Properties of Technical Writing

Properties of Technical Writing

• 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

Types of Writing

• 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

Products of Technical Writing

• Common products of technical writing include:
  • Business letters
  • Contracts
  • Printed Action Memos
  • Graphic Aids
  • Instructional Manuals
  • Brochures
  • Proposals
  • Memoranda

Principles of Good Technical Writing

• 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

Purposes of Technical Writing

• Provide a basis for management decisions
• Furnish necessary information
• Give detailed instructions
• Record business transactions through proposals
• Procure business proposals
• Serve as a basis for public relations
• Provide reports to company stockholders

Differences Between Technical Writing and Creative Writing

• 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.