GENG005 Lecture Notes PDF

WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION? Thoth was the Egyptian God of writing, wisdom and magic. He was associated with order and justice and was an advisor and mediator to the Gods. Patron of the scribes, his female counterpart was Seshat, Goddess of writing and keeper of books, Thoth created language an...

WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION? Thoth was the Egyptian God of writing, wisdom and magic. He was associated with order and justice and was an advisor and mediator to the Gods. Patron of the scribes, his female counterpart was Seshat, Goddess of writing and keeper of books, Thoth created language and Seshat gave his words to the People Technical Communication Communication is transferring Information Technical Communication is transferring Technical Information The four basic modes of Communication are Technical Communication Verbal Communication Non-verbal Communication Characteristics of Technical Comm. is non-abstract, precise, accurate and well documented uses numerical data relies heavily on visuals (equations, photographs, tables, graphs, or drawings) is always technically correct (stylistically and mechanically correct ☺)  Characteristics of Technical Comm. Technical communication considers also Audience Purpose Context Audience To determine: Previous Knowledge Needed background Motivation Needed level of details Purpose know more facts? better understand how something works? know the status of a large project provide money for a project? assemble something? accept a recommendation? change their position on an issue? make a decision? Context Context includes things like history, language, geography, politics, culture, economics— basically anything in the world that affects how our communication is received by our audience. Often the broader situational context is outside of the writer’s control. Knowing and providing context can increase the chance of success. Types of Technical Verbal comm. One-on-one discussion Team meetings Public Communication Presentations (verbal with visual aids)  Types of Technical Writing Reports Emails Proposals Memos Instructions Manuals Technical Fliers Style sheets Press Release Technical specifications Standard operating procedure Technical Standards White papers and case studies Software Documentation Procurement documents Troubleshooting Guides Academic Writing Types of procurement documents Request for information (RFI) Request for proposal (RFP) Request for quotation (RFQ) Invitation for bid (IFB) Sales proposal (SP) Purchase and sales agreement (PSA) Purchase order (OP) Types of Academic (Scientific) Writing Original Research Articles Review Articles Case Reports Grant Proposals Scientific Reports Dissertations and Theses Types of Software Documentation System Architecture Diagrams Design Documents Source Code Comments API (Application Programming Interface) Documentation Installation Guides Release Notes Testing Plans and Reports  LECTURE 2 START and END the Process Process Preparation Good Writing Preparation phase Study your Audience Define your Purpose Identify your Context Choose the Communication Genre Audience Writing can be viewed as being writer-centered or reader- centered. Technical writing is reader-centered as it requires that you write for the benefit of your reader. Before Writing, conduct a formal or un-formal audience analysis. Audiences Categories Primary Target>>>>Secondary Target >>>>Tertiary Target  reading skill job cultural responsibility characteristics professional personal experience. characteristics personal education Audiences preferences Audiences Attitudes and Expectations Attitude toward you Attitude toward the subject Expectations about the document  Audience Profile Sheet Audience Profile Sheet is a form that prompts you to consider various audience characteristics as you plan your communication.  Know about your Audiences Determining What You already KNOW about them Interviewing People Reading about them online and Searching the social media Searching for DOCUMENTS they wrote Purpose To Inform To Persuade Example Example – a paper that outlines how to – a paper that discusses why you change your car’s oil. should change oil. Communicating verbs Convincing verbs – authorize – analyze – define – argue – describe – assess – explain – conclude – illustrate – determine – inform – evaluate – outline – forecast – present – propose – review – recommend – summarize – request Audience, purpose and context are identified Then what? You must decide the: Amount of content. Level of detail. Structure of document. Format. Tone. Style. Length of each element. 12 You decide the Genre A "genre" is a socially agreed upon and recognized form of communication that a group of people has developed over time to communicate more effectively and efficiently with one another. 13  Format Structure Genre The spatial or visual The set of topics and their design of a document. logical order. Template. Table of contents Process Preparation Good Writing Check the Output and exit the loop Any technical communication genre must be checked before it is released. Do editing and proofreading – Editing: reviews for content/messaging elements such as sentence structure and Good clarity. – Profreading: technical errors like misspellings, typos, grammar mistakes and incorrect punctuation Editing Editors function like readers and try to meet an acceptance criteria One of them is the 7Cs Of Effective Communication criteria  Complete Clear Courteous Providing all necessary information Ensuring the message is Showing respect, politeness, for clear understanding and easily understood without and professionalism in informed decisions. ambiguity or confusion. interactions with others. Correct Ensuring accuracy in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and factual information presented. Concrete Using specific facts and 7cs Of Effective evidence for credibility and believability. Communication Concise Conveying message with brevity, without unnecessary details or information. Coherent All points are connected and relevant, and the flow of the text is consistent.  Be Sure to Do It! Provide yourself enough time Use strategies to help find errors 19  Proofreading strategies Take a break Wait two hours or two days Proofread for one error at a time Read text slowly and out loud Use tools but do not completely rely on them. spell check, Grammarly, Hemingway, ProWritingAid and Copyscape Change format Reduce window width, change font, Print, Cut and paste from one software to another Read paragraphs in reverse order Circle Punctuation 20 LECTURE 3 TECHNICAL WRITING MECHANICS Technical Writing Mechanics Spelling Punctuation Capitalization Grammar Arab ESL Secondary School Students’ Spelling Errors Arab ESL Secondary School Students’ Spelling Errors  One main problem is a homonym error that computer spell checkers often miss It’s important for our company two understand the equipment and it’s capabilities. It’s important for our company to understand the equipment and its capabilities.  Comparing American and British English Vocabulary Spelling – British: colour, grey, labour – American: color, gray, labor 8  Spelling Numbers 32 is the freezing point of water. Thirty-two is the freezing point of water. Thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit is the freezing point of water. Exactly 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the freezing point of water. The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit Nine billion, one hundred ninety-two million, six hundred thirty-one thousand, seven hundred and seventy hertz is the spectral line frequency of cesium 133. Exactly 9,192,631,770 hertz is the spectral line frequency of cesium 133. The spectral line frequency of cesium 133 is 9,192,631,770 hertz. 9  Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves says, “Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop.” Misusing punctuation can obscure, confuse, and mislead your audience, and can compromise your credibility as a writer.  Bullets – lists of unrelated information. – Instructions or tasks that must be performed sequentially. Paragraphs – Connecting ideas, logic, and information. – Guiding reader to a rational conclusion. 16  Comparing American and British English Punctuation – periods and commas have different rules. – British: “They ate”. – American: “They ate.” 17  Follow required style guide and avoid random capitalization. Common reasons for capitalizing words: – First word of every sentence. – Pronoun I – Proper nouns (people, places, things) – Albert Einstein, Ohio – Religions – Buddhism – Titles of papers, films, software, trademarks. – First Street, Adidas, Star Wars – Abbreviations and acronyms. – ATM, Ph.D. – Title that precede a person’s name. – Professor John Smith – Historical documents – Declaration of Independence 18  Sentence Fragments Testing the specimen carefully with high levels of precision Testing the specimen carefully with high levels of precision is necessary Because the transformer could not take the load Because the transformer could not take the load Or Because the transformer could not take the load, the system quickly failed  Misplaced modifier Ignorance of science is a phenomenon in society that must be destroyed. In society, ignorance of science is a phenomenon that must be destroyed.  Active & Passive voices In general, the active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, more active. Passive voice is used in broad statements, unknown doers, focusing on an action and/or the recipient of the action Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section.  Verb Agreement Errors The implant, along with its associated circuits, were inserted into the patient’s chest cavity. The implant, along with its associated circuits, was inserted into the patient’s chest cavity. Or The implant and its associated circuits were inserted into the patient’s chest cavity. 22  Pronoun Agreement Each person in the lab must replace his or her radiation badge Currently acceptable (Culture issues!!) Each person in the lab must replace their radiation badge avoid any issues. All people in the lab must replace their radiation badges 23  Pronoun Reference Errors The coolant leak impaired the CPU’s heat dissipation, resulting in an erroneous reading at the most critical part of the process. This had a cascading effect on the system The coolant leak impaired the CPU’s heat dissipation, resulting in an erroneous reading at the most critical point in the process. This coolant leak had a cascading effect on the system 24  Pronoun case errors I hit myself with my tennis racket – Pronoun, I, is subjective because it is subject of sentence. – Pronoun, myself, objective because it is receiving the action. – Pronoun, my, possessive because it shows possession of object. 25  Noun Clauses The supervisor decided whom will go to the conference – The supervisor decided, I will go to the conference The supervisor decided who will go to the conference 26  Compound Adjectives/ Adverbs Before the noun, they should be hyphenated. – We have on-site support. – Jane is a part-time employee. After the noun, they are not hyphenated. – We have support on site. – Jane works part time. 27  Phrasal Verbs Get the plane Get on the plane We break the costs We break down the costs 28  Parallel Construction List items should start with the same part of speech (nouns, verbs, etc.) By the operators. Operators design the process. Safety protocol. Safety protocol is implemented. Saves $5 million/year. Savings is $5 million/year. 29 Visual Aids Lecture 4 Why using Visuals? Types of Visuals. General guidelines & Considerations. Why using Visuals? Some 83 percent of what we learn derives from what we see, whereas only 11 percent derives from what we hear (Gatlin, 1988). People studying a document with graphics learn about 1/3 more than people studying a document without graphics (Levie & Lentz, 1982). People remember 43 percent more when a document includes graphics (Morrison & Jimmerson, 1989). 3 Why using Visuals? Demonstrating logical and numerical relationships. Communicating spatial information. Communicating steps in a process. Saving space. 4 Types of Visuals Chemical Equations Formulas Diagram Graphs Schematics Tables Images Typographies 5 1. Equations Represent rule, statement, principle, or relationship between two expressions. Follow same formatting rules. Symbols should be previously defined or immediately below equation or formula. By convention, – All variables and terms/symbols being defined are italicized. – Abbreviations and numerals are not italicized. Frequently written on separate line from body of text and numbered sequentially. If not too large, can be integrated into text. 6  1. Equations: In Text When working with antennas, you can calculate the additional loss caused by standing waves using Equation 1: where LA = additional loss a = 10dB/10 p = (SWR−1)/(SWR+1) dB = line loss in dB when perfectly matched SWR = standing wave ratio at the load When working with antennas, you can calculate the additional loss caused by standing waves using the equation, LA = 10 log ( a2 − p2 ) /a (1 – p2 ) − dB, LA is the additional loss caused by standing waves, a is equal w to 10dB/10, SWR is the standing wave ratio at the load, p is SWR − 1 divided by SWR + 1, and dB is the loss h in dB when perfectly matched. e r e 7 2. Chemical Formulas Symbolic representations of atoms, molecules, and/or chemical reactions. Equal sign or arrow separates symbols or quantities of reactants from products. By convention, numerals and elements are not italicized. Equations can be written on separate line of text or be integrated into text. Elements can be defined in text or directly below formula. 8 2. Chemical Formulas: In Text In fuel cells, hydrogen (H) ions are combined with oxygen (O) ions to generate free electrons, and in the process, water (Equation 2). 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O (2) To rehydrate the patient suffering from gastrointestinal malaise, an IV of glucose (C6H12O6) and water (H2O) was started. 9 3. Diagrams Drawings that show the components of a mechanism, steps of a process or relationship among parts of a system. Make them only as complex as is necessary. 10 3. Diagrams: Types of View External showing external physical attributes of device. Cross-sectional describing internal parts and perhaps process of operation. Exploded describing physical attributes of internal structure, providing assembly instructions, or describing process of operation. 11 4. Graphs Also called charts or plots. Great for presenting statistical information, including sets of numbers or proportions of mathematical values. 12 4. Graphs: Common Types Line charts. Scatter charts. Bar charts. Gantt charts. Pie charts. Pictographs. 13 Line Charts Show trends in data which have an intrinsic relationship (often time or distance). Typical axes. – x-axis is independent variable. – y-axis is dependent variable. Source: “Powerhouse Companies,” Hyper-Investor Newsletter, December 2020. 14 Scatter Charts Used to show correlation. Look like line charts, but typically used with two independent variables which do not have an intrinsic relationship. Source: RandomDogData.com, accessed December 19, 2020 15 Bar (or Column) Charts Excellent tools for comparing discrete variables. Trendlines not appropriate for categorical data. Use bar chart when value labels too long to fit on horizontal axis. Source: MomIsHappy.yay, accessed December 19, 2020. 16 Gantt Charts Specialized horizontal bar charts. Used as management and production tool to track tasks and events over time. 17 Pie Charts Used to show a part-to-whole comparison 18 Pictographs Often lack precision, but more interesting visually. Source: MomIsHappy.yay, accessed December 19, 2020. 19 5. Schematics Visually represent system’s structure or the procedures involved in a process, include flowcharts and circuit diagrams 20 6. Tables Orderly arrangements of data and information in columns and rows. Note: a table is NOT a chart. Table 2 Listing of students’ purchases. Table 1 Successful students’ weekly time management. Toys Gas Source Hours/Week Food Computers Studying 50 Drink Cleaning Supplies Clubs & Extracurriculars 10 Books Videogames Cleaning Apartment 5 Travel Netflix Utilities Happiness Source: MomIsHappy.yay, accessed December 19, 2020. 21 7. Images (Photographs) Add interest, credibility, and extreme visual detail. Two precautions: make sure that photographs. – Relevant to text. – Have adequate pixel density for purpose at hand. 22 7. Image (Alteration) Enhance or emphasize visually. Alterations of photographs and images acceptable if. – Used appropriately – do not use to change meaning or reality. – Documented appropriately – acknowledge alteration in figure title (beyond minor editing like contrast, brightness, or hue). 23  8. Typographies Typography is the art of arranging letters and text in a way that makes the copy legible, clear, and visually appealing to the reader. Make conscious decisions about fonts for both text and in visuals. Choose based on increasing readability and audience comprehension. Fonts Consideration: – Serif or sans serif. – Type. – Size. – Bold. – Underline. – Italics. 24 Fonts – Serif or Sans Serif? Serif fonts have the extra curves and flourishes that make discerning the difference between letters easier, and thus make text easier to read. Use serif fonts for blocks of text (body of a report), e.g., Times New Roman. Use sans serif fonts for headings and visual cues of sections, e.g., Arial. 25  Fonts – Type? Type choice can create or undermine credibility. Avoid “artistic” fonts in technical writing, e.g., Comic Sans. Font type Example Times New Roman Visuals should be designed with audience in mind. Arial Visuals should be designed with audience in mind. Comic Sans Visuals should be designed with audience in mind. 26 Fonts – Size? Measured using term “point” (abbreviated as pt). Two things to consider. – Size should be large enough to be easily legible. – Should not be so large that it makes a bad impression. Use size to reflect hierarchy of headings. 27 8. Typographies: Emphasis Consider carefully – some methods are more effective than others. Best option is often to boldface: – BEST OPTION IS OFTEN TO BOLDFACE (looks like yelling). – Best option is often to boldface (line visually connects letters). – Best option is often to boldface. 28 8. Typographies: Special Formatting Example: Includes Mathematic Terms like corollary, definition, theorem, rule, and proposition. Often set in large and small caps when they introduce a specific corollary, definition, theorem, rule, and proposition. RULE 1. The teacher is always right. LAW 2. Entropy will increase in any closed system. DEFINITION 3. RADAR is the use of electromagnetic energy to detect and track reflective objects. 29  General guidelines & Considerations Include visuals only when needed as it should serve a purpose, just because software allows a visual choice does not make it a good one. Visuals should provide clarity, not confusion. They should be simple, uncluttered and should present a manageable amount of information. Visuals should meet readers’ format expectations. Better to develop your own visuals and avoid copying figures (especially without CITATION) 30  General guidelines & Considerations Refer to a visual in the text before it appears and integrate them. Text in visuals should match that used in body of document. Visuals should be clearly labeled (Caption=Number + title) with titles that should allow them to stand alone. Table caption go on top of visual. Figure captions go below visual. 31  General guidelines & Considerations Document when visuals contain copyrighted information. Visuals’ colors should be translated to a world of gray as they may be shared in grayscale and printed on papers. Also consider that significant proportion of population has some degree of color blindness. 1 out of 12 men 1 out of 200 women 32  Don’t : Axis Truncation Significant difference because of x- axis truncation. Same color Insufficient information in title No units 33 Don’t: 3-D Distortion Avoid using 3-D charts when it is not needed 34 Presenting Technical LECTURE 5 Information & Team Writing  What is team writing? Process of team writing Team Writing Form Team Lecture 5 Lead Writer Tools Revision Challenges in team writing Student vs. professional writing What is team writing? Collaborative or team writing is the process of producing a written work as a group where all team members contributed to the decisions about how the group will function and the content. 4 Process of team writing: Preparation Phase Form Team Designate Lead Writer & provide authority/responsibility Define requirements (Audience, Purpose, Context, Genre, Theme) Determine collaboration platform, process and rules Determine what must be done (main ideas/ story) Process of team writing: Documentation Phase Define specific writing responsibilities and schedules. Task team members to produce drafts. Edit and revise. Conduct final review and Deliver as required. Form Team: Student vs. Professional Student teams: Professional teams: Random grouping/ Self-determined. Based on expertise. By proximity. Based on availability. Similarities or differences. Members assigned by management. 7 Lead Writer Role (NOT “Team’s Writer”) Support other team members. Synthesize individual sections and Write transitions to: – establish flow. – Create single voice. Edit and Proofread. 8 Tools: Use Electronic Tools in Collaboration word-processing tools – three powerful features : comment, revision and highlighting messaging technologies – Instantaneous Messaging, Emails Videoconferencing – Zoom, Teams, Meet…. etc. shared document workspaces – Teams Documents, Google Documents  Revision: Critiquing a Colleague’s Work Start with a positive comment You’ve obviously put a lot of work into this. Thanks. Discuss the larger issues first. – Begin with the big issues (organization, logic, design, and graphics). Then work on smaller issues (paragraph development, sentence-level and word choice). Talk about the document, not the writer. You don’t explain clearly why this criterion is relevant. I’m having trouble understanding how this criterion relates to the topic. Why didn’t you include the price comparisons here, as you said you would? I wonder if the report would be stronger if we included the price comparisons here. Culturals and Gender related issues find it difficult to assert themselves in collaborative teams unwilling to respond with a definite “no” reluctant to admit when they are confused or to ask for clarification avoid criticizing others avoid initiating new tasks or performing creatively value nurturing, connection, growth, and cooperation value separateness, competition, debate, and even conflict value consensus and relationships show more empathy, and demonstrate superior listening skills. Challenges in team writing Take more time than individual writing Result in a disjointed document Lead to inequitable workloads Reduce the motivation to work hard Lead to interpersonal conflict Presenting Technical Information Speaking Situations Advantage of a Presentation Process of a Presentation – Preparation phase – Slides production phase – Performance phase Presentation Speaking Situations Manuscript Speaking Situations Extemporaneous Speaking Situations Impromptu Speaking Situations Manuscript Speaking Situations Totally prepared in advance – use in specific situations. – When highly detailed precision and word selection are essential. – For presentations being translated into multiple languages. – For legal statements on behalf of company. Involves reading script with added gestures and inflection for emphasis. Avoid in most business settings. – Appears insincere and stuffy. – When long, audience gets bored. 15 Extemporaneous Speaking Situations Means planned but conversational – preferred mode for technical presentations. Ideally well prepared but not precisely scripted (“off the cuff”). Notes acceptable, but should not be distracting. – Best notes are slides you show to audience, but do not read slides. – Do not read from full pages of text. 16 Impromptu Speaking Situations Means spontaneous – often no time to prepare. Occurs frequently in informal settings, e.g., staff meetings. Suggestions for success: – If you anticipate you will be asked to speak, think through what you want to say ahead of time. – If you are asked to speak unexpectedly, buy some time (Restate the request or Start with an introduction by talking about what used to be while you gather your thoughts) 17 Advantage of a Presentation An oral presentation has one big advantage over a written one: it enables a dialogue between the speaker and the audience. Listeners can make comments or ask questions, and the speaker and listeners can talk before and after the presentation. Process of a Presentation Slides Preparation Performance Production Phase Phase Phase Preparation Phase Define requirements (Audience, Purpose, Context, Theme) Budget the time Consider the setting – In-person/ remotely – with / without technical aids – 1 person / 1,000 people Preparation Phase: Types of Audiences Clients and customers. Colleagues in your organization. Fellow professionals at technical conferences. Government agencies. The public. Preparation Phase: Presentation Purposes Informative – share information and give facts without action or decision Persuasive – try to convince to make a decision or take an action. – know your topic, get supporting facts and keep cool. Demonstrative – show how something works. – require audience interaction – depend on having tools, equipment, and materials. – Test equipment beforehand and have a backup plan.  Preparation Phase: Examples of Presentations Setting Course (~30 audience members, presenter standing, using slides). Graduate degree defense (5 audience members, presenter likely standing if in person/sitting if in video conference, using slides). 1-on-1 conversation with a shop floor employee explaining about process changes related to product redesign (1 audience member, presenter standing, no slides). Small group roundtable with peers updating them on research findings (5 audience members, presenter sitting, possibly using slides or screen sharing, either in-person or online video conference). Weekly department meeting (10–60+ audience members, presenter sitting, using slides). Plant-wide or division quarterly update meeting (~200 audience members, presenter standing, using slides). Current customer (5 audience members, presenter sitting, online using slides and screen sharing). 23 Slides Production Phase Choose an Organization pattern – Important in any documentation but mostly important for the presentation Respect the general guidelines  Slides Production Phase Organizational Patterns 1/2 When Chronological Timeline — used to describe events Spatial To describe objects and physical sites General to specific General understanding is first needed to understand the details More to less important Call the attention to an important point right away (don't use until it cannot be organized using other pattern) Comparison and contrast Sufficient and appropriate criteria for comparison and contrast Classification or partition Only one basis (at a time) that fits the situation Problem-methods-solution Understand the logic of a project Cause and effect answer the questions: What is the effect of X? What caused Y? Slides Production Phase Organizational Patterns 2/2 Without Clear Organization, your audience might: Stop to think about it – they will not be listening to what you are saying next. Ignore what you said and try to keep up – they will have missed your earlier point. Get frustrated and stop listening altogether – they are no longer part of your audience. 26 Slides Production Phase General Guidelines 1/7 Do not provide manuscript on screen for audience to read. Use slides to punctuate (short phrases and visuals). Print paper (hard) copies as a backup. 27  Slides Production Phase General Guidelines 2/7 Take advantage of software like PowerPoint, Google Slides and Prezi. Use a template to facilitate design and maintain a consistent look. Use required templates, logs, branding of your organization. 28 Slides Production Phase General Guidelines 3/7 Make sure slides readable in room and on screen. Font size should be large enough. Avoid script and fancy fonts. Try to keep slide text