To: Nancy Myers

From: Rin Dawdy

Date: September 27th, 2022
Subject: APLED 121-Chapter 4 Summary

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CHAPTER 4
OBJECTIVES IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Achieving Clarity in Technical Communication

• Provide Specific Detail-give clear, detailed information to avoid mishaps

• Answer the Reporter’s Questions-answer the questions-who, what, when,
where, why and how.
• Use Easily Understandable Words-Avoid obscure words, and be careful using
acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon.

Simplifying Words, Sentences, and Paragraphs for Conciseness

• Conciseness Saves Time-Keep it simple; everyone’s time is valuable

• Technology Demands Conciseness-the size of the device could decide the length
of your communication
• Conciseness Improves Readability-not everyone is a college graduate
• Limit Word Length for Conciseness- big words complicate things
• Limit Sentence Length-Use active instead of passive voice and delete “be” verbs
• Limit Paragraph Length-long paragraphs are ineffective and force the reader to
take in too much unnecessary information.

Achieving Accuracy in Technical Communications

• Proofreading Tips
▪ Have a friend read it
▪ Let it sit for a while; read it at a different time to look for improvements
▪ Print it out for more effective proofreading
▪ Use technology; take advantage of computer spell checks
▪ Read it out loud; listen for errors you can’t see
Organizing Technical Communication

• Analysis; focus on smaller details that make up the whole

• Spatial Organization; discuss how the topic looks from various angles
• Chronology; organize the many different types of communication
• Importance; organize by what’s more or less important
• Compare/Contrast; use this method to distinguish pros and cons for your
audience
• Problem/Solution; another version of the pro/con organization method
• Cause and Effect; organize by focusing on a specific situation or its results

The Writing Process at Work

• Prewriting-Brainstorm
• Writing-draft your paper
• Rewriting-Proof read and edit