Properties of Technical Writing

Study Notes

Technical writing has five main properties: subject matter, audience, expression, style, and arrangement of materials
Subject matter refers to the topic of the technical report
Audience refers to the intended readers of the technical report
Expression refers to the mode of delivery, either written or spoken
Style refers to the writing style, which is typically clear, objective, and unemotional
Arrangement of materials refers to how ideas are organized in the report, such as chronologically, spatially, or logically

Technical writing conveys technical information to a specific audience for a specific purpose
Creative writing is fiction-based and includes poetry, short stories, plays, and novels
Expressive writing is a personal response to experiences, like journals and diaries
Expository writing aims to explain or reveal knowledge analytically and objectively, like news reports
Persuasive writing aims to change attitudes or motivate action using emotional appeal

Assume the reader is intelligent but uninformed
Define the purpose of the report clearly
Use simple, concrete, and familiar language
Follow the "tell, tell, tell" principle: state the purpose, present the information, summarize the information
Make the report visually appealing

Technical writing is factual, straightforward, and uses a formal style, while creative writing is imaginative, metaphoric, and uses an informal style.
Technical writing targets a specific audience, while creative writing targets a general audience.
Technical writing aims to inform, instruct, and persuade, while creative writing aims to entertain, provoke, and captivate.
Technical writing uses objective language, while creative writing uses subjective language.
Technical writing uses specialized vocabulary, while creative writing uses general and evocative vocabulary.
Technical writing follows a sequential and systematic organization, while creative writing follows an arbitrary and artistic organization.