Technical Report Writing - Fall 2020/2021 PDF

Technical Report Writing Technical Writing Fall 2020/2021 Definition of Technical Writing Technical writing communicates specific and factual information to a...

Technical Report Writing Technical Writing Fall 2020/2021 Definition of Technical Writing Technical writing communicates specific and factual information to a defined audience for a defined purpose. It “aims to get work done, to change people by changing the way they do things.” Writing that gets work done is a key part of all professional occupations. Writing is frequent. Writing is important. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 1 Technical Report Writing “The most critical skill required in today’s business world is the ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing. Effective communication has a direct impact on one’s potential within an organization.” The information communicated is technical in nature, and this is what makes technical writing different from other types of writing. Fall 2020/2021 The audience (readers) includes: technical readers managerial readers general readers The purpose is to: inform instruct describe explain document scientific or industrial processes and mechanisms Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 2 Technical Report Writing Technical writing deals primarily with the hard sciences and the industrial community. Technical writing is concerned with delivering factual information in a: clear, concise, and objective manner Remember writing aims to help its readers Fall 2020/2021 Spectrum of Technical Writing Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 3 Technical Report Writing General Writing General writing is a form of writing that is done for the purpose of expressing thoughts, emotions, personal experiences of the author. Fall 2020/2021 General vs. Technical Technical Writing General Writing Content Factual and Straight Imaginative Forward Style Standard Structured Informal, Artistic, Non- Format structured Format Purpose Inform & Persuade Entertain & Captivate Tone Objective Subjective Voice Used Old School: 3rd Person 1st Person st New School: 1 Person Vocabulary Req’d. Specialized General Audience Specific General Similarity Both writings are used for engaging the reader. Both writings must be free of grammatical errors. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 4 Technical Report Writing Who Writes Technical Documents? 1. Professional technical writers. 2. Professionals, e.g. engineers, scientists, and technicians. 3. Students whose success depends on clear, concise, accurate writing. Fall 2020/2021 The Need for Clear and Concise Technical Writing Scientists, engineers, and technicians need clear communication to understand one another’s work and the rapid change taking place in their fields of expertise. System engineers need clear writing to design local area networks to link personal computers & software that runs on them. The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is key. Technical writing must help, not hinder, the communication of complex ideas. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 5 Technical Report Writing The dangers of unclear technical messages cannot be overstated. An auto mechanic who misinterprets instructions for rebuilding brakes can be the unwilling cause of tragedy. Hospital patients rely on medical technicians’ ability to comprehend support documentation for diagnostic equipment. Therefore, technical writing is “Audience Centered” since the writing aims to help its readers. Fall 2020/2021 Technical writing: 1. Deals with specific situations, i.e. engages a specific audience that has specific needs. 2. Enables readers to act, i.e. authors of technical documents empower readers by preparing them for and moving them toward “effective action”. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 6 Technical Report Writing Writing Makes Action Possible Fall 2020/2021 3. Occurs within a community, i.e. actions occurs within a community, a loosely or closely connected group of people with a common interest. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 7 Technical Report Writing 4. Is interactive, i.e. readers read the words in the document, but they also apply what they know or believe from past experience. Fall 2020/2021 5. Has definite purposes, i.e. technical writers enable their readers to act in three ways: by informing, by instructing, and by persuading. inform instruct persuade etc… Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 8 Technical Report Writing Technical Writing is Presentational Fall 2020/2021 Use the top-down method, which means putting the main idea first which establishes the context and outline of the discussion. Use headings, which are words or phrases that name the contents of the following section. Use chunks which are blocks of text (paragraphs). Use visual aids such as graphs, tables, and drawings. Establish a consistent visual logic, i.e. each element of format is presented the same as other similar elements. Use plain and objective language and terminology that the audience understands. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 9 Technical Report Writing Expressing versus Impressing Dilemma of whether to impress readers or to express ideas. It may seem obvious that expressing ideas and conveying information is the right way to approach technical writing, yet the urge to impress readers is all too prevalent. Fall 2020/2021 Technical Writing is Responsible Because readers count on you - the writer - to be their guide. Technical writing is an ethical endeavor. The key principle here is to take responsibility for your writing. “Ethically it is the technical writer’s responsibility to ensure that the facts of the matter are truly represented by the choice of words.” Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 10 Technical Report Writing In the text of your documents, then, you must tell the truth and you must do all you can to ensure that your audience understands your messages. To achieve both: use language and format honestly; use visuals with precision; use simple, direct expression of ideas; and credit the ideas or work of others. Fall 2020/2021 Dr. Ihab El-Khodary 11