TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

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TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING

TYPES of WRITING

1. PERSONAL

2. ACADEMIC

3. PROFESSIONAL

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PERSONAL WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:

to entertain to inform

o Evaluation: desired emotional response informed

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PERSONAL WRITINGo Graphics:

emoticons text-messaging lingo

o Formats: e-mail letters journals text messages

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PERSONAL WRITINGo Audience:

equal knowledge friends colleagues

o Informality

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TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING

*AUDIENCES*Specific Audiences

o bosso supervisor o teamo committeeo politicianso bank officerso general public

General Audienceo generic readero teachero perhaps fellow

students

AWTC

*AUDIENCES*1 Document = Many Readers:

(Many Readers = Many Needs)o “food chain”o boss, supervisor o teamo engineerso workerso politicians o bank officerso general public

1 Document = 1 Reader:(1 Reader = 1 Need)

o teacher

TC AW

PURPOSESo Purpose =o Writing Situationo Objectiveo Why was the document written?

PURPOSESSituation-Oriented

o see a need — o address a needo internal motivationo professional

motivationo outcome-oriented:

to get something accomplished

Assignment-Orientedo passive (vs. active)o given a topic, testo given an

assignmento external motivationo scholastic

motivationo grade-oriented

grade, g.p.a., degree

TC AW

EVALUATION CRITERIASuccess

o satisfaction of the needs of all readers

o something was done

o informedo persuaded

Successo correct answero right informationo unity, coherenceo support, detailo grammar

AWTC

APPLICATIONSReal-World Applicationso case studieso illustrative

scenarioso operations

managemento for a jobo for a raise or

promotiono for a bid practical

College Applicationo “academic” writingo essayso essay examso for academicso for gradeo for degreeo “show what you

know”

demonstrativeTC AW

DISCIPLINESAcross Disciplines

o “interdisciplinary”o computer scienceso psychologyo mixture of:

history math science technology

Single Disciplineo “discipline-specific”

literary data for an English paper

historical information on a history paper

psychological ideas on a psychology test

o rarely a mixture

TC AW

*PAGE DESIGN*o Paragraphs

6-10 lines vary lengths for visual

o White Spaceo Columnso Headingso Listso Graphicso Varying Fontso Use of Coloro Relative Spacingo Relative Marginso Relative Justification

o Paragraphs Minimum of 3-5

sentences No maximum length

o NO White Space Columns Headings Lists Graphics Varying Fonts Use of Color

o Double Spacingo Equal Marginso Left Justification

TC AW

COMPONENTSOral, Visual, Written

o produce documentso present documentso write to be read o write to be seen o write to be heard

Written o infrequent oral and

visual componentso predominant

written componento write to be read

by teachero write to be gradedo not to be seen or

heardTC AW

GRAPHICSo tableso chartso graphso diagramso photographso mapso blue prints

o uncommon o photographs

TC AW

FORMATSo memoso e-mailso letterso cover letters o resumes o proposalso manuals o portfolioo abstractso reports

formal informal

o essay questionso essays based on the

rhetorical strategies Description Narration Illustration Process-Analysis Division-Classification Comparison-Contrast Definition Cause-Effect Pro-Con Argument

TC AW

GRAMMARGrammar-less

o visual-orientedo grammar = less

importanto fragments =

permissibleo active voiceo descriptive writingo concise sentenceso spelling!o proofread!

Grammar-fullo written-orientedo grammar = keyo sentence errors =

avoidedo active voiceo descriptive writingo concise sentenceso spelling!o proofread!

TC AW

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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

Practicality in the employment world Real-World application

o Academic Writing: Demonstration of knowledge Limited to academia

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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

By an informed writer Conveying necessary information Both visually & verbally To a lesser-informed reader

(writer = teacher)

o Academic Writing: By a student-learner for an expert reader

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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

Read by many, To satisfy the needs of many

o Academic Writing: Read by one, To appease the criteria of one

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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

“Information Retrieval” organization & format = designed to help readers quickly & easily locate

information

o Academic Writing: “Information Retrieval”

little concern beyond a logical organization

23

CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

Public Speaking component — formal conference speeches informal meeting speeches

o Academic Writing: Limited Public Speaking opportunities

conferences or rare class projects Public Speaking courses

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DEFINITIONTechnical Communication:

o Encompasses a wide range o of writing and speaking

responsibilitieso required to communicate your ideaso on the job.

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SIMILARITIESo Grammar:

active voice descriptive writing concise sentences spelling! proofread!

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SIMILARITIESo Writing as a Process:

Planning Drafting Revising

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES

writing: process & product

o HEURISTIC: process reader-focused how-to analyze-and-compose

processo PRESCRIPTIVE:

product writer-focused models/forms of

writing

writing: producto prescriptiveo teach from modelso rhetorical strategieso writer-focused

TC AW

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ACADEMIC WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:

to demonstrate knowledge

to “show what you know”

o Audience: superior knowledge teachers, perhaps

peer editors

o Evaluation: correct information unity, coherence, depth, clarity,

grammar o Graphics:

limited to explain or

persuade

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ACADEMIC WRITINGo Formats:

Description Narration Illustration Process-Analysis Division-

Classification

(Rhetorical Strategies or Writing Models)

Comparison-Contrast Definition Cause-Effect Pro-Con Argument-

Persuasion

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TECHNICAL WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:

to entertain to inform

o Audience: equal knowledge friends, colleagues

o Evaluation: desired emotional

response informed

o Graphics: emoticons text-messaging lingo

o Formats: e-mail letters journals text messages