1.

Define technical writing and discuss its charactherisitics

Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that
requires direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has a very different purpose
and different characteristics than other writing styles such as creative writing, academic writing
or business writing.

Characteristics of Technical Writing

Technical writing, just as any other form of writing, has certain characteristics which distinguish
it from other types of writing. It is very different from writing opinion pieces, essays, prose, non-
fiction or fiction.

It is clear and straight forward. If you are interested in technical writing for professional
purposes, it is very important to know that this type of writing requires that the writer stick to the
subject matter and relay information in a clear and concise manner.
The language is very direct and straight to the point. The writing will avoid words that people do
not understand and will avoid an eloquent writing style.
It is very detailed and informative. The perfect example of technical writing is a textbook. The
written content of most textbooks is geared to providing information by describing the subject
matter as fully as possible.
It is very structured. This type of writing has a very obvious composition that makes it easy for
the reader to follow along. Solid structure is needed with technical writing as it allows the
audience to easily access the information as needed.

Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/characteristics-of-technical-

writing.html#kbAoczOO5UQtF7gV.99

2.Distinguish technical writing in terms of the following

A.Purpose
Is the purpose of writing
To inform: to provide information without expecting any action on the
part of the reader?
To instruct: to give information in the form of directions, instructions,
procedures, so that readers will be able to do something?
To propose: to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) or to suggest a
plan of action for a specific problem?
To recommend: to suggest an action or series of actions based on
alternative possibilities that have been evaluated?
 To persuade: to convince readers to take action, to change their attitudesor behaviors
based on valid opinions and evidence?

B.Subject matter
Technical writers can not only be an important part of your team in adding value to your
products and services, they can develop into valuable subject matter experts for your
organization.

Many firms who seek outsourced technical writing help to complete their projects only have the
expectation that the technical writer they bring on board will become knowledgeable enough to
be able to communicate to the firms customers and do an adequate job to get the material out the
door. Instead, firms would benefit from viewing technical writers they hire as potential subject
matter experts that theyll use on a regular basis so that the technical writers working for them
will become increasingly knowledgeable about the company, its customers, its products and the
audience for whats being documented.

C.Readers
To communicate technical material effectively to a particular audience, a writer must not only
analyze his readers' background and professional needs, but also incorporate that analysis into
his text. This article introduces the concept of the mock reader as a means of giving body to an
amorphic audience and relates that concept to the decisions a writer must make.

Three situations are presentedwriting to the operator, the expert, and the managerto show
how the mock reader can enhance the immediacy and coherence of a text.

References
1. James H., The Novels of George Eliot, Atlantic Monthly, p. 485, October, 1866. Google
Scholar
2. Gibson W., Authors, Speakers, Readers, and Mock Readers, College English, pp. 265
269, February, 1950. Google Scholar
3. Pearsall T. E., Audience Analysis for Technical Writing, Glencoe Press, New York, pp.
xxxii, 1969. Google Scholar
4. Operator's Pocket Guide to Activated Sludge, Stevens, Thompson, and Runyan, Inc.,
Portland, Oregon, Part I.
5. Zick G. and Moritz B., Microprocessors and Engineering Education, The Trend in
Engineering, 29: 2, p. 4.
6. Alaska Salmon Study, Kramer, Chin, and Mayo, Inc., Seattle, Washington, p. 1,
November, 1975.
3.Aspect of technical writing

Technical writing provides industry-related information in a way that it can be understood by

people with varying levels of knowledge; technical writers use good grammar, active voice,
proper punctuation and more to craft an article or paper. Technical writing most often serves the
needs of a particular audience. There are a number of components involved in technical writing:

Good grammar
Concise writing style
Focus on a particular audience or type of work
Easily-identified thesis statement
Contains accurate information
Where academic writing requires prose, historical references and paragraphs, technical articles
and papers require less verbose structures. Short sentences and lists are preferred over long
paragraphs. Further, the majority of references in technical writing are as current as possible,
rather than pointing to the historical record on the topic.

Because technical writing is usually brief, concise writing helps the reader access the information
quickly. The focus of the writing is on a single topic and bullet points help narrow the scope of
content. Technical writers avoid verbose styles and long sentences.
Since technical writing is often employed to provide current content, it is done with active voice
and in present tense. Active voice is most often employed in regular speech and is a style that is
easier for readers and listeners to retain.

Additionally, technical writing focuses on industry-related information so individuals in that

industry should be able to easily recognize grammar and associated abbreviations and acronyms.

Sources: calpoly.edu cypressmedia.net ross.ws

4.What are the basic principles of technical writing

The following is the six basic principles of technical writing that a technical writer has to take in
to consideration.
Content

There are five basic questions a technical writer has to ask themselves when starting a new
project who, why, what, how and when. Answering these questions will allow the technical
writer to be able to develop the content for any type of technical documentation. For example,
lets say the technical writer has to create a user guide for a new video recorder. Before creating
the user guide, they will have to plan the content of the user guide by applying following key
questions to the situation:
Who will read the user guide?
Why do need to create the user guide?
What is this user guide going to offer its intended audience?
How is the user guide going to be delivered?
When does the user guide have to be ready (publishing date)?
The audience and purpose of the documentation

Before beginning any new writing project, the technical writer has to analyze the intended
audience and identify the purpose for the document. The technical writer will need to ask the
following questions about the audience:

Who will read the documentation?

What are their biases?
What responsibilities does the technical writer have when communicating the information to the
audience?
With regard to the purpose of the documentation, technical writer will need to know what the
documentation will accomplish and also what should it do.

Styleguide

Technical writers will more than likely use a company styleguide (if there is one) to ensure that
their documentation has a structured and organized pattern so that it gives consistency to their
writing. A styleguide will provide the document with continuity so that the audience can
comprehend the information. For example, technical writers need to organise their ideas in a
specific chronological format because without a specific layout and structure to the
documentation it will be very confusing for the reader to understand.

Writing Style

Technical writers will need to change their writing style depending on the audience and situation
they are writing about. If they are writing technical documentation then it needs to be formal and
devoid of any emotion as you get with creative writing. Whereas, if say they were an email to
one of the senior managers involved in the project then their approach would more casual than
formal.

Accessing the information

Accessibility applies to the ease at which the intended audience can gain access to the
information they need from the technical documentation. A technical document must at least
contain a table of contents, headers and footers, list of illustrations/tables, page numbers, etc.

Also a technical document must adhere to a specific heading and sub heading structure to break
down the information into relevant areas that the reader can access easily.

Grammar

A technical writer must adhere to all the rules of conventional grammar. Also it is the technical
writers responsibility to proofread and edit their documentation to detect and correct any errors
in the writing, graphics, typography and layout.

In summarising, a technical writer must ensure that they incorporate the above mentioned
principles into their everyday writing style. This will go a long to make them not only a better
writer but their technical documentation will be appreciated by both their peers and readers alike.
Six Principles of Technical Writing

Six Principles of Technical Writing

by Catherine Hibbard
If you take a technical writing workshop, the materials will address numerous areas; some are
very specific while others are more general in nature. A good starting point is to look at six
principles of technical writing. Reviewing these basics can provide a great platform from which
we can launch forays into specific areas of interest and documentation.

Use Good Grammar

Write Concisely
Use the Active Voice
Use Positive Statements
Avoid Long Sentences
Punctuate Correctly

Sources: http://mooreti.com/the-principles-of-technical-writing.html

Elaine Mae C. Padernilla

Bs-Arch 4
1.Define technical writing and discuss its charactherisitics

Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that
requires direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has a very different purpose
and different characteristics than other writing styles such as creative writing, academic writing
or business writing.

Characteristics of Technical Writing

Technical writing, just as any other form of writing, has certain characteristics which distinguish
it from other types of writing. It is very different from writing opinion pieces, essays, prose, non-
fiction or fiction.

It is clear and straight forward. If you are interested in technical writing for professional
purposes, it is very important to know that this type of writing requires that the writer stick to the
subject matter and relay information in a clear and concise manner.
The language is very direct and straight to the point. The writing will avoid words that people do
not understand and will avoid an eloquent writing style.
It is very detailed and informative. The perfect example of technical writing is a textbook. The
written content of most textbooks is geared to providing information by describing the subject
matter as fully as possible.
It is very structured. This type of writing has a very obvious composition that makes it easy for
the reader to follow along. Solid structure is needed with technical writing as it allows the
audience to easily access the information as needed.
Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/characteristics-of-technical-
writing.html#kbAoczOO5UQtF7gV.99

2.Distinguish technical writing in terms of the following

A.Purpose
Is the purpose of writing
To inform: to provide information without expecting any action on the
part of the reader?
To instruct: to give information in the form of directions, instructions,
procedures, so that readers will be able to do something?
To propose: to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) or to suggest a
plan of action for a specific problem?
To recommend: to suggest an action or series of actions based on
alternative possibilities that have been evaluated?
To persuade: to convince readers to take action, to change their attitudesor behaviors
based on valid opinions and evidence?
B.Subject matter
Technical writers can not only be an important part of your team in adding value to your
products and services, they can develop into valuable subject matter experts for your
organization.

Many firms who seek outsourced technical writing help to complete their projects only have the
expectation that the technical writer they bring on board will become knowledgeable enough to
be able to communicate to the firms customers and do an adequate job to get the material out the
door. Instead, firms would benefit from viewing technical writers they hire as potential subject
matter experts that theyll use on a regular basis so that the technical writers working for them
will become increasingly knowledgeable about the company, its customers, its products and the
audience for whats being documented.

C.Readers
To communicate technical material effectively to a particular audience, a writer must not only
analyze his readers' background and professional needs, but also incorporate that analysis into
his text. This article introduces the concept of the mock reader as a means of giving body to an
amorphic audience and relates that concept to the decisions a writer must make.

Three situations are presentedwriting to the operator, the expert, and the managerto show
how the mock reader can enhance the immediacy and coherence of a text.

References
1. James H., The Novels of George Eliot, Atlantic Monthly, p. 485, October, 1866. Google
Scholar
2. Gibson W., Authors, Speakers, Readers, and Mock Readers, College English, pp. 265
269, February, 1950. Google Scholar
3. Pearsall T. E., Audience Analysis for Technical Writing, Glencoe Press, New York, pp.
xxxii, 1969. Google Scholar
4. Operator's Pocket Guide to Activated Sludge, Stevens, Thompson, and Runyan, Inc.,
Portland, Oregon, Part I.
5. Zick G. and Moritz B., Microprocessors and Engineering Education, The Trend in
Engineering, 29: 2, p. 4.
6. Alaska Salmon Study, Kramer, Chin, and Mayo, Inc., Seattle, Washington, p. 1,
November, 1975.

3.Aspect of technical writing

Technical writing provides industry-related information in a way that it can be understood by

people with varying levels of knowledge; technical writers use good grammar, active voice,
proper punctuation and more to craft an article or paper. Technical writing most often serves the
needs of a particular audience. There are a number of components involved in technical writing:

Good grammar
Concise writing style
Focus on a particular audience or type of work
Easily-identified thesis statement
Contains accurate information
Where academic writing requires prose, historical references and paragraphs, technical articles
and papers require less verbose structures. Short sentences and lists are preferred over long
paragraphs. Further, the majority of references in technical writing are as current as possible,
rather than pointing to the historical record on the topic.

Because technical writing is usually brief, concise writing helps the reader access the information
quickly. The focus of the writing is on a single topic and bullet points help narrow the scope of
content. Technical writers avoid verbose styles and long sentences.
Since technical writing is often employed to provide current content, it is done with active voice
and in present tense. Active voice is most often employed in regular speech and is a style that is
easier for readers and listeners to retain.

Additionally, technical writing focuses on industry-related information so individuals in that

industry should be able to easily recognize grammar and associated abbreviations and acronyms.
Sources: calpoly.edu cypressmedia.net ross.ws

4.What are the basic principles of technical writing

The following is the six basic principles of technical writing that a technical writer has to take in
to consideration.
Content

There are five basic questions a technical writer has to ask themselves when starting a new
project who, why, what, how and when. Answering these questions will allow the technical
writer to be able to develop the content for any type of technical documentation. For example,
lets say the technical writer has to create a user guide for a new video recorder. Before creating
the user guide, they will have to plan the content of the user guide by applying following key
questions to the situation:

Who will read the user guide?

Why do need to create the user guide?
What is this user guide going to offer its intended audience?
How is the user guide going to be delivered?
When does the user guide have to be ready (publishing date)?
The audience and purpose of the documentation

Before beginning any new writing project, the technical writer has to analyze the intended
audience and identify the purpose for the document. The technical writer will need to ask the
following questions about the audience:

Who will read the documentation?

What are their biases?
What responsibilities does the technical writer have when communicating the information to the
audience?
With regard to the purpose of the documentation, technical writer will need to know what the
documentation will accomplish and also what should it do.

Styleguide

Technical writers will more than likely use a company styleguide (if there is one) to ensure that
their documentation has a structured and organized pattern so that it gives consistency to their
writing. A styleguide will provide the document with continuity so that the audience can
comprehend the information. For example, technical writers need to organise their ideas in a
specific chronological format because without a specific layout and structure to the
documentation it will be very confusing for the reader to understand.

Writing Style

Technical writers will need to change their writing style depending on the audience and situation
they are writing about. If they are writing technical documentation then it needs to be formal and
devoid of any emotion as you get with creative writing. Whereas, if say they were an email to
one of the senior managers involved in the project then their approach would more casual than
formal.

Accessing the information

Accessibility applies to the ease at which the intended audience can gain access to the
information they need from the technical documentation. A technical document must at least
contain a table of contents, headers and footers, list of illustrations/tables, page numbers, etc.

Also a technical document must adhere to a specific heading and sub heading structure to break
down the information into relevant areas that the reader can access easily.

Grammar

A technical writer must adhere to all the rules of conventional grammar. Also it is the technical
writers responsibility to proofread and edit their documentation to detect and correct any errors
in the writing, graphics, typography and layout.

In summarising, a technical writer must ensure that they incorporate the above mentioned
principles into their everyday writing style. This will go a long to make them not only a better
writer but their technical documentation will be appreciated by both their peers and readers alike.

Sources: http://mooreti.com/the-principles-of-technical-writing.html

Roulin Fortit
Bs-Arch 4