CHAPTER 1

Nature and Requirements

of Technical Writing
INTRODUCTION

T echnical Writing is a practical writing that

people do as a part of their jobs. Because it is
practical, technical writing aims “to get work done, to
change people by changing the way they do things”
Killingsworth and Gilbertson, Signs 232.

Writing is important. Bob Collins, a corporate

manager, put it this way: “ The most critical skill At the end of the lesson, you
required in today’s business world is the ability to should be able to:
communicate, both verbally and in writing. Effective
communication has a direct impact on one’s potential  define technical writing;
within an organization.”  identify the purposes and
functions of technical writing;
This chapter introduces the nature and  distinguish the subject matter
requirement of technical writing. Specifically, it and readers of technical
discusses the definition of technical writing, the writing; and
purpose and functions, and the basic principles of  familiarize the principles of
technical writing. good technical writing.

MOTIVATION

Technical Engineering
Science Globalization
Writing Process Work Place
Communication Industry
Global Competitiveness Arts

Activity I. Choose the correct word from the box that corresponds to each sentence.
1. It is an act of using your imaginative powers to create something.
2. It is a science of applying knowledge of the properties of matter and the material source
of energy to the practical problems of industry; e.g., the construction of industrial plant
or machines.

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 3. To produce an excellent paper, you have to go through the three stages of the production
act.
4. In some ways, technical writing is understandable only to a certain group of people.
5. Technical writing involves a study of facts, principles, and methods of discovering
something.
6. This pertains to the mechanical or industrial knowledge applied to the fields of science,
art, business, communication, architecture, engineering, medicine, law, agriculture,
sociology, among others.
7. It is a way of exchanging thoughts and feelings with one another.
8. This is where technical reports are done.
9. It is a sociological phenomenon that encourages free exchange of scientific,
technological, knowledge, services, and resources among people all over the world.
10. This refers to the aspect of the nation’s economy that focuses on manufacturing and
selling-buying activities for money-making purposes.

Activity II. Answer briefly yet concisely the following questions.

1. What comes into your mind upon hearing the expression, technical writing?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.

2. Do you think technical writing is different from the other ways of writing such as essay writing
and creative writing? Cite the differences.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.

LESSON PROPER

What is Technical Writing?

Technical writing is an act of communication thru writing. It Technical writing
is an on-the-job writing – a modern way of defining technical takes place within a
writing. Technical writing is commonly defined as mainly producing writer’s field of
written outputs of these three fields of knowledge: Science, profession or area of
Technology and Engineering. (Pfeiffer, 2007) discipline composed of
readers who are familiar
According to the etymological definition of technical writing, it
with the technical
came from three foreign terms:
writer’s subject matter
and writing style. Having
technikos its own subject matter,
Greek format, technical terms,
Art, craft or skill
and audience, technical
techne writing exists to others
French
To weave or
as: Professional Writing,
fabricate – as Business Writing,
teks weaving is one of Occupational Writing, or
Indo-European the very first On-the-Job Writing
technology done by (Reep, 2003).
people in this world.

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 Technical writing may be defined and described in the following
manner (Miller & Walter, 1981):

1.Technical writing is exposition about scientific subjects and

about various technical subjects associated with the sciences.
2.Technical writing 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.
3.Technical writing is ideally characterized by the maintenance
APPLICATION
of an attitude of impartiality and objectivity, by the extreme care to
convey information accurately and concisely, and by the absence of any
attempt to arouse emotion.
EVALUATION
4.Technical writing is writing in which there is a relatively high
concentration of certain complex and important writing techniques – in
particular, definition, description of mechanisms, description of a
process, classification and interpretation.

Purposes and Functions To determine the purpose of your writing, ask yourself a
of Technical Writing couple of basic questions:

 What do I want to inform my readers about?

Technical writing has three  What do I want to persuade or convince them of?
important purposes:  What do I want to happen as a result of this document?

1. It gives information in
decision making and task The persuasive purpose also implies providing
accomplishments. information. Thus a purpose to persuade becomes a purpose
to inform, at the same time. Technical writing relies on data
2. It analyses events and their presented with precision and accuracy.
implications, the failure of
systems such as educational, Functions of Technical Writing are:
socio-economic, political,
etc. • To serve as a basis of management decision
• To furnish needed information
3. It persuades and influences • To give instructions
decision making. • To explain techniques
• To report achievements
• To analyze problem areas
Subject Matter • To determine design and system requirements
• To serve as a basis for public relation
and Readers of • To provide report to stockholders of companies
• To develop product
Technical • To provide service
• To record business through proposals
Writing • To procure business through proposals

The subject matter is technical, it is written carefully for a specific reader. All formal aspects
of professional areas, data in business, science, industry, technology, and engineering are the subject
matter of technical writing. (Portillo, R.R, et al, 2003)

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 Audience and reader are nearly interchangeable terms. As technical communication expands
to include multimedia presentations, audience has a broader meaning. Audience is not just a reader
but also a listener or an observer. Adjusting to diversities brought by cyber-culture, technical writing
has to give importance to knowing who and what your audience needs. The effectiveness of your
report depends on how it appeals to your reader. (Gallo, 2010). Technical writing is written for both
internal (inside the organization) and external (outside the organization) audiences or readers.

Technical writing aims to help its readers; your paper should be clear and concise. The idea is
that clear, concise writing is easy to understand and thus the best way to approach a reader. To be
clear and concise, however, requires that you understand how writing affects readers and the
interesting ways in which readers approach writing.

Writers should make their

paper as neat and attractive as
possible.

Basic Principles of
Technical Writing

To achieve an effective written

communication, writers should focus their
craft on five basic principles of good
technical writing:

Writers should always have

in mind a specific reader, real or
imaginary, when writing their
report and always assume that
they are intelligent but informed.

Writers should decide and

focus on their exact purpose in
writing and for that you will be able
to determine the right ideas or
knowledge to include in your paper.

Writers should use simple,

concrete, and familiar language.

Writers should check and

review their writing from time to
time

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