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TECHNICAL WRITING (Reviewer) Beta Version 69
TECHNICAL WRITING (Reviewer) Beta Version 69
- such writing should be able to speak to the audience without the writer trying to make verbal
explanations
- it fall under the principle of preliminary literature (to what extent is the writer lnowledgeable about
the topic), aimed at:
* provides clear understanding to the researcher about major theme relevant to subject area
Business - technical writing to communicate about business and industry; focuses on products
and services
- it is the ability of the writer to make the process of installing a product "user-friendly"
Characteristics exhibited of technical writing as viewed by the society for technical communication:
Proposal - is a document which describes the purpose of a project, the task it will accomplish,
the methods to be employed, and the cost of the project; starting point of every project
Technical Report - is a document written by a researcher detailing the results of a project and
submitted to the sponsor of the project; may be published before the corresponding journal
literature;
- classified and export-controlled reports have restricted access, obscure acronyms and codes are
employed
Different Forms of Technical Report:
*Primary Research Report - type of technical report which presents findings and interpretation from
laboratory or field of research
*Recommendation, feasibility, evaluation reports - type of technical report that are used to compare
several options against a set of requirements and recommending the most preferred alternative
*Technical Background Reports - type of technical report that focuses on a technical topic and provide
background for target readers with specific needs who are willing to pay for such service
*Technical guides and handbooks - most common form of documentation in the business environment;
used for instructions and guidelines on technical procedures, corporate policies and for relaying any
other information needed for reference purposes
*Business Plans - type of technical report that deals with the development of a proposal to start a
business
*Technical specifications - type of report that presents descriptive and operational details of a new or
updated product
Web sites - a virtual location on the world wide web which contains numerous educational and
organizational related webpages and data files accessed through the browser
Emails, Memoranda and Letters - these forms of technical writing may either relay information
to the receiver or persuade the receiver to carry out a task.
Note: Memoranda for employee (internal customers and Letters for external customers
White Paper - persuasive, authoritative, in-depth report or a guide on a given topic which
presents a problem and a solution to it; for politicians, a legislative document which explains
and support a particular political solution; for technological group, describes a theory behind a
new piece of technology; in business, the definition may be product-centered or not
Press Release - a public relations announcement issued to the news media and other targeted
publications for the purpose of letting the publi knwo of an organization's development
Specifications - outlines of a design detailing the structure; parts, packaging, and delivery of an
object or process in a concise and comprehensive manner to ensure that audience make sense
of the intended message
Descriptions - brief explanations of the procedures or processes that enable the reader
understand the fuctionality of something
Resumes - a self-marketing tool designed with one purpose in mind, to sell the writer's skills,
knowledge and experience to an employer in order to attract an invitation to attend an
interview for a job offer
Job application - official document often required for job placement, legal issues, data
processing, and employer convenience reasons
Technical Writing in Maritime Profession
The following are some documents accomplished by the ratings and officers of the Deck Department:
Crew List
Near Misses Data Card
Marine Note of Protest
Master’s Review
Standing Orders to Officers
Annual Ship to Shore Safety Drill
Bunkering Record
Bill of Lading
Inspection Report on Port State Control
Port of Call List
Last Port Clearance
Cargo Summary
Ship’s Particulars
Marine Pollution Control Sheet
Ballast Water Reporting Form
Declaration of Security
MARPOL Ship Control Sheet
Certificate of Classification
Certificate of Registry
SOLAS Certificates
MARPOL Certificates
International Anti-Fouling System Certificate
International Load Line Certificate
International Tonnage Certificate
Certificates for Masters, Officers and Ratings
Maritime Labor Certificates
2. Remember your audience (their concerns, background, attitude toward your purpose),
5. Make good use of visuals (good page design and graphics), and
6. Be ethical (truthful, full disclosure, no plagiarizing).
Accessibility
A technical report should include headings and subheads, indexes, and table of contents for the
reader to find the information he wants.
Accuracy
Accuracy in an effective technical report shows it as factual, correct, free from bias. It is an
important characteristic of any technical document. A slight mistake can have grave consequences. For
instance, if one was not able to present enough details it may harm the operation and produce
mistakes. Effective communication requires quality content and language that is accurate and readable.
Technical writing does not mean that translating information unquestioningly. In any profession, one
must know for whom the document is being written and whether it is accurate.
Clarity
A technical article should be easily understood by the intended audience without ambiguities. It is
essential that the technical writer understands the reader's background and needs. Making the
documentation too technical can confuse the reader. The document is meaningless if the intended
audience does not understand what the writer wants to communicate. Writers who are well aware of
their audiences are in a position to give a solution to their problems. The profession of technical writing
demands simplicity of language and clarity of expression. One must avoid unnecessary words that may
put the readers in a quandary. The written document must be clear and concise so that the text
becomes easier to grasp and understand.
Conciseness
In order for the consumer to utilize the document, it must be condensed into a manageable size. The
fewer steps the better, and the shorter each step is, the better. The writer must find the proper balance,
making sure it is brief enough to be manageable but still outlines every necessary step or detail.
Correctness
An effective technical article follows both grammatical and technical conventions. The grammatical
structure of a technical document should be correct and free from any kind of ambiguities. The intended
meaning will not be communicated to the reader if the document has ambiguous sentences. A well-
organized document that makes use of headings and sub-headings is not only pleasing to the eye but
will also help the reader find specific information in a short time.
Descriptiveness
Electronic products such as navigational equipment or simulators for training often come with
manuals that tell how to operate it. As readers may come from a non-technical background, care must
be taken that the manual is not difficult to understand. Certain key concepts to operate the product
must be explained as easily as possible for the targeted readers. If one uses pure jargon, the customer
will possibly never know what you want to say. Explaining the product in layman's terms is absolutely
necessary. Good technical writing conveys ideas in the most effective manner. A well-written technical
document always contains answers to anticipated problems in the product or application. This aspect of
technical writing is commonly seen in articles that are related to troubleshooting a particular software or
product.
Objectivity
Thoroughness
Every detail must be outlined and each step clearly described. A missing step, as trivial as it may
seem, could render an otherwise perfect piece of technical writing worthless.
- Style points not to the instrument used by the writer to communicate to the reader but to
characteristics of the writing itself.
Each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, one, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, no one,
nobody
Indefinite pronouns that is either singular (if the subject is not countable) or plural (if the subject is
countable).
Write concisely
- Effective technical writing suggest that the average length for a sentence is 15-20 words.
- Experts have found that there are two ways we lose our readers: using words with which they
are unfamiliar and overly long sentences.
Punctuate correctly
- Commas and periods always go inside the closing quotation mark. On the other hand,
semicolons and colons are always placed outside the quotation marks.
Basic Technical Techniques In Technical Writing
Description of a Process
- The description of a process is designed to convey to the reader how a change takes place
through a series of stages. The process description examines an event over time. Use a process
description when your intended reader wants to learn about the action in question.
- Process Description explains the arrangement of a sequence in chronological order. In
organization, it is similar to mechanism description, except that the "part-by-part" becomes step
by step:
• What is it?
As with describing, narrating, defining, and comparing, classifying is a component of all writing genres.
Just as writers pause to describe ideas and events or define new concepts in most documents, they
routinely classify information–that is, show or tell readers how information can be grouped into
categories.
To make knowledge, we routinely categorize information. A seafarer may refer to ships. A biologist
might refer to the periodic table. A musician might speak about country music, new age music, jazz, or
techno. A movie critic might talk about suspense, thriller, drama, or comedic movies. A religious studies
professor might discuss Christian religions, Muslim sects, and Buddhist practices. As a college student,
you might talk about specific colleges’ sports teams according to the divisions their teams play in.
Universities often subdivide areas of specialty according to the following categories:
1. Natural sciences
2. Social sciences
4. Humanities
English literature, American studies, History, Interdisciplinary studies, Modern languages, Architecture,
Art history
5. Fine arts
The process of classification involves grouping things together (on the basis of similarities) and dividing
them (according to differences). Some points to remember in classifying:
1. Choose and use a single principle of classification. Your principle will determine the classes to
be discussed. Example; engines may be classified according to make, to use, to speed, to number of
cylinders- but only one at a time.
2. Make your classification reasonably complete.
Once you know what you are going to divide into classes, your next step is to identify the classes and the
principle of classification.
The principle of classification then is the method you use to sort the items into classes. If you sorted
ships into tanker, carrier, and passenger, you'd be using cargo as the principle of classification. You must
be careful to use only one principle of classification at a time.