EL 108 - Technical Writing - Module 1 PDF

EL 108-TECHNICAL WRITING JACKIELOU B. ELARDO, LPT, MAT Discussant  CONTENTS Unit 1 - Introduction to Technical Writing Module 1 – Nature of Technical Writing Module 2 – Objectives of Communication in Technical Writing Unit 2 - Technical Writing Proce...

EL 108-TECHNICAL WRITING JACKIELOU B. ELARDO, LPT, MAT Discussant  CONTENTS Unit 1 - Introduction to Technical Writing Module 1 – Nature of Technical Writing Module 2 – Objectives of Communication in Technical Writing Unit 2 - Technical Writing Process Module 3 – Business Letters – The Parts and Formats Module 4 – The Writer-Reader Relationship – The Writing Process – Writing a Business letters Unit 3 - Various Kinds of Business Letters (Selected Only) Module 5 – Writing Resume – Application Letter Module 6 – Interoffice Memorandum – Sales Letters – Letters of Ordering Goods Module 7 – Job Interview – Letter of Resignation Unit 4 – Introduction to Technical Reports Module 8 – What Makes a Good Technical Report – How Companies Use Report Proposals – Writing the Reports Unit 5 – Special Techniques in Technical Writing and Reporting Module 9 – Classification and Partition Module 10 – Description of a Process and Interpretation Unit 6 – Electronic Communication Module 11 – The Internet – The Intranet – The Extranet Module 12 – Online Technical Writing Application - Sending Fax - E-mail - Web Sites - Netiquette  Module 1 NATURE OF TECHNICAL WRITING Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. Define technical writing. 2. Discuss the characteristics and uses of technical writing. 3. Identify the purpose and importance of technical writing. 4. Distinguish technical writing from other forms/kinds of writing. 5. Compare and contrast technical writing from other literary writing. 6. Explain the importance of technical writing in the field of business, science, medical, engineering and legal. Introduction The present world has astonished us with its new developments. From the nuclear weapons to space age, man has made enormous strides in technology. With the ever increasing complex demands of modern society, expanded economic and technical advancements and processes have created the indispensable need for technical writers. Thus, in the interest of preparing students for the careers that they will be facing in future, it is of prime importance that they should learn the fundamental skills involved in technical writing. As part of their education, they will be required to write research papers, record results in laboratory experiments, summarize articles or excerpts from technical journals and other related activities which will require the ability to write accurately, concisely and clearly. Skill in writing technical reports is an invaluable asset not only in college but also in the professions. As the country’s industrialization program grows space, skill in this type of writing will be a highly vital personal asset, not only in business and industry, but also in science and technology as well as in the government services. The Meaning of Technical Writing  is a generic term for all written communication done on the job – whether in industry, business, or other professional. It is associated with jobs in engineering, architecture, computer science, medical and allied fields, accountancy, chemistry and related fields, hotels administration, and other areas with specialized vocabularies. (Gordon H. Mills & John A. Walter)  is writing about scientific subjects and about various technical subjects associated with science and technology.  is characterized by certain formal elements, such as its scientific and technical vocabulary, its use of graphic aids, and its use of conventional report forms.  is ideally characterized by the maintenance of impartiality and objectivity, by extreme care to convey information accurately and concisely, and by the absence of any attempt to arouse emotion.  is writing in which there is relatively high concentration of certain complex and important technique, in particular definition, classification, description of mechanisms, and description of processes.  involves the creation of useful documents that can be clearly understood by readers.  is performed by technical writers, who may be professionals or amateurs. These writers usually begin such work by learning the purpose of the document that they will create, gathering information from existing documentation and from subject-matter experts; technical writers need to be subject-matter experts themselves.  is often associated with online help and user manuals. It also includes product release notes, product troubleshooting guides, tutorials, installation guides, marketing documentation, e-learning modules, web content, legal disclaimers, business proposals, and white papers.  which must be understood easily and quickly, includes: - memos and email, letters, reports, instructions, brochures, newsletters, the job search, web pages, fliers, PowerPoint presentations and graphics.  is a ccommunication written for and about business and industry, focusing on products and services: how to manufacture them, market them, manage them, deliver them, and use them.  is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that requires direction, instruction, or explanation.  is direct, informative, clear and concise language written specifically for an identified audience. The content must be accurate and complete with no exaggerations.  Good technical writing clarifies jargon, presenting useful information that is clear and easy to understand for the unattended audience; poor technical writing may increase confusion by creating unnecessary jargon or failing to explain it. An important too in technical writing is style, which is created by the decision made on grammar, spelling (for example America or British English), choice of words, and punctuation.  A good technical writer needs strong language and teaching skills and must understand how to communicate with technology.  Difference of Technical Writing from Other Types of Writing Technical Writing  It deals with science, engineering and technology. Typical documents include specifications, manuals, data sheets, research papers, field reports and release notes (Bendell, 2013).  It gives account or description of an aspect of a particular business, science, technology, trade, industry, government and other professions learned by experience, observation, study or investigation (Vicente, et.al., 2014). Business Writing  It is just about any other kind of writing people do at work, except journalism and creative writing. It includes reports, emails, proposals, minutes, letters, copywriting, bids and tenders. (Bendell, 2013) Business Letter  It is a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their customers, clients, or other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties concerned (English Club, n.d.). Business  Communication through exchange of letters is known as correspondence. Correspondence Business correspondence or business letter is a written communication between two parties (Kumar, 2020). Outputs of Technical Writing and Business Letters Technical Writing Business Letters Abstract Annual Report Letter of Reference Article Bulletins Letter of Refusal Brochure Business Reports Letter of Reply Business Letter Claim Letter Letter of Request Contract E-mails and Faxes Letter of Resignation Feasibility Report Feasibility Study Letter of Subscription Graphics Aids Field Report Letter Report Incident Report Informal Reports Meeting Documents Instructional Manual Job Interview Memorandums Journal Article Laboratory Report Minutes of Meetings Laboratory Report Letter of Acceptance Non-Prose Forms Memorandum Letter of Acknowledgement Periodic Report Policy Letter of Adjustment Progress Report Printed Action Memo Letter of Application Project Proposals Progress Report Letter of Collection Project Study Proposal Letter of Complaint Recommendation Report Research Letter of Declining a Job Offer Research Project Resume Letter of Inquiry Resume and Cover Letter Specification Letter of Invitation Sales Letter Survey Report Letter of Making a Reservation Social-Personal Business Letters Technical Proposal Letter of Ordering Goods Technical Reports and Proposals Treaty Letter of Recommendation Time-saving Messages  QUESTIONS TO PONDER Source: https://www.academia.edu/35391096/A_Teachers_Guide_to_Technical_Writing  Distinctions of Technical Writing from other Kinds of Writing There are many types of writing, including literary writing, expressive writing, expository writing, persuasive, and technical writing (Gerson & Gerson, 1999 p. 1& 2 cited by Abelos et al., 2005, p. 1-3). 1. LITERARY WRITING includes poetry, fiction (short stories and novel), plays, and essay. The authors might draw on experience to create their text, but the writing is purely imaginative. Creative writing often employs figures of speech, imagery, dialect, symbolism, and fictitious characters to present a message. 2. EXPRESSIVE WRITING records a subjective, emotional response to a personal experience (a tragic incident, a joyful meeting with a person not seen for 20 years, a wonderful experience in a basketball championship, a rewarding on the job training, etc.). The goal of expressive writing is to express one's feelings through description and narration. Students in composition classes often write expressive essays, relying heavily on narration and description to develop ideas. ◦ Example: Journal and diary entries are expressive 3. EXPOSITORY WRITING analyzes a topic objectively. Most essays in composition classes are expository. The goal of expository writing is to explain, hence reveals you the knowledge of a particular subject. In expository writing, you don't usually expect a response from your reader even if you explained the topic. 4. PERSUASIVE WRITING in some ways, combines the emotionalism of expressive writing with the analytical traits of expository writing. Editorials are a good example of persuasive writing. The goal of persuasive writing is to convince your audience's emotional attitude toward a topic. Comparison Between Technical Writing and Literary Writing We all know that literary writers cater man’s affective sense; technical writers cater to man’s cognitive sense. For contrastive analysis, technical writing differs from literary writing in some aspects:  Literary Writing Technical Writing Purpose 1. It entertains or amuses the reader. 1. It provides useful information. 2. It suggests the writer’s message. 2. It directly informs the writer’s ideas or messages. 3. It imparts a lesson. 3. It gives instructions or directions. 4. It broadens a person’s outlook in life. 4. It serves as a basic for decision making. Subject Matter 1. It focuses on man’s life or experience including 1. It focuses on the subject related to business, the intricacies of the human heart. industry, science and technology. Language 1. It makes use of figurative or imaginative 1. It employs specialized jargon which includes vocabulary or language. technical, or scientific terminologies. 2. Words or expressions are beautifully interwoven 2. Literal so that they are rhythmically sounded. 3. Direct Content 1. Subjective 1. Objective 2. Opinionated 2. Neutral Readership 1. General 1. Specific Format 1. Informal 1. Formal Example of Literary and Technical Writing Source: https://www.academia.edu/35391096/A_Teachers_Guide_to_Technical_Writing  Purpose of Technical Writing ◦  The purpose of technical writing is often determined by the audience, which then affects the tone of the correspondence (Gerson & Gerson, 1999, p.3). In fact, understanding the interrelationship among purpose, audience, and tone is essential to answer the question, “Why do we write technical correspondence?” Let us say that you are an engineer writing a monthly status report. You write this report every month. Your report always goes to the same person, your immediate supervisor. The supervisor reads it and then puts the report in a file for future reference. With this ongoing activity in mind, you know that the purpose of your report is to document. Your goal is to “dump data” and nothing else. You also know that your audience is highly technical, fluent in technical terms and abbreviations. Given your purpose and your audience’s level of understanding, you write a report which has a dry, objective and impersonal tone. Thus, the purpose of your report and your sense of audience create tone.  STATUS REPORT PURPOSE (document) + AUDIENCE (technical supervisor) = TONE (objective/impersonal) (IN A BOX) This is a common technical writing situation, but it is not the only environment in which technical writing is generated. In summary, your purpose in technical writing is determined by your audience’s needs. This sense of audience then affects tone. Within these parameters, the purpose of technical writing is wide-ranging. 1. Technical writing is used to request action. If you are writing to a supervisor or manager (audience) about scheduling and manpower distribution, then you are requesting a direct action. 2. Technical writing is used to propose action. When you write to your city Engineer about the transfer of the garbage dump, then you are proposing an action. 3. Technical writing is used to recommend action. When you write to your Production Manager to increase the volume of t- shirt production bound to Hongkong and Macau, due to increase of orders from your market threat, then you are recommending an action. 4. Technical writing is used to inform. It is written to make another person to understand or do something. It is designed to fulfil a need to tell and need to know. 5. Technical writing is used to analyse events and their complications. It will explain how certain systems failed. This may include education, socioeconomic, political and the need to change. 6. Technical writing is used to persuade and influence decisions. It will show how a business, or an industry succeed. Importance of Technical Writing ◦ Technical writing is a significant factor for your work experience for several reasons. (Gerson & Gerson, 1999, p. 3 cited by Abelos, 2005, p. 4) ◦ Technical writing conducts business. ◦ It is not an ornamental edging or an occasional endeavor. It is a major component of the workplace. Through technical correspondence, employees: ◦ maintain a good customer client relation (follow-up letters) ◦ ensure that work is accomplished on time (directive memos) ◦ provide documentation that work has been completed (status report) ◦ generate income (sales letters) ◦ Technical writing also: ◦ keeps machinery working (maintenance instructions) ◦ ensures that the correct equipment is purchased ◦ gives managers/supervisors the information they need for persuasive briefings (summaries) ◦ gets you a job (application letters) ◦ informs the world about your company’s product (sites on the internet) ◦ Technical writing takes time. ◦ In addition to serving a valuable purpose in a company, technical writing is important because it is time-consuming. On average, employees spend approximately 20 percent of their work time writing memos, letters, or reports. Twenty percent of a work week equals one full eight-hour day. ◦ Technical writing costs money. ◦ Any errors will cost you additional bond paper, effort, and energy to rewrite again the wrong correspondence. Your time spent writing is part of your salary and part of your manager’s (or employer’s) work expenditures. ◦ Technical writing is an expression of your interpersonal communication skills. ◦ Writing an application letter, memorandum, financial report and the like, you are not just conveying technical information, you are revealing something about yourself for your readers. ◦ Writing well means you can think logically and communicate your thoughts clearly. ◦ Writing poorly, reveals that you can neither think clearly nor communicate your thoughts effectively. ◦ A well-constructed application letter, or financial report reveals to your readers not only that you know your technical field of expertise but also that you know how to communicate your knowledge thoroughly, accurately, clearly, and concisely. ◦Basic Principles of Effective Technical Writing 1. Understanding the Reader ◦ A basic consideration is to know the target audience. ◦ Know how to adapt his writings and terminologies of the type of the intended audience or readers. ◦ Difficult technical terms used must be carefully defined so that the reader will easily understand the information being presented. If the reader fails to understand what he reads, the writer fails in his mission. ◦ The technical writers should know how important his readers are. The target readers help the writer to know what to write about and how to write it. 2. Knowing the Purpose of Each Technical Report ◦ The technical paper must be organized around a central theme. The reader should understand the main purpose after reading the paper. The purpose may be to describe a thing to report on a specific problem or project, or to analyze and solve a problem. 3. Knowing the Subject Matter ◦ A technical writer must have a thorough knowledge of the subject he is to write about. If the report is on the result of a technical experiment, the writer who writes the report should explain what the problem is all about, what causes the problem and how the problem is solved. 4. Writing Objectively ◦ A good technical writer must emphasize the facts and the data. The impersonal style is basic to an effective technical writer. He represents facts, figures and statistics skillfully woven around the subject matter or central theme and written in an impersonal manner. 5. Using Correct Format ◦ The format and style of a report attract the attention of the readers first. Companies require neatly-typed communications, reports and project proposals and feasibility studies. The current trends require that such communication be computerized or typed. ◦ 6. Adopting Ethical Standards ◦ A technical writer should undertake comprehensive research work; accumulate the required data through interviews, surveys, referrals and related publications. He must have to present facts and figures as gathered and required, using only those that are pertinent to the report. A good technical writer also acknowledges the help he receives from others and cites sources of reference materials.  Characteristics of Technical Writing ◦ Technical writing, just as any other form of writing, has certain characteristics which distinguish it from other types of writing. It is very different from writing opinion pieces, essays, prose, non-fiction or fiction. ◦ 1. It is clear and straight forward. If you are interested in technical writing for professional purposes, it is very important to know that this type of writing requires that the writer stick to the subject matter and relay information in a clear and concise manner. ◦ 2. The language is very direct and straight to the point. The writing will avoid words that people do not understand and will avoid an eloquent writing style. ◦ 3. It is very detailed and informative. The perfect example of technical writing is a textbook. The written content of most textbooks is geared to providing information by describing the subject matter as fully as possible. ◦ 4. It is very structured. This type of writing has a very obvious composition that makes it easy for the reader to follow along. Solid structure is needed with technical writing as it allows the audience to easily access the information as needed.  Uses of Technical Writing ◦ Technical writing is found everywhere. There are a variety of different types of writing which use a technical style. ◦ For example, instructions of all sorts are a perfect example of technical writing. ◦ When you open up an instruction manual, as the reader, the goal is to be informed about the product so that you can use it as efficiently as possible. ◦ Lab reports are another example of technical writing. The main purpose of a lab report is to explain the occurrences in a lab so that others will be able to gain information. ◦ Driving directions can be considered a type of technical writing as the goal is to clearly and efficiently provide instructions on how to go from point A to point B. ◦ Overall, technical writing is a very useful form of writing that is encountered by everyone almost every day. Classification of Technical Writing Technical writing is useful for any theory, software or hardware that needs an explanation.Industries that require technical writing include science, medicine, engineering, mechanics and law. 1. Business Businesses often use technical writing to explain rules, regulations, and business plans, according to David Murray at Chemnitz University of Technology. 2. Science Scientific technical writing explains theories, hypotheses, experiments and their significance. Thesis papers and lab reports are also considered technical writing, according to the Columbia University Department of Computer Science. 3. Medical Medical technical writing explains the instructions of software and hardware used to run a hospital, according to Wayne English, Web developer and technical writer. 4. Engineering Engineering and mechanical technical writing involves instructions for how to build machines or use tools. The writing may also incorporate design calculations, memos and oral presentations. 5. Legal Legal technical writing refers to all legal documents and the fine print in binding contracts, such as agreements to be made before installing software, agreements to pay for houses, cars, insurance, and higher education, trademarks, copyrights, patents and industrial designs.