LECTURE 1

cydwee@uthm.edu.my

Introduction to Technical Communication

What is technical communication?

The process of conveying technical information to a specific audience through writing, speech, and other channels.
Information is relevant if the intended audience can perform an action or make a decision based on its contents.

Which is better? Samsung Galaxy S3 or the Apple iPhone 4S?

Key points of technical communication

1) Topic

2) Audience

Be as specific as possible about the topic youre going to write about

Deliver information based on the audiences need, background and level of understanding

Key points of technical communication

3) Purpose

4) Type

Mention the goal clearly

Progress report, narration, descriptions of equipments and etc.

Differences between Academic Writing and Technical Writing

Aspects Academic Writing Technical Writing

Purpose

Present ones point of view Present results from research

Fellow scholars General public Room for flexibility (depending on publisher/instructor) Formal. Sentencescombination of short, medium and long.

To describe procedures To teach someone how to use something

User of the product/service Government inspectors Rigid. Various business and technical formats Vocabulary is clear and understandable to a wide audience. Medium level of formality.

Audience

Format

Writing style

Organisation

Determined by genre Determined by format expectations (e.g. argument, conventions (e.g. reports, narrative and etc) proposal and etc)

Foundations of effective Technical Writing

Know your reader Know your objective Be simple, direct and concise

Examples of Technical Documents

Lab report Project proposal Questionnaire

Business Letters Advertisement Brochure

Sample questionnaire

Sample Brochure

Look and compare these two descriptions

Time is a convention of measurement based on the microwave spectral line emitted by cesium atoms with an atomic weight of 133 and an integral frequency of 9,192,631,770 hertz Time is a river flowing from nowhere through which everything and everyone move forward to meet their fate

Tutorial

Find out the differences between Technical Writing and Creative Writing in terms of:
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

Content Purpose Style Possible Audience