AL-BAHRIA INSTITUTE

21-Babar Block, Garden Town, Lahore.

042-35911609, 0311-1905555
Session 2023-2027

TECHNICAL WRITING

Course Instructor: Prof. Umy Rubab

Section: BSIT, BSSE 3rd Program: Technical Writing Date: 26.02.2024

What is Technical Writing?

Technical writing introduces you to some of the most important aspects of writing in the
world of science, technology, and business the kind of writing that scientists, nurses,
doctors, computer specialists, government officials, engineers, and other people do as a
part of their regular work.
The term technical refers to knowledge that is not widespread, that is more the territory of
experts and specialists.
Whatever your major is, you are developing an expertise, and whenever you try to write
anything about your field, you are engaged in technical writing.
Technical writing is intended to communicate to a specific audience, for a specific
purpose.
What, Why, How?
Acquiring technical writing skills means the need to accurately communicate thoughts,
ideas, information, and messages in writing; and create documents such as letters,
directions, specifications, manuals, reports, presentations, graphs, flow charts, etc.
Challenges
– What technical writing in schools prepare students for?
– Why technical writing is a good reflection for learners?
– How does technical writing compare to academic writing?

What Makes Technical Writing Different?

• The information should be prepared, presented, and communicated in a certain format.
• The writing should be brief, clear, and accurate.
• The writing task should take into consideration the audience’s needs, biases, and prior
understanding.
• The writing task should present information to help readers solve a problem or acquire a
better understanding of an issue.
• The writing should convey technical, or particular information in a simple way that is
easy for non-technical readers to understand.

Technical VS Academic Writing:

Technical writing is intended to describe technical information. It may vary depending on
the specifics of a particular industry. Academic writing is aimed to present a certain point
of view on a particular subject. Academic papers show results of research and demonstrate
someone's knowledge.

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 Chapter 1: Writing for Readers
1. Academic, Public, and Work Communities
2. Analyzing Electronic Communities
3. Myths and Realities about Writing
1.Academic, Public, and Work Communities:
The term community has two distinct commutative meanings: 1) Community can refer to a
usually small, social unit of any size that shares common values. The term can also refer to
the national community or international community, and 2) in biology, a community is a
group of interacting living organisms sharing a populated environment. However, Different
communities exhibit different characteristics and communication styles. A community is
not just a group of people bounded by geographical links, such as a village, settlement, or
district, but also includes those brought together by lifestyle, religion, hobby, interest etc.
A community group often pursues a common goal, concern, or interest on an entirely
voluntary basis. In human communities, purpose, belief, resources, preferences, needs,
risks, and several other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of
the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. For example, the purpose of an
Academic Community is to create, share and apply knowledge. The primary activity in
an academic community is learning. The hallmarks of academic community are
“intellectual inquiry, investigation, discovery, an open exchange of ideas, and ethical
behavior.” A university is an example of an academic community. Being a student of the
university you are also a member of an academic community. Similarly, all of the people
in a given location are an example of the public community. People working in an
organization can be called as Work Community.

2.Analyzing Electronic Communities:

Since the beginning of the Internet, the concept of community has less geographical
limitation, as people can now gather virtually in an online community and share common
interests regardless of physical location. Prior to the internet, virtual communities (like
social or academic organizations) were far more limited by the constraints of available
communication and transportation technologies. An Electronic Community, also called
Virtual Community, is a social network of individuals who interact through specific social
media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual
interests or goals. Electronic communities all encourage interaction, sometimes focusing
on a particular interest or just communicating. Some virtual communities do both.
Community members are allowed to interact over a shared passion through various means:
email groups, message boards, Internet message boards, chat rooms, social networking
sites, or virtual worlds. As the traditional definition of a community is of
geographically bounded entity (neighborhoods, villages, etc.), so electronic or virtual
communities are not communities under the original definition. Some online
communities are linked geographically and are known as community websites.
However, if one considers communities to simply possess boundaries of some sort between
their members and non-members, then an electronic community is certainly a community.
Electronic communities resemble real life communities in the sense that they both provide
support, information, friendship, and acceptance between strangers. Electronic
communities are used for a variety of social and professional groups; interactions between
community members vary from personal to purely formal. For example, an email
distribution list operates on an informational level. Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace are all
virtual communities. With these sites, one often creates a profile or account, and adds
friends or follows friends. This allows people to connect and look for support using the
social networking service as a gathering place. These websites often allow for people to
keep up to date with their friends and acquaintances’ activities without making much of an

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 effort Advantages of Internet Communities: Internet communities offer the advantage of
instant information exchange that is not possible in a real-life community. This
interaction allows people to engage in many activities from their home, such as: shopping,
paying bills, and searching for specific information. Users of online communities also have
access to thousands of specific discussion groups where they can form specialized
relationships and access information in such categories as: politics, technical assistance,
social activities, health (see above) and recreational pleasures. Virtual communities
provide an ideal medium for these types of relationships because information can easily be
posted, and response times can be very fast. Another benefit is that these types of
communities can give users a feeling of membership and belonging. Users can give and
receive support, and it is simple and cheap to use. Economically, electronic communities
can be commercially successful, making money through membership fees, subscriptions,
usage fees, and advertising commission. Consumers generally feel very comfortable
making transactions online provided that the seller has a good reputation throughout the
community. Virtual communities also provide the advantage of disintermediation in
commercial transactions, which eliminates vendors and connects buyers directly to
suppliers. Disintermediation eliminates pricey mark-ups and allows for a more direct line
of contact between the consumer and the manufacturer. While instant communication
means fast access, it also means that information is posted without being reviewed for
correctness. It is difficult to choose reliable sources because there is no editor who reviews
each post and makes sure it is up to a certain degree of quality. Everything comes from the
writer with no filter in between.

3.Myths and Realities about Writing:

Writing is often perceived as one of life's secret realms entered by only a privileged few.
Frequently we discover worthy writers who protect their interests by giving the impression
that to be a first-class writer you must analyze the mechanics of English for a good many
years and only after painstaking study will one be able to master the art. Here we will
discuss some of the Myths and Realities of Writing Well and Great Writing.
Myth: Writing well is a gift.
Reality: Writing well is a learned skill.
Many people believe that great writers are born, not made – a most unfortunate
misconception. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, students are taught to
write through a structured process. With consistent formal instruction, extensive practice,
and helpful feedback, most students can become proficient writers.
Myth: Writing well is often thought of as a single special skill.
Reality: Writing well is the cumulative outcome of mastering a large number of skills.
Good writing starts with a student having a clear idea of what they want to say and the type
of writing they need to use. Many times, students are given a writing prompt from which to
begin the writing process. Are they trying to inform (expository writing), persuade
(persuasive writing), narrate (narrative writing), document research (research reports), or
report (journalistic writing)? When they write, students need to apply grammar and
vocabulary skills. They need to organize their paragraphs around a single thought, to
organize an essay around a collection of tightly organized ideas, and to structure an essay
that succeeds in purposeful communication. Successfully writing an essay demonstrates
mastery of all these skills and the ability to use them all together.
Myth: There is a single writing process that all students should follow.
Reality: Most students follow the writing process in their own unique way.
This myth might come from confusion over the teaching of the writing process.
Time4Writing teaches a writing process that consists of pre-writing, writing, revising,
proofreading, and publishing. Formally learning and using the steps is a reliable technique
to create quality writing. In reality, most students adapt these steps in a way that works best
for their individual learning style. For instance, many students find it easier to brainstorm
as they write, especially since word processors make it easy to reorganize their thoughts.
Then, after writing the first draft, they will create an outline to tighten the essay structure
and start editing and revising based on that structure.
Myth: Brilliant writing and storytelling is probably teachable.
Reality: This one is debatable.
Many great writers share some common traits that come from within and simply cannot be
taught. The most common characteristic of great writers seems to be that early on, they

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 start to read differently than the rest of us. It’s often been observed that the people who
grow up to be writers start studying the writing craft on their own. Not only are they
voracious readers, but they also tend to be intrigued by how authors put stories together.
Myth: Only writers with problems need feedback.
Reality: Good writers seek feedback.
Think about all the readers a professional writer consults with before publishing
colleagues, reviewers, editors, and copy editors.
Myth: Good writers write quickly and effortlessly.
Reality: Good writers prewrite, draft, revise, edit, and sweat over their writing.
When Ernest Hemingway was asked why he rewrote the last page of A Farewell to Arms
29 times, he explained that he was just “getting the words right.” That’s what writers do.

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