To: Nancy Myers

From: Andrew Nitchman

Date: April 15, 2020
Subject: APLED 121-Chapter 3 Summary

CHAPTER 3
OBJECTIVES IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Achieving Clarity in Technical Communication

• Provide Specific Detail – A technical communicator must express themselves clearly. They must
present specific and quantified information to achieve clarity. Using abstract words or phrases
can lead to misinterpretations of a words’ meaning.
• Answer Reporter’s Questions – Another method of writing clearly involves “Answering
Reporter’s Questions. Present information in the format “who, what, when, were, why and
how?”.
• Use Easily Understandable Words – When writing, clarity in your vocabulary is key. If a reader
must search up vocabulary, the write did not write clearly. Write to express, not to impress.

Simplifying Words, Sentences and Paragraphs for Conciseness

• Conciseness Saves Time – Time is valuable. Readers cannot afford to sit through a lengthy
document or presentation. Keep your writing as short and simple as possible.
• Technology Demands Conciseness – The modern digital workplace requires conciseness in your
writing. Size and character limitations are just some of the factors that impact technical
communication. Because of these limitations, keep technical communication concise.
• Conciseness Improves Readability – Readability of your writing defines your writing level. Your
document should be written so anyone can interpretive it. Not all adults, even college
graduates, read at the standard level.
• Limit Word Length for Conciseness – Using shorter and less complex words (unless needed) is
best for achieving both clarity and conciseness. A common mistake amongst many writers is
writing to impress, while they should be writing to express.
• Limit Sentence Length for Conciseness _ Limiting sentence length improves conciseness and
clarity. The GNOME Documentation Style Guide is a good reference. Get rid of “Be” Verbs and
use an “Active Voice” instead of a “Passive Voice”. Delete an expletive pattern, avoid
camouflaged words and limit prepositional phrases.
• Limit Paragraph Length for Conciseness – Depending on the subject of your writing, it may or
may or not require much development. Therefore, not all paragraphs need to be lengthy and
detailed. A large paragraph is ineffective, because it presents too much information for the
reader to digest and process.
Achieving Accuracy in Technical Communication

• Proofreading Tips
1. Let someone else check your writing for two main reasons. We can make an error because we
don’t know any better. Second, we may read what we thought we wrote, not what we put on
the paper.
2. Once you have created a piece of writing, wait to edit it later. You will be more objective later in
the day.
3. Print it out. Reading a document as a paper copy enables better line to line editing.
4. Use technology to your advantage. Computer spell checks are helpful because they correct
spelling and incorrectly used words.
5. Read it out loud. Sometimes, you can hear errors you cannot see.

Organizing Technical Communication

If you are clear, concise, and accurate, but no one can follow your information, you haven’t
communicated effectively. Organization is essential for successful technical communication. While not
one method of organization works, using analysis, spatial organization, chronology, importance,
compare/contrast, problem/solution’ and cause/effect can help organization.

The Writing Process at Work

• Prewriting – Plan your writing by creating a brainstorming list.

• Writing – Once you have your brainstorming list, you can begin drafting your piece. When
writing, consider organizing, writing style, clarity, layout, visual aids, etc. Prioritize your
information from greatness to least importance.
• Rewriting – Have someone else (coworker, friend, etc.) review your rough draft and give you
feedback and suggestions for improvement.