience analysis involves defining your audience in terms of their background, subject spetence, linguistic competence, and familiarity with the *Bpic or content of your communication, A better understanding your audience will give you clarity of thought as well as Titrity of expression. Clarity involves both clarity of expression as well as Ramiifrity of through. The seeret of clear expression is clear thinking. Sloppy, illogical or incomplete thinking causes lack Ze larity in technical communication. ‘The various techniques that you can use to make your km esson clear include using: _ @)_ direct language Hmmm ©) specific words nd expr ns Using Direct Language: Clarity involves the use of direct language. There is no scope for roundabout constructions, indirect expressions, exaggeration, artificial eloquence, and ornamentation in technical communication. Unlike a literary writer who needs imagery to express his abstract feelings, a technical writer does not need any literary device to convey his ideas. The technical communcator is concerned with the description, narration, explanation, and analysis of facts, and does not need to compose a piece of rhetotic charged with emotion. Unlike a public speaker whose main aim of communication may be to appeal to the emotions of the audience, a person presenting a paper at a technical seminar will have to give a matter-of-fact account of the research carried out by him or her. Using Specific and Concrete Words and Expression : As an effective technical communicator, one should use concrete words because they tend to be specific, narrow, and particular. Readers and audiences respond more predictably to concrete language. By using conerete language, cone can ensure clarity of expression. The use of concrete and specific words and phrases bring vividness and clarity. On the other hand, obscure, abstract, and vague words and phrases confuse the audience, as they do not convey the exact meaning, and the speaker may be called upon to repeat phrases or give detailed clarification, The following expressions are common: 1. I beg your pardon. 2. Could you please repeat? ‘What do you mean? 4, Could you please explain? 5. 6. ‘What did you say? Do you mean.....? For example, examine the sentence: I will contact you. later. What does the speaker mean by the word ‘contact’? Will he call, send an email, write a letter, or make a personal visit? What does the word ‘later’ mean? Does it mean next week, next month, or next year? A better version of this sentence would be : I will visit your office on Monday, or, I will send you an email next week. Examine another example: Thistelevision setis ofhigh ~ quality, What does high quality'referto? It isa very subjective expression as quality for different people may mean different standards of perfection, A better version can be : This television set meets or exceeds standard government specifications, Let us take a third exampl He will meet you soon, ‘What does the word ‘soon’ mean here? Does it mean tomorrow, ome : =>or the day after tomorrow, or the next month? The audience will definitely be confused, better version will be: He will meet you by March 15, You must understand the need for using specific language, While vaguve and abstract words create ambiguity and ead to incomplete communcation or miscommunication, the use of specific and concrete words ensures limited interpretation, reducing the risk of confusion and misunderstanding, Checklist for Achieving Clarity + Donot use indirect expressions, * Use specific words and phrases, + Avoid exaggeration, artificial eloquence, and ‘omamentation * Use direct sentence, oo QU0 What are the Technical communication skills? Discuss in detail oR Describe four basic technical communication skills and how to develop these four essential skills of technical communication? [RU 2013) oR Describe technical communication skills (Listening, speaking, writing and reading) and their importance for engineers, IRE. 2018} ——— Ans. Technical Communication Skills : Refer 10 025. 1. Listening : Listening skills, as summarised in table | are Probably one of the most important language skills that you need in order to be successful in you academic and Professional pursuits As student, you have to listen to lectures, explanations during tutorials and practical sessions, seminars ‘nd workshops, technical presentations, academic discussion, Academic interactions, viva voce, and $0 on, Once you join a Profession, you may be required to listen to discussions in ‘meeting and conferences, seminars, business presentations, ‘ews bulletins, pre-recorded talks, telephonic conversations, 'eleconferences and videoconferences, and so forth. In fact, itishard to imagine any academic, professional or busine that does not require eff Listening Skis General Academic] Professional Listening to/during Casual Lectures Professional conversation interaction Formal Tutorials and | Meetings conversation | practices Social Seminars and | Conferences interaction | workshops Public speeches | Technical Interviews presentations ‘Announcements | Academic Professional discussions __| discussion Radio Academic Professional interaction __| presentations Television Viva voce Teleconferencing | programmers [News reports ‘Videoconferencing Moreover, one needs effective listening skills as it isa State ofreceptivity that permits understanding of whats heard and grants the listener full partnership in the communication Process. One cannot be an effective communicator unless one is an effective listener. In any oral communicative situation, listening is of special significance because oral communication situation largely depends on one’ ability to understand and appreciate the speaker’s perspective, A Student requires quick, efficient and imaginative listening techniques in order to achieve academic success because hisher academic performance partly depends onthe quality and quality of listening. By listening to classroom lectures, academic discussions in seminars and workshops, and academic speeches the student acquires the professional ‘knowledge and expertise needed to excel in hishher profession, The importance of listening also lis ints multipurpose functions. a purposeful communicative activity listening serves individual needs and aids in implementing oral communication goals. There are many ways by which decisions are made in an organsation-by discussion inmeetings and conferences, by negotiation in business dealing, by voting in democratic processes, and soon, In each instane, listening PlayS an important role as it aids in analysing a problem, Understanding the possible solutions, and making a decision, Inbrief, listening: + Makes oral interaction possible Aids in decision makingStimulates others to achieve individual as well as professional objectives. + Develops information and understanding essential for decision-making in meetings and conferences. + Leadsto unification between the activities of individuals as a work team, towards achievement of common business, professional, or organisational goals, + Promotes maintenance of professional relations, 2. Speaking : Speaking skills, as summarised in Table 2, are also very important for a person’s professional survival and growth. One needs them to be successful in one’s academic and professional pursuits. In fact, every academic, professional, or business work requires effective speaking skills. Whether you are a scientist engaged in technical research, a business executing involved in business actitities,. or a student working for a professional degree, you need effective speaking skills in order to take an active part in oral communicative processes. Table-2 : Speaking Skills [General | Academic | Professional | Listening - tofduring Casual Lectures Professional conversation interaction Formal Tutorials and | Oral reports conversation | practicals Social Seminars and | Oral presentations interaction ~ | workshops Public speeches | Technical Group | presentations | discussions/Meeting Small talks on | Academic Conferences: local topics _|. discussions Negotiating | Viva voce Interviews | ‘meanings in social situations pees Convers Oral interaction | Professional tasks in a given discussions social milieu Oralreports | Teleconferencing Videoconferencing AA person requires effective oral communication skills in several formal communicative situations, i.e, meetings, conferences, group discussions, panel discussions, interviews, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, seminars, workshops, and symposiums. Some of the sub-skills of oral communication that one may need include the following: Asking and Answering Questions © Asking questions in meetings, talks, business presentations, lectures, seminars, conferences, training sessions, fieldwork, and laboratory work. Asking questions related to non-verbal data, formulae, equations, measures, numbers, fractions, and cardinal and ordianal numbers. ‘© Answering questions, providing clarification and. giving explanations in the above situatios. Expressing opinions and comments © Asking for opinions Expressing criticism, objections and doubt © Expressing general comments © Agreeing and disagreeing © Secking suggestions © Giving suggestions © Stating points of view Academic and Professional Oral- ‘Interaction © Interacting during interviews and tests ‘Interacting orally with experts or professionals Academic/Professional Discussions ‘© Discussing academic matter with Yellow students © Invitingto discuss ¢ Initiating discussion © Initiatingtopic shift © Giving information © Coordinating in discussions Meetings/Conferences © Coordinating in meetings © Conducting meetings © Participating in meetings © Summarizing and concluding in meetings Oral Presentations ‘© Making oral presentations Orally describing and interpreting non-verbal data, .g. graphs, tables, diagrams, charts, plans, maps, and so on © Persuading © Using visual aids effectively d LSee ae ntl to the increased along with; oat ch a piaieee nees in the new millennium fh Gatial as eee e new ave increased the importance of cae Skills. Look around and you will find people involved in oral communication : Conversations, meeting, discussion, Presentations, telephone calls, voice mails, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, gossiping, and so on. Speaking pervades the entire range of social and professional relationships, and plays a key role in our Iliffe. Without oral communication, social as well a professional interactions may not be possible. The growth and expansion of service oriented industry hhas also increased the significance of oral competence for professionals in defferent fields. As the economy becomes less dependent on manufacturing and more service oriented, the need for students with good speaking skills has become more acute. Media reports frequently highlight employers’ complaints that graduates’ oral skills require considerable improvement. Students, thus, need to develop speaking skills if they are to be successful in their careers. Speaking skills are the single most important criterion in hiring professionals. Most of the professionals are hired through a selection process, which involves speaking skills in the form of group discussion/case discussion /personal interview/oral presentation or some other form of oral communication. creasing reliance on oral communication Moreover, forms such as meetings, group discussions, conferences, seminars, workshops, and other forms of oral interaction in democratic decision making todya has given increased significance to the need for effective speaking skills. Oral ‘communication not only makes professional interaction possible, it develops information and understanding essential for decision making in meetings, conferences, and other imilar oral communicative situations. Moreover, it leads to unification between the activities of individuals as a work team, towards achievement ofcommon business, professional, als; and promotes maintenance of ‘or organisational go business and professional relations. ‘As oral communication is a tool of professional and business interaction, one should be able to use it fluently, effectively, and confidently. A person should know how to speak using appropriate grammatical and lexical forms and how to sound using appropriate phonological and graphical forms, One should have the ability to be an understanding interlocutor, create coherent discourse, and take appropriate tums in conversations as wellas havethe ability tonegotiate = meanings with others by creating reciprocity of presepective << onthe topic of discussion, 3. Reading : Like listening and speaking, reiding is ruetah a tocffective communication. Your need effective reading skills as you may be required to read several kinds of reading materials for different general, academic, and professional purposes (summarised in table 3). Both professionals and students need excellent reading skills to be successful in their puisuits as it is hard to imagine any academic, professional, orbussiness work that doesnot require efficient reading skills. } ‘Table-3 : Reading Skills General | Academic Professional Reading - [Newspapers | Text books | Business reports i Magazines | Journals Proposals Journals Research ‘Business letters papers « Comcy Novels Scientific Memos articles Qu, Stories } Classroom Email messages | { notes — “Articles Lecture notes _ | Notes Personal letters _| Thesis Notices Emails Dissertations | Circulars Qo General Books | Abstracts Promotional bulletins on, Entertainment Catalogues: literature qq Instruction | manuals Om Corporate } brochures * | “The changes in business and industrial fields, coupled “s with the development of advanced information technology have greatly changed the way we receive and interpret. = information, Reading is not merely reading of letters and cludes receiving and interpreting sophisticated memos; echnical material, email messages, intranet information, information of websites, and so on. Reading has new | dimensions in industrial and technical organisations.ois important that you are able to read and analyse fic texts, instruction manuals, and technical materials in different forms, Comprehension of technical materials MMP juires basic understasiding of the technical subject, familiarity with soientifictechnical terms, words and phrases, MR iliarty with scientific ormulaefequations/abbreviations and with the discourse features of technical writing, It also Vives the ability to understand and interpret graphic information. ReaD Writing : The significance of writing skills (summarised in Table 4) cannot be overemphasised because writing is so Mg portant for students of all kinds and professionals in all fields. As a student, a person needs effective writing skills one as to write examination answers, projeet reports, Tabreports, summaries, synopsis, abstracts, and subject notes. fessionals are required to write business letters, memos, ‘email messages, reports, proposals, minutes, notes, ~ fessional summaries, and so on. Both professionals and Ms dents need excellent writing skills to survive and excel in ir pursuits a there is hardly any academic or professional Mi vity that does not require writing skill. Gidl pusebesdd | ‘Tablet : Writing Skills General ‘Academie Professional | Writing Personal letter | Examination ‘Technical answers Personal e-mail | Project reports | Industrial messages, reports Notes Lab reports Project proposals ‘Comments ‘Synopsis Business proposals, General arties _ | Thesis Business letters Dissertations _| E mails Abstracts Memos, Research ‘Notices papers Scientific ‘Agenda articles Classroom __| Minutes of ie notes meeting Lecture notes | Technical a abstracts Job applications Resumes gaaCOMPREHENSION OF TECHNICAL MateRIALs/TEXTS AND INFORMATION Desicn & DeveLopMEeNt Previous Years Questions [Para QI What do you understand by print media? 1RTU. 2019) Ans, Print Media : Print media advertising is a form of advertising that uses physically printed media, such as magazines and newspapers, fo reach consumers, business customers and prospects, Q2 Mention various kinds of technical documents, [RTU.2019} ‘Ans. There are total nine types of technical documents; 1. Reports Presentation User manual Executive summaries Abstracts Spec sheets Proposals Employment documents Questionnaires ————— Q3 What are technical manuals? [RT 20181 nena Ans. Document wth instructions for operation, installation, Use, maintenance, lst of pars, support and any requirements fortraining for effectively usinga machine or equipment are Called technical manuals. “Technical manual’ is a term for “Any manual with technical character: You could think of a manual (or set of manuals) for a complicated machine like anairplane. You could also think of technical manuals to run complete industrial installation, (Know who you are talking to Gi) Be aware of all directives (ii) Follow the guidelines (iv) Coll (W)_ Write effectively I the information that you can (vi) Use pictures (vii) Use animations ——————— Q4 Discuss different types of technical documents, —————————— eee Ans. For the final report in some technical-writing courses, you can write one of (or even a combination of) several different types of reports. If there is some other type of report that you know about and want to write, get with your instructor to discuss it, All the reports are briefly defined here, with cross-references to where their presenation occur: 1, Standard operating policies and procedures: These are the operating documents for organization; they contain rules and regulations on how the organization adits members are expected to perform, Policies and procedures are like instructions, but they go much further. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are more for procedures in which a process in performedsfor example, taking a dental eT SSSRcee bility, evaluation go back and read the whole paper, section by section, 2. Recommendation, reports: This group of similar reports does things like compare several options against a set of requirements and recommend one; consider an idea (plan, projet) in terms of its “Feasibility” for example, some combination of its technical, ‘economical, social practically or possibility; passes judgement on the worth or value of a thing by ‘comparing it to. set of requirements, o i Technical background reports : This type is the hardest one to define dp the one that most people write. It focuses on a technical topic, provides background on that top fora sepecific set of readers who have specific needs for it. This, report does not supply instructions, nor does it supply recommendations in any systematic way, nor does it report new and original data Technical guides and handbooks : Closely related to technical report but differing somewhat in purpose and audience are technical guides and handbooks. 4 Business plans : This type is a proposal to start a’new business, ‘Technical specifications : This type presents descriptive and operational details on a new or updated product. QS Describe the techniques to interpret and summarize technical texts, [R.1.U.2019), ———————————— ‘Ans. Techniques to Interpret Technical Texts : 1. Skimming : Skim the paper quickly, carefully review for headings, figures and the purpose of the reading Vocabulary : Go through the paper word by word and line by line, underlining or highlighting every word and phrase that don’t understand, Look for underlined ‘words and phrases, A technical English dictionary isa 00d place to look for definitions, Get an understanding from the context in which it is used. Often words that .are used to describe the procedures used in engineering. Comprehension, section by section : Try to deal with all the words and phrases, probably here will be _affew technical terms that won’t be understand. Now a Br for comprehension. ‘Techniques to Summarize Technical Texts : 1. Read the information source several times; in fact, read so many times as needed to fully understand the ‘material. Look up unfamiliar words and then ifthey'retoo difficult for understanding then rephrase them with simple words. Construct the sentences clearly don’t forget to include the main points that want to deliver: fo this jot down on the piece of paper to express the main ideas. Keep it brief: don’t ose the original essence but try to make it look more laconic, reduce and deleteruthlessly all the unessential sentences. Q6 What do you know about information design? Discuss its hierarchical levels. OR Describe strategies for organication of information ‘and information design. (RT, 2018) ‘Ans, Information design is the detailed planning of specific information that is to be provided toa particular audience to meet specific objectives. The information designer may or may not have available (or may create) an information, architecture that defines the overall pattern or structure that {s imposed on the information design and an information plan that defines information units and how they are to be completed. The output ofan information design is sometimes expressed in written instructions, plans, sketches, drawings, or formal specifications. However, on very small projects, information design is likely to be much less formal. Information design can be distinguished from information architecture ad information planning, In one view, there are three hierarchical levels of activity 1. Information architecture : Which is the general setofideas about how all information in a given context should be organized. For example, one might say that "All of our 4 product information should serve customer needs as expressed by tasks they have to do with our products," and then develop a pattern that organizes all product information J in modules related to customer tasks. The output is an information architecture document. 2. Information planning : Which focuses on all } aspécts required to prepare and support the information of a specific set of products, single product, or event over the product life or other time span. This generally includes(Fechnicat Communication} understanding the product or évent goals, studying the audience and their needs, considering possible information media, defining specific information units (books, chapters, ‘web pages, visualizations, andso forth), specifying the people who will work on them, what the schedule is, and how this ‘work will relate to the work of others. The output is an information plan, 3. Information design : Which focuses more narrowly on the information itselfin one or more information Units, and may encompass the information aspects of industrial design (labels, knobs, and the physical interface), information ‘content design, page design, web site design, illustration design, ‘typography decisions, and so forth. Information design can be applied to a single work, such as a city map, or to a corporation's entire set of customer information, The output may be part of an information plan, a separate information design document, or simply the designed object or set of objects. Information design ideas can often be tested in a usability laboratory by observing surrogate users trying to use the designed information and getting their feedback. The practice of information design invites questions into how people Jeam or prefer to learn and how they use information. It also raises questions about how to design information for different cultural and other contextual differences in the audience. Since information is now commonly delivered using electronic media with new possibilities for user interaction and as product designers have become more aware of the importance of usability, a new term, interaction design, has arisen as a corollary of information design. A number of universities now offer courses or degree programs centered ‘on information design Q7 What is the procedure for reading technical texts? Discuss role of first reading and second reading. Ans. Introduction : Practitioners entering scientific and technical fields are confronted with an ocean of information and the tide will constantly rise. Asa reader, you will struggle to stay current with the literature in order to maintain and advance your position in your field. It is atruism that the task ofreading ll the information published in leading joumals, in all but the most narrowly defined specialities, is impossible. “The problem for you as a reader will not be reading faster, but learning how to select what is worthwhile to read slowly, ‘Asa layperson reading in areas outside your field of expertise, you will be confronted by a language not your own, The . or) - o= = problem for you as a reader will not be to become an expert indozens of fields, but to recognize the techniques for reading in your own field and relate them to other fields. ‘The Possibilities of Reading : Our approaches to reading often vary widely, and for the most part remain unexamined. ‘Typically, we understand reading as a passive, individual activity about which we receive no formal instruction after childhood. Implicitly, it seems, we develop our own reading strategies. You may prefer to read in a certain place under specific conditions, Pressed for time, you may only read the introduction, conclusion and subheadings to an article tobe discussed in class that day. Youmay skip the words ina physics textbook altogether to get to the mathematical formulas. You may read a newspaper in a ritual manner, one section proceeding the next. While each these strategies are unique, academic disciplines encourage certain possi for reading by regulating the expression, production and presentation of ‘text. In part, how we read results from the activities going on “behind the scenes” of the words we read. First Reading : It may surprise you to learn that many ho technical documents are written not to be read. More precisely, documents are designed to allow certain readers to avoid reading certain parts: a company president, for instance, might read only the recommendation section of a @ final report; the project manager might read only the recommendation and conclusion; only a study group for a subsequent project might read the entire report. What allows Lo this procedure is a commonly recognized format: the company president knows there will bea recommendation section, and @mmg knows where to look for it: he opens the document to the table of contents page, looks to the bottom for a page number, thenmioves to it. When he has found the information he needs, he files the repor, or sends itto the next reader. A first reading of scientific and technical texts generally includes a ~ consideration of what youneed, and how you initially respond to the text. (Cry Reading What You Need : Most readers are unaware of ‘the mental models they possess which motivatettheirreading @™@y of a text. In scientific and technical fields, the largest fare condi (66% for students, 78% for people on ¢ in order to perform a task, Readers tend to ignore lengthy introductions and manuals and strike ouit on theron. Reading inthe sciences andtechnologyis generally | Ay Performed to gather information for practical application, As the readers of scientific and technical documents are, the same or a higher degree of knowledge on/behalf of the o~ -_ = ~ generally, practitioners in the field, the writer usually assumes ~ |{ina certain place under ime, you may only read the headings oan atile tobe y skip the words ina physics athematical formulas. You ual manner, one section hese strategies are unique, ain possibilities for reading uction and presentation of from the activities going rds we read. ‘you to lea that many | not to be read. More ‘0 allow certain readers company president, for nmendstion section of @ might reed only the nly a study group for a tire report. What allows zed format: the company nmendation section, and ns the document tothe ttom for a page number, ye information he needs, ctreader. A firstreading generally includes a 3 You initially respond aders are unaware of motivate theirreading al fields, the largest ts, 78% for people on. task. Readers tend to vals and strike out on chnology is generally tical application. As cal documents are, rite usually assumes © ge on/behalf of the eer “~ ee representation, By following familiar forms supplemented with headings, scientific and technical documents direct ‘a reader's movement through the text, eco ‘Reading : Scientific and technical writing does not inspire readers, especially from outside given subjectarea, perform a second, more thoughtful reading, One reason Mor thisis the armor plating ofthe text, references and dvi ee to take readers straight from the text to the aboratory. Lay readers cannot get around these deviees. But ri truly interdiseiplinary activity; we learn at least implicitly how to read a variety of material in a number of ferent ways. On second reading, you can bring to light pects ofa technical text by techniques you have learned in other disciplines. In ths section we will draw a comparison reading literary and scientific ex's. Bot types of kinds texts depend on shared and specialized uses of vocabulary SL metaphor. In comparing and contrasting how vocabulary nd metaphor workin science and other disciplines, we can 3 potential practitioners and ay reader, ue rhetorical features of take the first step understanding one of the uni ~~ scientific and technical texts, witnessing, se itn Hon ihe technical tet? Ans. Summarization isthe process of condensing a source textintoa shorter version preserving its information content. RD ican secvé several goals. From survey analysis ofa scientific field to quick indicative notes onthe general topic of text. Producting a quality informative summary of an arbitarary text mains a challenge which requires full understanding of the text. Indicative summaries, which can be used to quickly ‘décide whether a text is worth reading, are naturally easier to produce. In this paper we investigate a method for the production of such indicative summaries frm arbitrary txt Sparck Jones (Jones 1993) describes summarizaton "D as a tworstep provess Buildifg from the source te xt a source 2, Summary generation - forming a summary representation fom the source representation builtin heist step and synthesizing the output summary text ‘Within this framework, the relevant question is what information has to be included in the source representation in a ome (Birch. tt Sem.) Solved Pape text information: linguistic, domain and communicative, Each ofthese text aspects canbe chosen asa basis fr source representation. ‘ ‘Summaries canbe built ona deep semantic analysis of the source text. For example, in (MeKeown & Radev 1995), MeKeown and Radev investigate ways to produce acoherent summary of several texts describing the same event, when a full semantic representation of the source text is available {intheie case, they use MUC-style systems to Interpret the source texts). This type of souree abstraction is the most ‘but very domain dependent and hard to compute, from a expressive (On the other hand, summaries.can be b shallow linguistic analysis of the text. : 1. Forexample, early summarization systems (Lub 1958) directly exploit word distribution in the source, based onthe intuition that the most frequent ‘words represent the most important concepts of the text. ‘This representation abstracts the source text into a frequency table. + ‘Another method also based on linguistic informetion is the cue phrase method, which uses meta- Tinguistc markers (or eximple, “in conclusion”, “the paper deseribes”)1o select important phrases {(Edmunson 1969). The cue phrase method is based on the assumption that such phrases provide & “fhetorial” context for identifying important sentences, ‘The source abstraction in this ease is a set of cut phrases and the sentences that contain them. 3, Thelocation method relieson the following intuition: headings, sentences inthe beginning and end of the text, text formated in blod, contain important information ot the summary (Hovy & Lin 1997; Edimunsion 1960). “Allthe techniques presented above ae easily computed and ely on shallow formal clues found inthe text. As reporte in (Paice 1990), location and cue phrases produce bette results than the word frequency method, and can be saceurately computed. Recently, (Kupiee, Pedersen & Che 1995), (Teufel & Mouns 1997) use learning in order t ‘combine several shallow beuristis (cue phrase location sentance length, word frequency and ttl), using a corpus @ research papers with manually produced abstract. order to create a summary. There are three types of source‘Ans, Note-making isa brief record of writing something to ‘assist the memory or for future important references, Notes ‘are usually being taken to record the speeches or dictations ‘after listening to itor after reading any materials ike a book, ‘magazine oran article. Iti initiated to refer whenever needed and may be reproduced in the desired manner, Importance of Note-Making : The process of grasping Knowledge is vast and unlimited, Our memory is notable to store so much information altogether, hence notes making is quite handy and helpful, With the assistance of note making, ‘we may recall the entire information of past events. For the students, it makes their preparation less strenuous. Thus note making helps in keeping information handy whenever we require. Recollecting and recalling past events said or heard. Delivery of speeches for debates/discussion, ‘writing an essay and revising lessons before examinations, How to make notes: Reading of passage or the extract provided. While reading the extract, underline the important key sentences. It helps in the formation of the titles and subtitles. Make ¢ ough note ofall important and main points to beiincluded and then give them a logical sequence. Use a format which is applicable to the extract and write down the ‘summarization of the paragraph. They should be precise and tothe point. They should have all the relevant and important information of the extract. All information should be systematically divided and subdivided. Use universally relevant symbols and abbreviations necessary and provide key to the abbreviations ‘The main ttle should be short and apt to the extract. Try to avoid any long sentence as a title unless it is a common Proverb, It must reflect the essence of the extract, Notes must be written in points and must be listed one after another and must be numbered properly. Points to be avoided while making notes 1. Avoid the usage of full sentences. 2, Do not lift portions of the paragraph to form the ‘Usage of abbreviation: Capital letters to be used for UNO, NCERT ete.) Bio.) Key to be used for own short forms. = (For e.g, Trans.=Transparent). Proper Indentation Title (reflects the main theme of the extract and carries 3 ‘marks, it should not be more than 1/3 of the passage length) Subheadings (grasp of the passage by the students) ‘Try to use only phrases and avoid using full sentences, SS Q.10 What are the differences between writing for online ‘and print media? ———— ‘Ans. People do not read how they used to, Thanks to the internet, people encounter so much more content than they once did - articles and informative pieces are available anytime, instantly. This means writing for the web differs greatly from writing for traditional media. Professors now teach writing students how to keep online readers engaged, so someone earning a bachelor of Arts in communication studies will be well-versed in internet writing, For other writers making the leap from paper to screen there are several things to keep in mind, 1, Length The average amount of time an online reader spends reading anything on the intemet is two minutes, Printed pieees rarely even each their main focus in that amount of time, Therefore, online articles tend to be much shorter than their printed. counterparts and that goes for paragraphs, too, Instead of Jong segments of prose like you would see in a newspaper ‘or magazine, the paragraphs in online articles should end after notes, a few lines, ‘Commonly used in newspapers and magazines. (gov,, sec., ‘ieTC.16 2. Reader Attention Online articles have to fight for a reader's attention, even ‘hough readers generally go to an article or page intentionally. This is because the internet is highly interconnected. Most articles are nested among other links, moving images, flashing 4 ads and other clickable content that is vying for your readef*s valuable attention. So in order to maintain their interest as longas possible, ail pertinent information needs to appear as slose to the beginning of the piece as possible. Otherwise, a reader may lose patience and navigate away. 3. Links Print does not have hyperlinks. It may seem silly to point out, but when it comes to citing source materials, print traditionally features a list of works cited near the end, while most online posts contain links throughout so readers can easily click for more information and read the source content. However, that ‘means links can also prevent a reader from reaching the end of an article, a problem print rarely has unless the article is simply poorly written, 4, Search Engine Optimization Print does not have to deal with search engines. However, if online writers want people to find their articles, then they ‘must lace them with relevant terms that people will use in search engines. When writing for the web, it remains important to craft a well-written, informative piece, but no cone will find it is not optimized for search engines with key phrases and associated links. 5, Readability People redid electronic media differently than they do print. They scan and search for things that stand out, like bullet points and boldface phrases. Therefore, writers must arrange information so readers can absorb it quickly. Subheadings throughout an article help, as do shorter paragraphs, lists and even links. Newspapers, magazines and now even books are available as electronic media online. Not every piece needs drastic change for online publication. However, most articles, need optimization for readability, ‘Writing forthe web poses unique challenges that print oes not, like competing with moving images for reader attention and optimizing content for search engines, but good ‘Writers can transition easily between the two media, Qt Make notes on the contents of the passage given belojs, giving a suitable title, Make a summary of the passage. You need excellent verbal and written communication skills. Depending on the industry in which you work, the purpose of your content and the people who are using it, you may produce a lot written (text - based) documentation or focus more on images, simulations, videos and flowcharts. Regardless of the type of output, you need to be able to question subject matter experts (SMEs). You also need to be able to distil what SMEs tell you into information at an appropriate level of compexity (both in terms of level of content and language) for the people needing to use The amount of subject matter knowledge you need as a technical communicator varies greatly depending on both the industry and the intended audience. For example, if you are communicating about consumer products for consumers, you are probably in a good position to understand what they need. In contrast, if you are writing for people working in the pharmaceutical, nuclear or software development industries, you may need some specialist knowledge of the appropriate area so you can pitch your communication at ah appropriate level. Technical communicators use a number of software applications to do their work. While no-one can know every application in depth, a general understanding of the types of application out there and what they are used ‘for is useful. Detailed knowledge tends to grow as you use an application, and you can also attend tool-specifie training courses or (in many cases) download trial versions 10 play. The sort of person who tends to make a good technical communicator is one who has an eye for detail uti also able to see the bigger picture. He or she will be curious-about how something works, how to use it more effectively or more efficiently. Being able to see things ‘from someone else’s perspective is good- what is important, 10 them, why are they doing what they are doing, what do the need to know, Finally, tenacity. You may have questions, and you need to keep asking them until youget an answer you can use. You may not understand all of the answer, but enough (0 be sure that it will make Sense to those who should, [R.70.2018) ——— ‘Ans. Note Making : Title : Importance of Communication Skills Excellence in communication skills is important. The purpose of the content and the audience depends upon the industry. 3. Specialization of the subject is necessary. A good communicator has an eye of each and every detail One should consider other’s or audiences perspective while writing or communicating: () Their choices and preferences Gi) Their purpose Gii) Their goals or aim, Communication is a way of putting across ones ideas and opinions and listening that of the others’. Itis important to have a two way communication for a healthy conversation. People who understand the importance of ‘communication develop healthier personal and professional relationships, On the other hand, people who keep things, to themselves instead of discitssing and resolving them experience problems at various levels. Communication is very important forall beings, Animals and humans, alike, use their own separate languages to communicate with one another, because no one can survive without communicating. Communication skills are a part of the spoken and written language. These are the extra factors, which complete a communication process. Communication refers to the exchange of thoughts and ideas with the intention of conveying information, Communication i atwo way street that includes vocalization as well as gesticulation. The purpose of communication is to convey one’s beliefs, ideas, thoughts or needs with clarity so as to reach a consensus or « mutually acceptable solution Communication is said to be effective ifit is two way. Ifonly one person does the talking and the other one is not given a chance to put across ‘his point then it is considered to bean unhealthy conversation, Importance of communication “Ss ‘must be understood however atthe same time people must ensure fair play in the same, Dominating the entire © conversation isnt right and so is letting the other person dominate the same. Be itat home or in a professional setting, a people mustrecognize and realize the importance of two way communication. -_ Importance of Eee Communication: Many popu understand the importance of communication and want 1o communicate their point to the other people however they are unable to do so. This is because they lack good communication skill, Here are few ways to communicate effectively: em 1. Interruption : Interruption can be extremely annoying. Itis essential to let the other person complete the point before speaking, Constantly interrupting thé other person can make them distract from the point QF and the conversation can take a different turn. Listen Patiently : Healthy conversation requires @immey listening patiently as much as it requires putting ones point across In order to communicate effectively one @u ‘must first listen to what the other person has to sa Watch Your Body Language : The body language” @ speaks volumes about the person. Itis essential to keep the body language warm and fiendly rather than qj arrogant and aggressive. Many people unintentionally give a wrong message through their body language. If qa 4 person is not sure then it is good to lear the art of body language. 4. Don’t Go Overboard With the Point ; The reason ~ behind conversation is to express the thoughts to let the other person know what a person feel. It is not to. a prove that your point is correct and the other person is. ‘wrong. Many people try to win the conversation which is absolutely wrong, It leads to unnecessary arguments and conflicts. Se Watch the Words : Before saying something to a Person must know what he is saying. At times, out of anger ot anxiousness must say things that not say. Remember, words once spoken cannot be taken back. a Itis thus suggested not to say something that might become regretful later. 6. Practice di, + If there is a professional meeting, where “ ‘here Isa requirement of communicating about the. —— a aproduct or work then it is suggested to practice the ‘same beforchind. Choose how the conversation would begin, what all points will be cavered conclution. Practice the same a couple of times in front of the mirror or with a friend, Qu12 What is information collection? Discuss planning and selecting information collection methods. x >. This resource is intended to help organisations starting ‘Out with their own internal self-evaluation to think through =v they will collect data that will help them evidence their Mpact. The guide focuses mostly on collecting primary data, = data is new data that is collected specifically for a palticular study, Section 7 of the guide also considers secondary data, which is data that has already been collected SS people and for other purposes - government statisties, for example, data found in research documents. hee likely to collect both types of information. Indeed, its important to get information from a number of different Reng s. This will allow a variety of perspectives to emerge and will strengthen your findings. wig Tesource provides guidance on developing your own tools. Tealso provides links o further publication titles and web links >rff-the-shelf tools that may be useful for your impact assessment as they stand, or which you might adapt to meet sur specific needs. You may also wish to use a validated 108). Validated tools are ones that have been independently eg! and shown to measure what they claim to measure. MM findings generated by validated tools are generally perceived to carry greater weight as their ability to assess lomes has been well established. Very often, validated tools are used in an evaluation alongside other methods, such =. review and interviews. Planning Information Collection : Your impact eG sent should be closely tied in with the planning stages, of youir project or service delivery. ideally, this is when you gid set out clearly your aims, objectives, outputs and ‘outcomes. If your work is already underway, it will still be jezportant to make these explicit. There are a number of planning tools that can help you to do this. CES’ website and cations will introduce youto: + Te CES planning triangle * A theory of change These can help you estabi ‘monitoring and evaluation, Once you have identified outputs and outcomes, you will need to set indicators, These are the a foundation for your well-defined measurable information that will provide evidence about whether you are achieving your outputs and outcomes. Itis helpful to set out your outputs and outcomes, and their indicators, in a table format, or framework. You will then be in a good position to consider the best ways to collect ‘your data, You will also need to consider other factors, such as the skills and resources you have available to put into your data collection, and what sort of data collection activity is appropriate and proportionate to the work that you are doing. Selecting Information Collection Methods ‘Asking yourself the following questions will help you decide what sort of evidence you need. Once you agree on this, ‘you will bein a better position to choose the most appropriate |_ data collection methods, Depth of Information Required : How much information do you need? At what level of detail? Sensitivity and Complexity of the Issues : Do you need information on sensitive or complex issues such as people's life style choices or behaviours? ‘Time and Skills Required : How much time and skill are you and your staff able to allocate to designing and using tools? For example, focus groups need skilled facilitators Ease of Collection and Analysis : How many and what type of questions do you need to ask? How easy will this information be to collect and analyse? For example, open questions such as, ‘What did you learn during the workshop?’ are more time consuming to analyse than closed questions requiring a "Yes/No! answer, such as 'Did the workshop change your understanding? However, open questions may. provide richer information than closed questions, Credibility : Will the methods you hope to use be acceptable to your stakeholders that i, the people to whom you will be reporting and those who need the data or will otherwise be the audience for your findings? If not, the information you collect may be questioned, Some tools are well respected (for example, interviews and questionnaires)but they are not always the most appropriate, Ifyou decide tochoose more innovative, visual or participatory tools, make sure thatyour evaluation users agree these ways of collecting information will provide sufficiently credible evidence, Appropriateness to the Service and Its Values: It'simportantto consider which tools are most appropriate to ‘your organisation and its values. In some situations, more informal methods or anecdotal data may be acceptable, and in others you may need to use methods that are tried and tested, such asa validated questionnaire recognised and used ina particular field, forexample, mental health, User Views and Rights : Before you vollect information from people, you should make sure they know why you are doing it, and how you will use the information, Make sure that they feel comfortable about the way that you are collecting the information and that you will treat information ‘confidentially. For example, it might be useful to tape the interview, but you must always check whether you interviewee is happy with this. Think about other needs that they might have, which could relate to their learning, sight or hearing abilities, cultural background or other circumstances Reliability : A reliable method is one that can be applied consistently each time you use it, in different situations and with different people. It is essential when you are comparing information over time or between different Participants and/or within different situations, Ifthe question you ask can be intexprented differently by different people, Your data may not be reliable. Validity : Are you measuring what you intend to ‘measure? To what extent, for example, are you relying on selective perception, rather than cross-checking through ‘umber of data collection methods? How far do the question ‘you ask through your data collection tools provide valid evidence? ——————— Q13 What is organizational strategy? Discuss various types of strategy, ——— Ans. Where do you want your company to go? What are ‘Your goals-more profits, more sales, bigger buildings? What do you envision for your business? To accomplish any of these objectives, you must have aplan-a road map of where you're ‘0ing and how you intend to get thee, Who wil be responsible for which parts ofthe journey? ‘These plans from the basis for an organizational Strategy. Its the big picture of where you want the business to go and the activities needed to ‘get there. An organizational strategy i the sum ofthe actions you must ake to achieve ‘your long-term goals, Strategies are dynamic. They should be reviewed continuously to find out what’s working and what's not, Adjustments can be made to get back ontrack.’ like playing chess. If a competition makes a move to counter your objectives, you adjust and counterattack. It's an ongoing process The time frame fora strategy is long term, Generally, this means one year, but it could be three or five years. The further ahead you plan, the fuzzier it gets. Constructing a strategic plan takes alot of time and effort, More tha likely, you! have to begin working on the next strategic plan at least six months before the preceding plan ends. So, adjust. the timeline to your needs and activities, A Strategy is a road map. It begins with a clear understanding of where you are now and where you want to 80. The strategic journey defines the twists and tums in the road on the way to achieving your goals. It identifies the tasks along the way, who will be responsible for specific results, the mileposts and key performance indicators to measure progress and when results are expected, ‘Types of Strategies A successful organizational strategy has a core Purpose that defines the business. It i determined by the owner's vision of the company in the marketplace, For example, the owner may decide thatthe company should offer the best prices and bea cost leader intheMarket. This strategy ‘may increase sales, but will itbe profitable? The business owner's vision ofthe company's position in the marketplace determines the type of organizational Strategy to pursue. The overall objective is to gain competitive advantage and maintain longterm profitability, A business has three choices of strategies to gain this advantage: low-cost production, differentiation ot focus, Low-cost production : The goal for this strategy is for the company to operate at the lowest cost possible and| | | | QI Name various forms of technical discourse. [RTU.2019} ‘Ans, 1. Description 2. Narration 3. Exposition 4. Persuasion 5. Argumentation ———— Q2 What is a strategy for effective writing? [REU, 2018 — Ans, Some writers are influenced by their environment. One of the effective writing strategy is to choose the time, place and manner for your writing carefully. If you prefer to write in the moming, or at night after children have gone to bed, make sure to set a few hours during that time of day for writing, Similarly if your best writing occurs at the coffee shop, orin your office, arange to write there when possible, Even the manner of writing can affect your productivity and the quality of your writing, For example, some writers prefer towrite longhand with a pen and paper, whereas others need computer. * Analyze the Audience * Pre-write Revi Q3 Why is a meeting agenda important for a productive meeting? IR-TU. 2018) ms Agendas set the right tone. Agendas identify topics for discussion, 3. Agendas keep everyone focused. 4 Agendas eliminate excuses, | Pas Qn ———— Q4 Spot the error and correct the following sentences : ~ (a) We have received no information. (8) Land he are brothers. Oe, © : @ oe ( T have no any friends. We should not make noise. He has finished his letter last night, O Uf lwere rich I will help you. ~ (8) She came yesterday, doesn't she? (H) The last bus had gone untit we had 10 watk em home. (Will you male this letter immediately? \ @ A person who can neither read or write is “ illiterate, (RIU2019)“Ans.(a) We have not received any information, (b) He and 1 are brothers. ‘Ans,(c) I don’t haveany friend. = (@) We should not make a noise. “ans (e) He had finished his letter lastnight (0 If were rich, I would help you. ‘Ans.(g) She came yesterday, didn’t she? FR ‘The last bus had gone so we had to walk home, ‘Ans() Will you mail this letter immediately? Bammagg)() A person who can neither read nor write isan literate, BRR Draft an official email informing about the SY {forthcoming meeting of your company regarding improving work atmosphere in the company. - RU 2019) Ans. mg: abe gmail.com Ame, 12 #2 Gmall.com Bec: BABE... Mecting regarding improving work atmosphere in the company. far all H.0.D.’s = This is to inform you all, that a meeting regarding MF ovement of work atmosphere in the company is scheduled «on 10*june 2019 at 4:30 p.m. in the board room. Soll of you MF ,equested to be present at the venue before the given time. Meeting will be headed by Chairperson of the company. Rs and regards ympany H.R. A a the sentence correci Find the error and rewri We all swim at the beach yesterday. ‘They Hadn't scarcely enough feed for their cattle. ‘The animals has damaged my plants, The perfume is for your sister and yourself. My father has been sleep all day. Mother has cook new dishes. 2 GL J (GFR Sem TT PP) Not only Ram but only Sham is my friend. — ae ‘A bus runs passed our house, bali Neither Peter or James can sing well. ~) (10) He drove fast so he might arrive early [R.TU, 2018] SS ‘/as. Rewritten Sentences are as Below ¢ (1) We all swam at the beach yesterday: (@) They had scarcely enough feed forthe ) The animals have damaged my plants. (4) The perfume is for your sister and you. (5) My father has slept all day. (6) Mother has cooked new dishes. (1) Not only Ram but also Sham is my friend. (8) A bus runs past our house. (9) Neither Peter nor James can (10) He drove fast so that he might arrive early. —— ee ee Q7 Describe the technical writing process. OR Describe the technical writing process in detail. [R-T.U. 2018] a ‘Ans. Beginning to write may be a hard task for most people as ideas come mixed up in a disorderly manner. In trying fo get started, many different aspects come into mind: content, style, grammar, ete. and itmay be difficult to cope with them all at the same time. In order to seek guidance and to aequire confidence, the writer may find it useful to resort to some kind of systematic and integrative approach which takes into consideration the most important aspeets of writing. (8) ir cattle. ing well. ‘The integrative approach adopted draws on knowledge of different approaches to writing (see figure 1). On the one hand, ittakes into account the linguistic knowledge about texts, namely, grammar and text structure, Mastering syntax, an appropriate use of vocabulary and cohesive devices as well as patterns of information ‘organization become essential to produce well-written texts, This is known as product approach, On the other hand, the integrative approach also pays attention to the writing skills or stages involved in writing, Jb. JiFig Finally, this approach also heeds the social context, mainly the purpose and audience the document is addressed to, as ‘ell as the writing conventions established by the technical and scientific community (genre approach. At this point it is useful to clarify that the three approaches mentioned above will be combined into one by subsuming the product and the genre approach under the process approach which, in turn, will serve asthe guide to organizing the information to the next steps, However, the ‘writing approach presented below is by no means intended to be prescriptive, Instead it has been designed to provide guidance allowing enough room for manoeuvre so that writers can adapt these guidelines to their own writing preferences and style. We view writing as a non-linear and recursive Process composed of three main stages 1, Pre-writing : Before beginning to write, invest some time to plan what to write and how to transmit the information. In order todo this, onsider (a) audience and purpose (whom to Write and why), (b) tone and style (how to transmit the information), (c) gathering of information (brainstorming, analysing sources of information, ete.) and (4) outlining (organization of information) 2. Writing : Once the information has been gathered and organized, start writing a first draft, At this stage, itis ‘important to consider the main parts of the text, paragraph evelopment and coherence as well as genre conventions. Revise and consider all these aspects, it may be helpful to Use representative models as a reference, 3. Post-writing :The final stage of the writing process involves (a) revising content and organization, (b) checking Fig.2 Some ofthe benefits that can be obtained from adopting this process approach are outlined below: ‘* Ithelps the writer overcome the blank page syndrome and therefore get started, © Itserves the writeras a guide to writing since it suggests possible steps to follow in the writing process, Itmakes the writer aware of contextual considerations such as audience and purpose. © It promotes awareness of the writing process. © It accounts for individual variation, that is, it encompasses different learning styles and preferences, ——— Q8 Discuss the three main steps of technical writing, a ‘Ans. The process of writing is no easy feat. Whether the \ritingis for academic or professional ambitions, writers of all ages face the same challenges: coming up with ideas,ee (e.2a} ‘creating content, addressing and adequately informing about the topic at hand, incorporating research and facts for validity, presenting the information in an organized format, and Polishing the final presentation with regards to Word choice, spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation. Making matters Worse, most writers try to accomplish all of the above at ‘once, aiming to get the writing over with as quickly as possible. AS a result of this pressure, many writers find themselves staring ata blank sereen, unsure of where to start, and even if good start is managed, road blocks pop up around every ‘comer as the mind strains over what to write next and how towrite it. The solutions simple: breaking the writing process into three different phases (pre-writing, writing, and post writin) allows the writer to focus on one aspect at a time. This leads to successful writing, and in the long run, actually saves time- and stress. Step-1 : Pre-writing ‘Writing should start with thinking about the topic and purpose ‘of writing. Once that is established, brainstorm by informally jotting down ideas come. This helps with deciding what you choose to write about, Brainstorm after you have read over, the project's guidelines several times to fully understand the assignment. Next, begin pre-writing. Identify the thesis (main idea) and make sure all ofyour content relates to and/or supports your thesis so you stay focused and on topic. Whether you choose to pre write by makinga list, developing an outline, filling in boxes, creating a web or coming up with your own prewriting strategy is up to you. Ideritify the parts of your piece (paragraphs and/ of sections) and what your goal isin each. This will focus and arrange your writing, breaking the task down into smaller, more manageable chunks. ‘When writing an assignment from a teacher or boss, as you pre-wrte, Keep reviewing what they have identified as the goal(s) and crucial elements of te project. Is there a project description, scoring rubric, or particular end result you are supposed to achieve? If yes, make sure you accomplish this in your prewriting phase. Ifyour prewriting addresses all of the projects demands, writing will be successful. Finally, complete the prewriting by adding notes regarding support, research, facts, and/or detail for each section. What are you planning to write and get across in each pat ofthe piece? The topie ; line with your thesis. How much a writer there is personal preference, Write as mul necessary to feel ike you know your content and the oes of each section or paragraph, First understanding What YO" are writing helps you write. has you consider Unfortunately, many writers skip the prewriting step entire. “They try to come up with their organization, ideas, and information ll at once while writing their content, and this clogs the brain with too many tasks atone time. Prewriting frees the mind so it ean focus on the writing process all By itself. Step-2 : Writing/Drafting Here is where you are ready to actually write your piece using formal sentences and paragraphs. Follow your previiting and make sure you accomplish the goal of each section or paragraph. Use your prewriting asa checklist, and further develop your ideas and content as you write. Be sure to.write using proper sentence and paragraph structures and use transitions for flow. Think about what you are writing and if it makes sense, Expand upon and explain your thoughts clearly and thoroughly so the reader knows exactly what you mean; never assume the reader knows what you are presenting, Insert your research, suppor, facts, and details (with citations, ifnecessary) to accomplish your goal. Getit all down on paper, from introduction to conclusion. At point, just get the content down, as when you get to the rewriting part of the process, you can perfect how it reads. Step-3 : Post Writing/Revising If possible, take a break before completing this final step of the writing process so you can approach it with fresh eyes | and a clear mind, First, read through with a focus on your content. Does it achieve your goal and maintain a focus? Have you properly executed the MLA style or another style required for research citations and format? Rewrite, edit, and delete content as necessary, then read through it again to check your organization, transitions, word choice, and sentence and paragraph structure, Make sure it flows and is easy to read. Finally, proofread for punctuation, spelling, grammar, and usage errors. Ifyou can, have another person proofread ita final time, Follow these three steps consistently every time you write, and in no time, your writing willeven begin to enjy it and the process will become quicker _and quicker over time, The more you stick with this process, ‘the easier it will become, ———————— Q9 What are the forms of technical discourse in technical writing? ——_— ‘Ans. There are at east five modes of rhetoric that may utilize citherone ora combination of technical writing depending on ‘the topic, purpose for writing, and audience, Rhetoric is simply they simply referto a direction of travel Example-Inthe 1970s and 1980s, the major population 12. Readability studies have shown that text is more easily read when in lower case as opposed to all caps. When too many words are capitalized, they lose their Magy mt esonomicerovtregios ofthe United Staeshave importance, Emphasis is achieved more effectively by been the South and Southwest. using various font styles and sizes. sy. Capitalize brand names and trademarked names, For a ‘example, Palmolive soap, Maxwell House coffee Qu1 What are the seven most common mistakes in ss Generally capitalize a noun that is followed by a technical writing? How can they be avoided? number or letter used to identify a unit or division, || = Reng Exomplss- Tract £3, Volume I, Chapter 8 Policy No. 12345, Catalog No. 214. Regs Corte the names of courses of study only if they are derived from proper nouns. For Example, English, German, Business Mathematics 121 ‘Ans. Here is the list of some common mistakes of technical writing: 1, Lack of Parallel Structure : Faulty parallelism occurs when two or more parts ofa sentence are similar in meaning but not parallel (or grammatically similar) in form. It often . s yma intervenes, capitalize titles that s , 7 ae emee €-, Ualess 2 comina intervenes, capital that | occurs with paired constructions and items in a series. Raggy eed names generally, donot capitalize those that follow names, Ihave never met Congressman Nelson. ay I have never met our congressman, Tim Nelson. | Incorrect ; He wanted to learn more about careers in Professor Swartz did the research. programming, engineering, biochemist, and research scientist Example : = ‘A name that indicates a family relationship is usually | Correct : He wanted to learn more about careers in capitalized unless a noun ora pronoun in thepossessive | programming, engineering, biochemistry, and research ‘case precedes it. Example- Uncle Ralph, Mother My | science. — suntMili, my mothe. 2. Compound Words : A compound word conveys a unit agp tea for the points of the compass and their | that is not as clearly conveyed by separate words. W ceivatives are capitalized when used to name regions, : Use a hyphen to I = but not when used to indicate directions. 9 yphen fo cqnnest, elem rao Soa numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and in Example-This sweater was made in the East. Turn adjective compounds with a numerical first element, west on M:20. - The hyphen not only unites but also separates the Capitalize the name of a season or the word "nature" ‘component words, 7-hour day, -inch ruler, eighty-five. only i tis spoken ofa iit were human. Example- | Be old Man Winter left foot of snow. Allwords except articles a, an, the), conjunctions, and short prepositions are capitalized in names or titles that consist of more than one wor the” Use a hyphen after the "e" to designate "electronic": e-mail, e-commerce, e-article (ii) Omit the hyphen when words appear in regular order and the omission of the hyphen causes no confus il, eye opener, living costs Donot capitali Bad = =()_Useahyphen for elrficaton when four nouns appear inarow.A sand-filtered purification system. The end- of-year report. 3. Sentence Sprawl : A sentence can become a burden to read when there are too many equally weighted phrases, Example : Incorrect: Jason was planning to atend his fends wedding on June 30, but atthe last minute he found out he had jury duty, so he couldnt attend the wedding, and he felt really silty aboutit Correet : Unexpectedly Jason was called for couldn't attend his friend’ about missing it Jury duty and June 30 wedding, He felt guilty 4. Messing up your Units : When you're writing, spell out units of measurement. Use "five inches," not "S in.” This is ‘specially important youre writing about computer memory For example, the abbreviation kB (or kilobyte) can often be ‘confused wit kb (orkilobit,1/8th the size ofa kilobyte). This error it not be obvious to a non-technical audience, but it ‘ould cause constemation among technical readers, 5. Misusing the Apostrophe with "Its" : You use an apostrophe with it's only when the word means itis orithas Without the apostrophe, its means belonging to it Example: Incorrect : don't believe its finally Friday, Correct : | don't believe it's (it is) finally Friday. 6. Misplaced or Dangling Modifier : A misplaced modifier isa word, phrase, o clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies or describes, Sentences with this error an sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing, A dangling modifier is aword or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence, Exampl Incorrect : While walking on the sidewalk, Mary found a sparkly git!'s bracelet. Correct : While walking on the sidewalk, Mary found a girl's sparkly bracelet 7. Wrong Word Usage : There are a variety of words and Phrases that are commonly confused and misused in Sentences, Using them incorrectly can change the meaning (16.27) of the sentence or simply reflect carelessness on the writer's Part. There ar hundreds of these commonly confused words, 0 when in doubt, always check the definition and correct spelling of the word. Example 1: Incorrect: She excepted his offer to drive her home, Correct : She accepted his offer to drive her home, Example 2; Incorrect: It was a breathe of fresh air to meet someone so genuine, Correct : genuine, eee 2 List any sie most common grammatical errors found in technical writing. ee Ans. Tt was a breath of fresh air to meet someone so Some mistakes are more severe in nature when we ‘write. These mistakes either compromise the clarity of your intended meaning or degrade the overall quality of your Writing. Maintaining quality is important, so let's discuss some ofthe common grammar mistakes that must avoid to maintain ahigh writing standard in writing, 1, Subject-Verb Agreement Errors The subject and verb of a sentence must agree with one another in number whether they are singular or plural. Ifthe subject of the sentence is singular, its verb must also be singular; and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural Example: ‘Incorrect: An important part of my life have been the people ‘ho stood by me. Correct : An important part of my life as been the people who stood by me, 2. No Comma in a Compound Sentence ‘A comma separates two or more independent clauses in a compound sentence separated by a conjunction, The comma goes after the first clause and before the coordinating ‘conjunction that separates the clauses,