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Technical Writing

The document discusses what technical communication is, who produces it, and its importance. Technical communication involves creating and transmitting technical information so people can understand and use it safely. It is produced by both technical professionals and technical communicators and plays a vital role in business and industry through various forms of written communication.

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Ton RJ Ido
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174 views

Technical Writing

The document discusses what technical communication is, who produces it, and its importance. Technical communication involves creating and transmitting technical information so people can understand and use it safely. It is produced by both technical professionals and technical communicators and plays a vital role in business and industry through various forms of written communication.

Uploaded by

Ton RJ Ido
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

PREPARED BY:
PROF. ROEL J. IDO,
M.E in Applied Linguistics
prof-ido.blogspot.com
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

What is Technical Communication?

It is about creating, designing and transmitting technical


information so that people can understand it easily; and use it
safely and effectively.
Who produces technical communication?

1. Technical professionals – Technically trained individuals do a


lot of writing: e-mails, letters, proposals and reports.

2. Technical communicators – Called as technical writers:


manuals, proposals, reports, sales literature, web sites, letters,
journal articles and speeches.
The Role of Technical Communication in Business and Industry

The working world depends on written communication.


Examples:

1. Memos/e-mails
2. Set of instructions
3. Proposal
4. Report
5. Oral presentation
6. Inquiry letter
7. Sales letter
8. Goodwill letter
9. Claim letter
10. Adjustment letter to customers, etc.
Technical Communication and Your Career

-Help you meet the demands of the working world


-Like writing Application letter and resume

- Example: Your Supervisor will be looking at your communication


skills as well as your technical abilities.
According to Training magazine (Galvin, 2001), (imagine)

-More than 60% offers training in developing communication skills


-35% for needed training or as per required in the workplace
-4% only does not offer a training

Fact: If you cannot communicate well you are less valuable; if you can,
you are more valuable.
LESSON 1 THE NATURE OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION:
CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

7 MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS
1. Addresses particular readers

Purpose: To be guided what document to be written, knowing its


structure (format), details, sentence style and vocabulary to be used.

Reality Check: For general audiences, avoid writing anything that will
embarrass you or your organization.
2. Helps readers solve problems

Purpose: It is the basic goal of technical communication but not


to express writer’s creativity or to entertain readers.

Reality Check: If someone read it, he or she will be able to use it


in order to analyze situation and even solve a problem.
3. Reflects an organization’s goals and culture

Purpose: For organization’s goal, it will help them manage their


resources/money as well as using technical communication to disseminate
information to the people.
Purpose: For organization’s culture, it is to format their documents in a
particular way.

Reality Check: If you are an employee, you should know about the goals and
culture of the organization.
4. Is produced collaboratively

Purpose: It is to promote teamwork in order to create a better


document.

Reality Check: Collaboration is common in technical


communication because no one person has all the information,
skills, or time to create a large document.
5. Uses design to increase readability

Purpose: It is about using typography (Art and technique of


printing), spacing (research) color (to highlight the idea/purpose),
special paper (certificates), etc.
a. To make the document looks attractive and professional.
b. To help the reader navigate (be directed) the document
c. To help the reader understand the document. (For safety
warning: Yellow. For Danger warning: Red)

Reality Check: It is best to produce technical communication


which can create positive impression, give clear direction and
help the readers understand its information.
6. Consists of words or graphics or both.
Purpose: It is about using words or graphics or a combination of
it.
1. Make the document more interesting and appealing readers.
(Making presentations)

2. Communicate and reinforce difficult concepts (Illustrations)


3. Communicate instructions and descriptions of objects and processes (Lab
signs)

4. Communicate large amounts of quantifiable data (statistics)

5. Communicate with nonnative speakers (signs)

Reality check: It is best to produce technical communication that will catch the
interest and appealing to the readers.
7. Is produced using high-tech tools

Purpose: It is about using computer to produce a technical communication like


using e-mail, word processing, graphics and desktop publishing software.

Reality check: It will save time, money as well as it is a powerful tool today to
send instant information.
Measure of Excellence in Technical Communication

1. Honesty – Tell the truth and do not mislead the reader


Result:
a. It is the right thing to do. (Help people understand how to make wise
choices)
b. If you are dishonest, readers can get hurt. (Misinforming leads to serious
consequences, in some cases injury or death.
c. If you are dishonest, you and your organization or private and gov’t agencies
could face serious legal charges.
2. Clarity – Produce a document that conveys a single meaning that
the reader can understand easily.
Result:
a. Unclear technical communication can be dangerous.

b. Unclear technical communication is expensive.


3. Accuracy. Technical communication must be clear and organized
but it must be reasonable, fair (not biased) and truthful.

Result: Overstating or omitting facts can make the readers be


doubtful about the validity of the document.
4. Comprehensiveness. It provides all the information readers
need.

Result: Describes the background so that readers unfamiliar with


the subject can understand it.
5. Accessibility. It gives a clear set of navigation links to help the
readers understand where they are. (e.g Web page must include
site map.)

Result: They are guided.


6. Conciseness. It is about shortness of writing achieved by
expressing a great deal in just a few words by focusing on its
audience, purpose and subject.

Result: They will not be confused.


7. Professional Appearance. It is about making the technical
communication looks neat and professional which will creative
positive impression to the content and the authors.
Result: It creates positive impression.
8. Correctness. It observes the conventions of grammar,
punctuation, spelling and usage.
(Use of Commas and dash: Referring three people attended the meeting:
The three inspectors – Bill, Mary and I. (3)
The three inspectors, Bill, Mary and I. (6)

Result: It carries the principles on the mechanics of writing.


• Motivation
• Listening
• Reading
• Concentration
• Confidence
THE TECHNICAL WRITING
PROCESS

Planning

Analyzing your audience

Analyzing your purpose

Generating Ideas about your topic


Generating Ideas about
your topic
Asking journalist questions. 5 W’s and 1
H
Brainstorming.
Freewriting
Talking with someone
Clustering and Branching
Researching Additional
Information
Use reference books, scholarly Internet and
books and articles in the library
interviewing
experts
distributing surveys and
questionnaires,
making observations
and conducting experiments
• OPAC
• ARTICLE – SOFTCOPY – PROQUEST STATION –
ACCOUNT – PASSWORD – TOPIC – TITLE –
AUTHOR – ABSTRACT -
Organizing and outlining
your document
Avoiding common
logical problems

a. Faulty
Coordination
b. Faulty
Subordination
c. Single Subunit
Ordering the items in the groups.

Grouping similar items.


PROCESS

Devising a schedule and a budget

Drafting
Using templates
Using styles
Revising
REVISING

Let it sit.

Read it aloud.

Use Checklist.

Review a printout of your


draft.
Using Revision
Software

Spell checkers
Grammar Checkers

Thesauri
WRITING INFORMAL REPORTS

REPORT – Either oral or


written
PLANNING, DRAFTING AND
REVISING INFORMAL REPORTS

ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE AND


PURPOSE

GATHER AND COMPILE YOUR


INFORMATION

Choose appropriate
format
Draft the report

Revise the report


INFORMAL REPORTS

Memos

Forms

E-mails

Letters
Writing directives
Policy or procedure to follow

1. Put a Date
2. To (Receiver)
3. From (Sender)
4. Subject ( Topic
or title)
• Manila Paper
• Tape
• Marker
Situational Activity: Memo
Writing field and lab reports

It explains the problem, methods, results and conclusions.

1. Headings,
2. Date, Receiver
3. Salutation, Body
4. Complimentary close
5. Signature
GUIDELINES: field and lab reports

1. Purpose
2. Main points
3. Problems leading to the
decision
4. Methods
5. Results
6. Result’s meaning (conclusion)
7. Done next (Recommendation)
Writing progress and status reports

A. Progress reports – Describes an ongoing project.

B. Status reports – Called as activity report, describes the entire


range of operations of a department or division, e.g marketing
monthly report.

1. Heading and Date, 4.Introduction, Results,


2. To (Receiver), From (Sender) 5.Conclusion,
3. Subject (Topic or title), 6. References (optional)
Purpose and Summary,
Writing incident reports

1. Incident title,
2. Location,
3. Date of Incident (Major info),
4. Incident types, types,
5. Evacuations,
6. Injuries and Fatalities,
7. Chemicals involved (Minor Info)
Writing meeting minutes
-Minutes refer to organization’s official record of a meeting to
be distributed to the members.

1. Title
2. Details of the meeting
3. Date
4. Name of the body and members attended,
5. Revision and Approval of the previous meeting,
6. Necessary details
7. Name of the secretary
WRITING A FORMAL
REPORTS

KINDS OF REPORTS

Informational report: Present


results

Analytical report: Present results


+ draws conclusions

Recommendation report: Present results +


draws conclusions + makes
recommendations
Understanding Feasibility Reports
- It is a study that evaluates at least two alternative courses
of action.

ANSWERS 3 QUESTIONS:
a. Questions of possibility

b. Questions of economic
wisdom

c. Questions of perceptions
ELEMENTS OF A TYPICAL REPORT

1. Front matter - Title page, Abstract, Table of


Contents, List of Illustrations, executive Summary

2. Body – Introduction, Methods, Results,


Conclusions, Recommendations

3. Back matter – Glossary, List of Symbols,


References, Appendices
content

1. INTRODUCTION. It enables the readers to understand the


technical discussion that follows.
2. METHODS – It answers the question, “What did you do?” It enables
the readers understand what you did and why you did it that way?

3. RESULTS – It answers the question, “What did you see?” It refers to the
data you have discovered or compiled.

4. CONCLUSIONS - It answers the question, “What does it


mean?” It refers to the implication of the results.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS - It answers the question, “What should we do
now?” It refers to the proposal to take particular actions or you have to
suggest strong appeal.

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