Technical Writing

Lecture 1
Unit One: What is Technical Writing?

• Definition & Importance of Technical Writing

• Characteristics and Constraints

• Good Technical Writing Style

• Skills Needed for Technical Writing

Unit Two: Document Formatting and Design

• Quality Typography and Paper Structure

• Punctuation Marks
Unit Three: Genres of Technical Writing

• Written Documents

• Oral Presentations
Unit Four: Bibliography Guidelines

• Documentation

• Plagiarism
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?
• Definition & Importance of Technical Writing
Technical writing is a very specialized type of writing. Technical
writing is instructional in nature, seeking to convey information
to the reader in a manner that he or she can understand and
apply. With this type of writing, clarity and specificity are
essential, as is communicating using terminology that will be
easy for members of the target audience to comprehend. It
might not be as popular as its counterparts, creative writing and
journalistic writing, but it’s just as important. It’s always been
used as a means of taking complex equations and explanations
and simplifying them for the average reader and layperson.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?
• Technical writing essentially has one purpose. It is not to
entertain or engage, but it is designed to teach and give the
necessary information for how to accomplish a task.

• Every time you buy a product and receive an instruction

manual, a set of instructions, a rulebook, definitions, etc. the
writing used is a form of technical writing. As technology
continues to evolve quickly, the art form of technical writing
remains as popular as ever.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Communication, especially written, plays a central role in

understanding the materiel and doing well. The key concept in
technical communication is that audience and purpose
determine everything about how you communicate on the
job.
• As a nurse, for example, you would need to communicate
information to both doctors and patients. You’d likely use
different language with these two audiences and have
different goals in relaying the information to each party.
• As a sales manager, you would communicate information
about your products to potential clients; you’d communicate
that same information differently to other sales
representatives that you’re training to work with you.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

➢Characteristics and Constraints

In general, technical writing is organized in a direct, linear
format. ALL technical documents have a clear:
• Introduction: this is where you provide motivation and
context/background for the topic/material/information being
presented in the document; always provide the “big picture”
before jumping into the technical details
• Body: this is where the information is expounded upon and
where technical details are given
• Conclusion: this is where the main points are reemphasized
and where the “big picture” is once again discussed.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?
• Expressing Information Clearly

Being clear and direct are the most important characteristics of

technical writing. Expressing information clearly is crucial; you
NEVER want to make your reader work harder than necessary to
understand the message/idea/information you are conveying.
Sentences must have a single meaning with no room for
ambiguity. Technical writing should be direct, not suspenseful.
Technical writing is not the place for poetic language and
innuendo.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Using Efficient Wording

Economy is the name of the game when it comes to technical

writing. Technical documents should be clear and concise, never
wordy and flowery. Always choose words and phrases that are
simple and straightforward.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?
• Creating a Professional Persona
Your persona is how you appear to your readers. Demonstrating
the following four characteristics will help you establish an
attractive professional persona.
• Cooperativeness. Make clear that your goal is to solve a
problem, not advance your own interests.
• Moderation. Be moderate in your judgments. The problem
you are describing will not likely spell doom for your
organization, and the solution you propose will not solve all the
company’s problems.
• Fair-mindedness. Acknowledge the strengths of opposing
points of view, even as you offer counterarguments.
• Modesty. If you fail to acknowledge that you don’t know
everything, someone else will be sure to volunteer that insight.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Characteristics of Effective Technical Content

The purpose of technical writing is to help users do the right
thing and do the thing right; quickly and easily.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Characteristics of Effective Content

• Relevant. The information provided must be what the users

are looking for.

• Precise. The information must be unambiguous and accurate.

You don’t want the users to wonder what something meant or
do something wrong.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Complete. The information should be complete within the

defined context and scope. Ensure every process and
procedure is complete as are all the explanations. You
wouldn’t want the users to wonder what to do next.

• Concise. The information should be crisp and to the point, yet

complete. The users should be able to read the information
and get what they want quickly. Remember, users refer
technical documents as and when they need information or
help.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Well-Structured. The information should have a logical flow

that helps users understand it quickly. Complete the puzzle for
the user; don’t ask the user to put the pieces together.

• Well-Illustrated. The adage of a picture being worth a

thousand words is very relevant to technical writing. Use
illustrations, screen shots, tables, icons and similar graphic
elements where possible.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Accessible. Users should be able to locate the information

they are looking for quickly and easily. This is why technical
documents have headings, Table of Contents, Index, cross-
references, links, etc.

• Predictable. Similar information should be structured and

presented in a consistent manner. For example, if you have an
overview at the start of a procedure, ensure all procedures
have such an overview.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Constraints
• Developing the Document: Working within Constraints
In planning a persuasive document, you need to work within the
constraints that shape your environment on the job. As an
engineer, you routinely work within constraints: the amount of
information you can gather for a paper, the required length and
format, the due date, and so forth. On the job, you will face
similar constraints that fall into eight categories: ethical, legal,
political, informational, personnel, financial, time, and format
and tone.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Ethical Constraints Your greatest responsibility is to your own

sense of what constitutes ethical behavior. Being asked to lie
or mislead directly challenges your ethical standards, but in
most cases, you have options. Some organizations and
professional communities have a published code of conduct.

• Legal Constraints You must abide by all applicable laws on

labor practices, environmental issues, fair trade, consumer
rights, and so forth. If you think you have been asked to do
something that might be illegal, meet with your organization’s
legal counsel and, if necessary, with attorneys outside the
organization.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?
• Political Constraints Don’t spend all your energy and
credibility on a losing cause. If you know that your proposal
would help the company but that management disagrees with
you or that the company can’t afford to approve it, consider
what you might achieve through some other means, or scale
back the idea. Two big exceptions to this rule are matters of
ethics and matters of safety.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Informational Constraints. The most common informational

constraint you might face is that you cannot get the
information you need. You might want your organization to
buy a piece of equipment, for example, but you can’t find
unbiased evidence that would convince a skeptical reader.
What do you do? You tell the truth. Explain the situation,
weighing the available evidence and carefully noting what is
missing. If you unintentionally suggest that your evidence is
better than it really is, you will lose your most important
credential: your credibility.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Personnel Constraints The most typical personnel constraint

you might face is a lack of access to as many collaborators as
you need. In such cases, present a persuasive proposal to hire
the personnel you need. However, don’t be surprised if you
have to make do with fewer people than you want.
• Financial Constraints Financial constraints are related to
personnel constraints:
• If you had unlimited funds, you could hire all the personnel
you need. But financial constraints can also affect other kinds
of resources: you might not be able to print as many copies of
a document as you want, or you might need to settle for black
and white instead of full color.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Time Constraints Start by determining the document’s

deadline. (Sometimes a document will have several
intermediate deadlines.) Then create a schedule. Keep in mind
that tasks almost always take longer than estimated. And
when you collaborate, the number of potential problems
increases, because when one person is delayed, others may
lack the necessary information to proceed, causing a logjam.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Format and Tone Constraints You will be expected to work

within one additional set of constraints:
• Format. Format constraints are limitations on the size, shape,
or style of a document. For example, your reader might like to
see all tables and figures presented at the end of the report. If
you are writing to someone in your own organization, follow the
format constraints described in the company style guide, if there
is one, or check similar documents to see what other writers
have done.
• Tone. When addressing superiors, use a formal, polite tone.
When addressing peers or subordinates, use a less formal tone
but be equally polite.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

✓Crafting a Persuasive Argument

• The evidence: the facts and judgments that support your claim
• The claim: the idea you are communicating
• Persuasion is important, whether you wish to affect a reader’s
attitude or merely present information clearly. To make a
persuasive case, you must identify the elements of your
argument, use the right kinds of evidence, consider opposing
viewpoints, appeal to emotions responsibly, decide where to
state your claim, and understand the role of culture in
persuasion.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

Using the Right Kinds of Evidence

People most often react favorably to four kinds of evidence:
“commonsense” arguments, numerical data, examples, and
expert testimony.

• “Commonsense” arguments. Here, commonsense means,

“Most people would think that . . .”
The following sentence presents a commonsense argument that
flextime is a good idea:
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Flextime makes sense because it gives people more control

over how they plan their schedules. A commonsense
argument says, “I don’t have hard evidence to support my
conclusion, but it stands to reason that . . .” In this case, the
argument is that people like to have as much control over
their time as possible. If your audience’s commonsense
arguments match yours, your argument is likely to be
persuasive.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Numerical data. Numerical data — statistics — are generally

more persuasive than commonsense arguments. Statistics
drawn from the personnel literature show that, among
Fortune 500 companies, flextime decreases turnover by 25 to
35 percent among female employees younger than 38.

• • Expert testimony. A message from an expert is more

persuasive than the same message from someone without
credentials. A well-researched article on flextime written by a
respected business scholar in a reputable business journal is
likely to be persuasive.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Considering Opposing Viewpoints

When you present an argument, you need to address opposing

points of view. If you don’t, your opponents will simply conclude
that your proposal is flawed because it doesn’t address
problems that they think are important. In meeting the skeptical
or hostile reader’s possible objections to your case, you can use
one of several tactics:
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• The opposing argument is based on illogical reasoning or on

inaccurate or incomplete facts. You can counter the argument
that flextime increases utility bills by citing unbiased research
studies showing that it does not.

• • The opposing argument is valid but less powerful than your

own. If you can show that the opposing argument makes
sense but is outweighed by your own argument, you will
appear to be a fair-minded person who understands that
reality is complicated.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• The two arguments can be reconciled. If an opposing

argument is not invalid or clearly inferior to your own, you can
offer to study the situation thoroughly to find a solution that
incorporates the best from each argument.

• For example, if flextime might cause serious problems for your

company’s many carpoolers, you could propose a trial period
during which you would study several ways to help employees
find other carpooling opportunities. If the company cannot
solve the problem, or if most of the employees prefer the old
system, you will switch back to it. This proposal can remove
much of the threat posed by your ideas.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• Understanding the Role of Culture in Persuasion

If you are making a persuasive argument to readers from
another culture, keep in mind that cultures differ significantly
not only in matters such as business customs but also in their
most fundamental values. These differences can affect
persuasive writing. Culture determines both what makes an
argument persuasive and how arguments are structured:
• What makes an argument persuasive? Statistics and
experimental data are fundamental kinds of evidence in the
West, but testimony from respected authority figures can be
much more persuasive in the East.
Unit One
What is Technical Writing?

• How to structure an argument. In a Western culture, the claim

is usually presented up front. In an Eastern culture, it is likely
to be delayed or to remain unstated but implied. When you
write for an audience from another culture, use two
techniques:
- Study that culture, and adjust the content, structure, and style
of your arguments to fit.
- Include in your budget the cost of having your important
documents reviewed and edited by a person from the target
culture. Few people are experts on cultures other than their
own.
- N.B. Examples (P23 – 28)
Thank You For Listening