ENGLISH 214Technical Report Writing

An Overview

TECHNICAL WRITING WHAT IS TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING?

Technical Writing is a problem solving process involving these elements:★ A technical subject matter that is unique to a specific:

• Art• Science• Trade• Technology• Job (profession)

Can you give me some examples of these?

TECHNICAL WRITING WHAT IS TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING?

It recognises a communication problem and defines it in the communication context.

It includes the beginning of the solution of the communication problem by understanding the role of...

The Communicator

?The purpose The Audience

TECHNICAL WRITING WHAT IS TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING?

The discovery of accurate, precise information needed for the problem through:

Thinking and study InvestigationObservation

Analysis

Experimentation Measurement

TECHNICAL WRITING WHAT IS TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING?

It includes the arrangement and presentation of information so that it achieves the writer’s purpose and is:

CLEARUSEFUL

PERSUASIVE

TECHNICAL WRITING THE SUBSTANCE OF TECHNICAL WRITING

Within an organisation, if documents move in more than one direction, they may have to be drafted in more than one version:

Example:

Information Director Research Department

Tests on productsFeasibility

Personnel Department

Company Policy & Procedure

It is very important to be able to write well. This example was internally. Think about externally.

TECHNICAL WRITING THE SUBSTANCE OF TECHNICAL WRITING

The manufacturing of information has become its own industry.

Government agencies, scientific laboratories, commercial companies make research their core business.

The people who do this research can include:

social scientists, computer scientists, chemists, physicistsmathematicians

Where does it happen?universities and colleges

What do they publish?books

journalsarticlespapers

TECHNICAL WRITINGTHE NATURE OF TECHNICAL WRITING

What characteristics does technical writing have?•The author has to have a working knowledge of the technical

subject matter and terminology•People working with technical documents need to learn about:

★ DESIGN★ STANDARDS FOR ABBREVIATIONS★ RULES FOR WRITING NUMBERS★ USES OF TABLES AND CHARTS★ NEEDS & EXPECTATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO USE

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS•Workers rank these writing skills as important:

1. Clarity2. Conciseness3. Organization4. Grammar

TECHNICAL WRITINGTHE NATURE OF TECHNICAL WRITING

Appropriate technical writing should have these characteristics:

1.The purpose should be stated in the first two paragraphs.

2.The vocabulary is typically specialised. Some words may not be found in a general dictionary.

3.Sentences are highly specific and full of facts.4.When appropriate to the material, there are many

numbers and dimensions.5.The text may have lots of signs, symbols and formulae.6.Graphs and tables may replace text.7.Documentation and credit appear in notes and

bibliographies.

TECHNICAL WRITINGWHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF

GOOD TECHNICAL WRITERS?

methodical

painstaking

objective

honest

effective

clear

Writing is something that can be learned like chemistry, physics or math. The rules are not like those in science but you cannot do without them if you want to succeed at

technical writing!

critical

TECHNICAL WRITING3 IMPERATIVES FOR SUCCESSFUL TECHNICAL WRITING

1.Know your reader2.Know your objective3.Be simple, direct and concise

TECHNICAL WRITINGTHE QUALITIES OF GOOD TECHNICAL WRITING

1. It arrives on or before the due date2. It is well designed3. It describes its purpose and scope right at the beginning4. It provides essential information which has been written clearly without

padding or jargon5. When needed, it uses tables and graphs to present and make the the

content clear6. When needed, it includes a summary or set of conclusions to reveal the

results obtained.7. It has been designed, so that the reader can be selective in what he/she reads8. It uses a rational and visible revealed by the table of contents and heading9. It reads coherently (logically) and cumulatively from start to finish10. It answers the readers questions when they come to mind11. Conveys an overall impression of authority, thoroughness, soundness and

honest work.

TECHNICAL WRITINGTHE QUALITIES OF GOOD TECHNICAL WRITING

VERY IMPORTANTLY GOOD TECHNICAL WRITING IS FREE FROM:

•TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS•GRAMMATICAL ERRORS•MISSPELLED WORDS

EVEN THE SMALLEST MISTAKE CAN DISTRACT FROM THE READER’S INTEREST