TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the unit, students should be able to:

i. Construct the definition of technical writing. (PLO 1, K, C1)

ii. Discover the differences between technical writing and other types of
writing. (PLO1,K,C3)

iii. Demonstrate the characteristics of target audience. (PLO6,TS,A3)

CONTENT:

What is Technical Writing?

"Technical writing conveys specific information about a technical subject to a

specific audience for a specific purpose. The words and graphics of technical
writing are meant to be practical: that is, to communicate a body of factual
information that will help an audience understand a subject or carry out a task."

—Michael H. Markel
Director of Technical Communication
Boise State University
Examples of Technical Writing:

• Business letters • Operational guides

• Presentation materials • Press Releases

• Newsletters • Web pages

• Web applications • Travel guides

• Scripts • Training materials

• Meeting minutes • Advertising copy

• Magazine articles • Instructional posters

• Resumes and cover letters • Contracts, proposals, and grants

• Feasibility reports • Procedures

• Questionnaires and forms • Scientific papers

• Data books and catalogs • Cookbooks

Differences between Technical Writing and Other Types of Writing

Writing can be grouped into five basic types: technical, creative, expressive,
expository, and persuasive. To help understand technical writing, it may help to
compare it to the other types.

Technical Writing Creative Writing

 imaginative, metaphoric or
Content  factual, straight-forward
symbolic
Audience  specific  general
 entertain, provoke,
Purpose  inform, instruct, persuade
captivate
 formal, standard,
Style  informal, artistic, figurative
academic
Tone  objective  subjective
Vocabulary  specialized  general, evocative
Organization  sequential, systematic  arbitrary, artistic

Characteristics of Effective Technical Writing

Technical writing usually requires action, follow-up, dialog, or input from the
audience. Therefore, effective technical writing is clear, accurate, and correct.
Because technical writing is seldom read from beginning to end, like a novel
generally is, the various sections must be easily accessible and well organized.
And while technical writing needs to be comprehensive, it is also concise and
carefully worded. It MUST be:

i) Clear - is easily understood by the intended audience

without ambiguities.

Panadol = Paracetamol

ii) Accurate - is factual, correct, free from bias.

iii) Correct - follows both grammatical and technical

conventions.

iv) Comprehensive - contains all necessary information.

v) Concise - is clear and complete
vi) Accessible - includes headings and subheads, indexes, and
table of contents.

General Characteristics of a Target Audience

Every target audience shares common characteristics. Some common, shared

characteristics are:
You will notice that these are the same characteristics taken into consideration by
marketing companies. For the technical writer, though, there are other
characteristics that may be even more important than these.

Specific Characteristics of a Target Audience

When writing procedures, you need to ask:

 Who will use the product?

 Under what conditions?
 What is the user's expertise, training, level of experience?

4 Important Questions

1. Who will read what I write? (Identify your audience.)

2. Why should they read what I write? (Establish your purpose.)

3. What do I have to say to them? (Formulate your message.)

4. How can I best communicate? (Select your style and tone.)

Identifying Your Audience

Keep in mind:

 Members of each audience differ in backgrounds, experiences, needs,

and opinions.
 How you picture your audience will determine what you say to them.
 Viewing something from the audience’s perspective will help you select
the most relevant details for that audience.

Some Questions to Ask About Your Audience

1. Who is my audience?
2. How many people will make up my audience?
3. How well does my audience understand English?
4. How much does my audience know about the writing topic?
5. What is my audience’s reason for reading my work?
6. What are my audience’s expectations about my written work?
7. What is my audience’s attitude toward me and my work?
8. What do I want my audience to do after reading my work?

Establishing Your Purpose

Formulating Your Message

A message includes what facts, recommendations, scope and details of your

communication.

How much information you The key points you think readers
* give readers about the key need to know to perform their job.
details.
Keep in mind:

• For technical audience - supply a complete report with every detail noted
in an appendix.

• For other readers - give a short discussion or summary yet complete and
helpful.

Selecting Your Style and Tone

Style

• How something is written rather than what is written.

• Helps to determine how well you communicate with an audience, how well
your readers understand and receive your message.
• It involves the choices you make about:

- the construction of your paragraphs,

- the length and patterns of your sentences,

- your choice of words.

*Note: Technical language and symbols can only be used if the potential readers
are specialists in your field.

Tone

 Like tone of voice.

 Can be formal and impersonal (a scientific report) to informal and personal
(email to a friend or a how-to-article for consumers).
 Important in occupational writing since it reflects the image you project to
readers. This will determine how they will respond to you, your work and
your company.

ACTIVITY 1
In your own words, write the definition of ‘Technical Writing’ in the space
provided.

ACTIVITY 2
List down the differences between ‘technical writing’ and ‘creative writing’.

Technical Writing Creative Writing

ACTIVITY 3
What are the general and specific characteristics of a target audience?

General Characteristics Specific Characteristics