Technical Communication Chapter 10 PDF

Technical Communication Chapter 10 Veata Monina C. Santos, LPT, MM Assistant Professor Outline Work from an introduction-body-conclusion structure Create informal and formal outlines Prepare a storyboard for a long document Shape effective pa...

Technical Communication Chapter 10 Veata Monina C. Santos, LPT, MM Assistant Professor Outline Work from an introduction-body-conclusion structure Create informal and formal outlines Prepare a storyboard for a long document Shape effective paragraphs Chunk information into discrete units Provide overviews of longer documents Organize information for social media postings Writing your Technical Document Organize your material to make the document logical from the reader’s point of view. ○ Work from an introduction-body-conclusion structure Writing your Technical Document The introduction attracts the reader’s attention, announces the writer’s viewpoint, and previews what will follow. It announces the topic and provides an overview of what will follow Writing your Technical Document The body delivers on the promise implied in the introduction. The body explains and supports the writer’s viewpoint, achieving unity by remaining focused on that viewpoint and coherence by carrying a line of thought from sentence to sentence in a logical order. It provides the evidence and data to support the claims made in the introduction. Writing your Technical Document The conclusion has various purposes: it might reemphasize key points, take a position, predict an outcome, offer a solution, or suggest further study. Conclusion summarizes by taking a position and making recommendations. Good conclusions give readers a clear perspective on what they have just read. Outlining Planning the flow of your essay Start by creating a list of essential information Then organize the information into an outline. ○ Long documents call for formal outlines. ○ Long reports often begin directly with a statement of purpose Outlining Outlining Consider using your word processing program’s outlining tool. Place key topics and subtopics where they fit within your standard outline. Use alphanumeric or decimal notation consistently throughout the outline. Avoid excessive subtopics. Refine your outline as you write your document. Storyboarding A visual presentation of how the document/ story will play out Paragraphing Shape information into paragraphs. The topic sentence introduces an idea, judgment, or opinion. All the sentences in a standard support paragraph relate to the main point, which is expressed as the topic sentence.  The topic sentence should appear first (or early) in the paragraph, unless you have good reason to place it elsewhere. Paragraph Unity A paragraph is unified when all its content belongs—when every word, phrase, and sentence directly expands on the topic sentence. Paragraph Coherence Coherent - logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated. In a coherent paragraph, everything not only belongs, but also sticks together: Topic sentence and support form a connected line of thought, like links in a chain. Paragraph coherence can be damaged by (1) short, choppy sentences; (2) sentences in the wrong order; (3) insufficient transitions and connectors for linking related ideas; or (4) an inaccessible line of reasoning. Paragraph Coherence Paragraph coherence can be damaged by: (1) short, choppy sentences; (2) sentences in the wrong order; (3) insufficient transitions and connectors for linking related ideas; (4) an inaccessible line of reasoning. Compare this Paragraph with the next one Solar power offers an efficient, economical, and safe solution to the Northeast’s energy problems. Unlike nuclear power, solar power produces no toxic waste and poses no danger of meltdown. Solar power is efficient. Solar collectors could be installed on fewer than 30 percent of roofs in the Northeast. These collectors would provide more than 70 percent of the area’s heating and air-conditioning needs. Solar power is safe. It can be transformed into electricity. This transformation is made possible by photovoltaic cells (a type of storage battery). Solar heat collectors are economical. The photovoltaic process produces no air pollution. Compare this Paragraph with the previous one Solar power offers an efficient, economical, and safe solution to the Northeast’s energy problems. To begin with, solar power is highly efficient. Solar collectors installed on fewer than 30 percent of roofs in the Northeast would provide more than 70 percent of the area’s heating and air-conditioning needs. Moreover, solar heat collectors are economical, operating for up to twenty years with little or no maintenance. These savings recoup the initial cost of installation within only ten years. Most important, solar power is safe. It can be transformed into electricity through photovoltaic cells (a type of storage battery) in a noiseless process that produces no air pollution—unlike coal, oil, and wood combustion.In contrast to its nuclear counterpart, solar power produces no toxic waste and poses no danger of catastrophic meltdown. Thus, massive conversion to solar power would ensure abundant energy and a safe, clean environment for future generations. Paragraph Length Paragraph length depends on the writer’s purpose and the reader’s capacity for understanding. What matters is how thoroughly the paragraph makes your point. Chunking Breaking information down into smaller units Chunking enables us to show which pieces of information belong together and how the various pieces are connected. Organizing for Social Media and Global Audiences Online readers are move quickly across small chunks of content, making rapid-fire decisions about what information to delve into more deeply and what to skip or ignore. Organizing for Social Media and Global Audiences Think about 1–2 sentences, where the first sentence is the topic sentence and the second sentence is a brief summary that includes a link to additional, more detailed information. Accurate and appropriate visuals, can help you organize a social media post into something that helps readers understand the facts and access additional content. Providing an Overview a general understanding or description of it as a whole. (Collin’s Online Dictionary) ○ What is the purpose of this document? ○ Why should I read it? ○ What information can I expect to find here? References: Lannon, J. M. & Gurak, L. J., 2022. Technical Communication, 15th Edition, Global Edition, Pearson Education Limited Quiz