TECHNICAL WRITING

Definition of Technical Writing

• The word “technical” comes from the Greek word ‘techne’ that means “skill”. •
Form of technical skills and is used in fields like the military, police, computer
industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, biotechnology and many other
fields.

According to Vicente, et.al (1997)

• Also termed as report writing
• Process that involves three elements;
1. Subject matter
2. 2. Study or the Investigation
3. organization and presentation of the information gathered According to Alcantara
and Espina (2003);
• Communication in any field where the primary aim of which is to convey a
particular piece of information, for a particular purpose, to a particular group or group
of readers.
• The technical writer is expected to be objective, clear and accurate, concise and
unemotional in the presentation of facts.

Basic Principles of Good Technical Writing

According Mills and Walter (1988)
➢Has a specific readers
➢Has a specific purpose
➢Uses familiar language
➢Produces reports that are presentable

Two Important Factors of Technical Writing

1. Subject Matter – refers to the objective information that the writer wants to convey.
• Objective information of a written material.
• Tells readers what to do, and how to do a particular reading task. • Gives
information about recorded data in criminology, military, business, education, and the
like.

2. Purpose – refers to the goals that the writer wants to achieve for himself and his
readers after presenting his written output.
• The concepts and information that point to the completion of a specific task and
decision on the part of the writer and the reader. • The analysis on the events and its
implications in relation to the written text.
• It convinces, persuades, and influences the readers.
Qualities of a Good Technical Report
❑ Brevity
• Characterized by the shortness of briefness of the writing material • Achieved
through presentation of ideas in a short but complete manner
❑ Clarity
• A condition of writing where ideas are simplified by making it easier for the readers
to understand.
• Achieved by providing further examples, illustrations, or diagrams in order to clarify
the text.
❑ Completeness
• This is where the ideas in the paragraph are entirely and absolutely free from
inconsistencies and errors in any form.
❑ Accuracy
• Refers to the exactness and correctness of writing, as this is a result from precision,
conformity to grammar, and adherence to writing standards.

The Technical Communication

✓ The process of conveying technical information through writing, speech, and other
medium to an intended audience.
✓ The main function is to convey specific messages to a specific readers.
✓ In law enforcement and its related agencies, law enforcers communicate with each
other using coded messages, they communicate jargons that they can decipher.

❑ A person whose job involves technical communication.

❑ Those who design reading materials, edit proposals, write manuals, create web
pages, write lab reports, write newsletters, and submit various kinds of professional
documents.
❑ They are responsible for writing text that are accurate, readable, acceptable, and
helpful to its intended audience.

Characteristics of a Good Technical Communicator

1. Know his audience well
➢A technical writer who knows his/her students well, and is in the position to
suggest and implement solutions to problems that nobody else identifies.
2. Serves as a “go-between”
➢Whenever of group of people has specialized knowledge that other groups do not
share, the technical writer bridges the gap.

3 A Generator of truth
➢ A technical writer chooses what will be written, with the full knowledge that later
readers will depend on the accuracy of what has been written.
4 A good teacher
➢ He excels at explaining difficult concepts for readers who will have no time to read
twice.
5. Has an excellent eye for details
➢He knows punctuations, syntax, and style. And can explain the rules governing
them.
6. Knows how to coordinate
➢ Though he works on is own much time, he also knows how to coordinate with the
collaborative work of graphic artists, programmers, printers, and various subject
matters experts.
7. Has enough expertise
➢ He is an expert in understanding the audience’s background and needs
8. He knows how to gather information
➢He has a nose for information from existing documents and from subject matter
experts.
9. He is respected and credible
➢He is a person with credibility, and he is also valuable and reliable source of
information.
10. Has a strong language skill
➢ He understands the highly evolved conventions of modern technical
communication.

Technical Documentation
❖ Useful if the readers can understand and act on them without having to decode
wordy and ambiguous words.
❖ Technical documentation services comprise of all activities, means and system
that provide information to its specialized fields.

ELEMENTS OF WRITING

WRITING
• Writer’s are not born. They are made.
• Writing is a flexible process.
• Writers should be governed by the requisites of good writing:
1. The Purposes of Writing
2. The Reading Audience
3. The Qualities of Good Writing
4. The Principles of Effective Writing

The Purposes of Writing

• The following are the purposes of writing:
1. To Inform.
2. To Persuade.
3. To Express Yourself.
4. To Entertain.

The Reading Audience

• Everything you write is aimed at some audience – a person or group you want to
reach.
• The ultimate purpose of all writing is to have an effect on a reader and therefore
purpose and audience are closely linked

The Qualities of Good Writing

1. Free Thinking. - You don’t have to astound your readers with something never
before discussed in print. Genuinely unique ideas and information are scarce
commodity.
- Keep the expression of your ideas credible. Far-fetched ideas generate skepticism.
2. Sense of Style.
- Readers expect you to write in a clear style.
- Readers expect you to use standard grammar, spelling and punctuation.
3. Effective Punctuation.
- A paper should have a beginning, a middle, and an end– that is an introduction, a
body, and a conclusion.
- Overall, your paper should follow a pattern that is suited to its content.
4. Freshness, Style, and Organization

The Principles of Effective Writing

1. Writing perceived as truthful should be truthful.
2. Writing meant to perceived as truthful should tell the whole truth, omitting nothing
that the reader needs to know in order to make an informed decision.
3. Writing should not be presented as something different from what it is.
4. Writing should be clear to the readers. The readers have a right to expect
understandable, accurate information.
5. Writing should NOT be intended to harm the reader.

THE WRITING PROCESS

What is a Paragraph?
• A paragraph is a group of sentences that develops one main idea.
• A paragraph may stand by itself as a complete piece of writing, or it may be a
section of a longer piece of writing, such as an essay.
• NO single rule can tell you how long a paragraph should be, but if a paragraph is too
short, the reader will feel that basic information is missing. If a paragraph is too long,
the reader will be bored or confused. An effective paragraph is long enough to
develop the main idea that is being presented.
• An adequate paragraph is usually consists of at least six sentences and no more than
ten or twelve sentences.
• You have undoubtedly read, in newspaper, paragraphs that are only one sentences
long, but in fully developed writing, one sentence is usually not an acceptable
paragraph.

What is a Topic Sentence?

• A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph. It is the most general sentence
of the paragraph. All other sentences serve to explain, describe, extend, or support this
main-idea sentence.
• Most paragraphs you read will begin with the topic sentence. However, some topic
sentences come in the middle of the paragraph; others come at the end. Some
paragraphs have no stated topic sentence at all; in those cases, the main idea is
implied.
• Good topic sentences help both the writer and the reader to think clearly about the
main points.

Distinguishing a Topic Sentence from a Title

• The topic sentence words like a title by announcing to the reader what the paragraph
is all about.
• However, keep in mind that the title of an essay or book is usually a single word or
short phrase, whereas the topic sentence of a paragraph must always be a complete
sentence.

Title: Backpacking in the mountains

Topic Sentence: Backpacking in the mountains last year was an exciting experience.
Title: The stress of college registration
Topic Sentence: College registration can be stressful.
Title: Riding a bicycle
Topic Sentence: Riding a bicycle is a skill that requires a great balance.

What is a Controlling Idea?

• A topic sentence should contain not only the topic but also a controlling idea.
• The controlling idea of a topic sentence is the point the writer makes about the topic.
Example:
Backpacking trips are exhausting.
A family backpacking trip can be much more satisfying than a trip to an amusement
park.
Our recent backpacking trip was a disaster.
A backpacking trip should be a part of every teenagers’ experience

What is a Supporting Detail?

• Once you have constructed a topic sentence made up of the topic and its controlling
idea, you are ready to support your statement with details.
• A supporting detail is a piece of evidence used by a writer to make the controlling
idea of the topic sentence convincing and interesting to the reader.
Poor supporting details: Many people died of flu in the 1960s. Effective supporting
details: In 1968 in the United States, 70,000 people died of the Hong Kong flu.

Methods of Paragraph Development

1. Narration. Telling a story using a sequence of events.
2. Description. Using sensory images to create a picture with words. 3. Process. Using
steps to explain how to do something or how something works.
4.Example. Giving instances or illustrations of the main idea.
5. Comparison/Contrast. Showing similarities and differences.
6. Cause and Effect. Examining reasons or outcomes.
7. Extended Definition. Analyzing at some length the meaning of a word or concept.
8. Classification. Dividing a subject into groups or parts.

Take Note:
• As you choose your supporting details, keep in mind that the readers do not
necessarily have to agree with your point of view. However, your supporting details
must be good enough to make your readers at least respect your attitude. Your goal
should be to educate your readers. Try to give them some understanding of your
subject. Don’t assume they know about your topic or are interested in it.