TW-Chapter1-Lessons 2-3.pdf

Colegio de Calumpit, Inc. College Department TECHNICAL WRITING Chapter 1: Understanding the Nature of Technical Writing Mr. Rowell T. Santos...

Colegio de Calumpit, Inc. College Department TECHNICAL WRITING Chapter 1: Understanding the Nature of Technical Writing Mr. Rowell T. Santos p. 01 / 35  TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations Related to Technical Writing Technical Writing Considerations Related to Relevant Laws and Ethical LESSON 2 p. 02 / 35  LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of the Chapter, you should be able to: Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations 1. define technical writing; 2. enumerate the end products of technical writing; 3. use as guide the principles of technical writing; TECHNICAL WRITING Related to Technical Writing 4. define technical communication; 5. explain the qualities of a good English writer; and 6. apply the process involved in technical writing. p. 03 / 35  LEGAL & ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS There are four bodies of law that are relevant to technical communication. Technical writers must be aware of legal and ethical considerations when preparing technical papers. Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations 1. COPYRIGHT LAW - covers the protection of the rights of the author. 2. TRADEMARK LAW - pertains to federal protection (different from registered trademarks). TECHNICAL WRITING Related to Technical Writing 3. CONTRACT LAW - covers written warranties or their implied warranties. 4. LIABILITY LAW - pertains to responsibilities or obligations of writers especially claims they made on their paper. p. 03 / 35  PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION Technical writers are like researchers. Both take into consideration the bounds and limitations to things that they write. They carefully Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations study the information to be presented and they are aware that prudence has to be exercised. DOs of Technical Communication TECHNICAL WRITING Related to Technical Writing Abide by relevant laws. Abide by the appropriate corporate or professional code of conduct. Tell the truth. Be clear. Avoid discriminatory language. Acknowledge assistance from others. p. 04 / 35  DON’Ts OF TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations False implications - assuming the outcome of a project or making sweeping generalizations. Exaggerations - expressing situations in extreme proportions. TECHNICAL WRITING Related to Technical Writing Euphemisms - writing about situations in seemingly good conditions even though they are not. Don’t mislead your readers. p. 04 / 35  REINFORCEMENT Reflect on the following situations. What will you do if you are faced with any one of them? 1. You are the boss of a company. You received a report about missing Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations milk boxes in the shipment from one of your employees who made an inventory. Your company ordered 150 boxes, but two boxes were missing. 2. You are in a hurry to submit the proposal for a very important TECHNICAL WRITING Related to Technical Writing meeting. However, your fellow employee who is the main proponent for got to sign the proposal. It is 2:50 PM and the paper has to be submitted by 3:00 PM. What will you do? 3. An attendance sheet is being passed in the seminar room. You were asked to write your purpose for attending because it is about professional development. What will you write? p. 04 / 35  EVALUATION Below are ethical considerations in writing technical papers, some however are opposite practices. Underline all the ethical practices. Lesson 2: Relevant Laws and Ethical Considerations Abide by the appropriate corporate or professional code of conduct. Tell the truth. Avoid discriminatory language. Make false implications. TECHNICAL WRITING Related to Technical Writing Exaggerate. Use euphemisms. Mislead your readers. Be clear. Acknowledge assistance from others. p. 04 / 35 Abide by relevant laws.  TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process The Writing Process LESSON 3 p. 02 / 35  THE WRITING PROCESS From the moment we started to learn the ABCs and become familiar with different words, we learn from books, people, or the internet, we develop the skill not only of reading, but also of writing. They say that when a person is good in reading, he/she can become good in writing. How is this possible? Reading is an input skill, therefore writing is TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process its output. Let us review some of the things that we know when it comes to the WRITING PROCESS. There are three basic stages: p. 03 / 35  1. PRE-WRITING STAGE This is the first stage in the writing process. It is what the writer does before he writes the first draft. In this stage, the writer composes or supplies information pertaining to: a. Purpose of the paper. This is necessary to determine the content of the paper to be included, the organization and TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process style of the paper. b. Choice of topic. A writer has to explain or justify his/her chosen topic. c. Gathering information. A writer must be able to find sources of information to enrich his/her topic. p. 03 / 35  1. PRE-WRITING STAGE Pre-writing Techniques: Below are some techniques which will help you get started in writing: 1. Keep a writer’s journal by recording personal experiences, perceptions, and ideas. 2. Do free writing. Write about whatever comes to mind. TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process 3. Brainstorm by listing ideas as quickly as they occur. 4. Cluster by drawing lines and circles to show connections between ideas. It is also called webbing or making connections. 5. Ask questions using the news reporter’s 5Ws - Who? What? Where? Why? When?... and How? p. 03 / 35  1. PRE-WRITING STAGE Pre-writing Techniques: Below are some techniques which will help you get started in writing: 6. Read with focus. This entails reading efficiently to locate and collect specific information. 7. Listen with focus. This means listening efficiently to locate and TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process collect specific information. 8. Observe by noticing details around you through the senses. 9. Imagine. Probe your imagination for ideas, often use a “what if?” approach. p. 03 / 35  2. WRITING STAGE The writing stage is the part where we begin to write our first draft. We know that not everything that we write TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process is perfect at the first go. Hence, you must remember what to do and what not to do during this stage. p. 03 / 35  2. WRITING STAGE DOs and DON’Ts of Writing a First Draft 1. Don’t overanalyze your writing. 2. Do feel free to follow the flow of ideas where it is leading you, even if is not what you initially planned. 3. Don’t exaggerate details. TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process 4. Do work on the details as much as possible to keep the story fresh in your mind. 5. Don’t worry yet about how good your writing is. 6. Do have fun! p. 03 / 35  3. RE-WRITING STAGE This stage is also known as the “revision” stage. We revise to ensure that: 1. the content of the paper is relevant; 2. there is organization and coherence in the TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process arrangement of the ideas; and 3. grammar and mechanics are clearly observed. p. 03 / 35  REINFORCEMENT Write a short essay of about two hundred (200) words about the three reasons why you have chosen to enroll in your program and elaborate by explaining or giving examples. TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process Remember the pointers in each writing phase. Use the margins on your paper to mark which of the pointers you followed in each phase (pre-writing, writing, and re-writing). p. 03 / 35  REINFORCEMENT EXAMPLE: Essay Title: Why I Chose to Enroll in My Program Reason 1: Passion for the Field I chose to enroll in this program because of my passion for technical writing. My interest began when I first read various TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process technical documents that effectively communicated complex information. This passion is driven by my desire to explore the principles of writing and improve my skills in a structured way. [Pre-writing Comment: Brainstormed ideas about personal interests and the impact of technical writing.] p. 03 / 35  REINFORCEMENT EXAMPLE: Reason 2: Professional Development Another significant reason for my enrollment is my ambition for professional growth. This program offers comprehensive training in the writing process, including pre-writing, drafting, TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process and revising. Understanding how to effectively gather information and organize it into a coherent draft will greatly enhance my ability to produce high-quality technical documents. [Writing Comment: Focused on organizing ideas and following the flow of thoughts without overanalyzing.] p. 03 / 35  REINFORCEMENT EXAMPLE: Reason 3: Skill Improvement Lastly, I am eager to refine my technical writing skills. This program's emphasis on revising and ensuring the relevance of content, coherence, and grammatical accuracy aligns TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process perfectly with my goal of becoming a more effective communicator. The structured approach to revision and feedback will help me develop a meticulous and professional writing style. [Re-writing Comment: Revised content to ensure clarity and coherence, and refined grammar and mechanics.] p. 03 / 35  REINFORCEMENT In the sample, the comments show how the writer used different stages of the writing process: Pre-writing: Notes on brainstorming and initial idea development. Writing: Comments on drafting and maintaining the TECHNICAL WRITING Lesson 3: The Writing Process flow of ideas. Re-writing: Annotations on revision and ensuring content accuracy. p. 03 / 35