LESSON 1:

WHAT IS TECHNICAL
WRITING?

Ma. Lourdes G. Olegario

Instructor 

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Technical writing is a written

 communication about various
technical subjects in sciences,

engineering, and technology.

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It is a It is a specialized specialized,
structured way of , structured way of
writing as in the use of scientific and
technical vocabulary, its use of
graphic aids and its use of

conventional report forms.

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It is ideally characterized by an
attitude of impartiality and
objectivity for accuracy and
 precision of information.

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Examples of technical writing:

• Sales catalogs
• Business letters
• Financial reports
 • Standard operating procedures •
Medical research studies

• Laboratory reports

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Difference between technical and literary
writing
Technical Literary
Subject Scientific/technical Generally about life Readership
Specific General

Format Formal Informal

Purpose Informative/ Informative/entertaining
instructional
Language Literal/direct/ Figurative/indirect/
denotative connotative
Style Impersonal/simple Personal/elaborated Tone
Serious/unemotional Light/conversational

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Content Obective/neutral Subective/oinionated
Technical writing or literary writing?
1. Essay
2. Syllabus
3. Skit
4. Minutes of Meeting
5. Poem
6. Deed of sale
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7. Progress Report
Which of the following statements would you expect to come
from a come from a technical writing document? technical
writing document?

1. My memory of her will never fade. She brought

music into my life.
2. There are two types of computer random

access memory (RAM): static RAM and

dynamic
RAM. 3. Most intriguing is the adoption of Corvette
Z52 calipers to the car.
4. The mist peeked over the marshland. 5. Once
upon a time there was a princess who ruled a vast
country.

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Characteristic Characteristics of Effective
Technical Effective Technical Writing
• The four Cs:
Clarity -- it is easily understood by your

intended audience
Comprehensiveness -- all of the
necessary information is present
Conciseness -- it is clear without
 excess verbiage
Correctness -- it is grammatical and it
follows conventions
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Clarity

1. Avoid using jargons (a

vocabulary particular to a place
of work)
 2. Avoid using abbreviations and
slang words

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Which one is properly written?

For the first year, the links with SDPC and

the HAC were not connected, and all

required OCS input data required OCS
 input data were artificially were artificially

loaded. Thus loaded. Thus CATCH22 and

TCH22 and MERWIN
were not available.

Because some of the links in the computer

system were not connected the first year, we

could not run all the software codes.

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3. Define the unfamiliar 
• If you must abbreviate, define the term in its
first occurrence, and put abbreviations in
parentheses
Example:
Edgartown Great Pond (EGP) is a vital

body of water. Unfortunately, due to an

unpredictable influx of saltwater, the

delicate ecosystem is in danger of
 Page 12
destabilizing.
Italicize first occurrence of
•
unfamiliar terms and defi nd define
them right away 

• Ex: Retina is a light-sensitive tissue,

found at the back of the eye, that

converts light impulses to nerve
impulses.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO

SUCCEED AS A TECHNICAL
WRITER

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1. Show respect for your reader.

• Write with a positive attitude, not with
arrogance
• Don’t write in upper case for more
than A WORD OR TWO.

• Write positive language.

• Avoid sexist language by referring to
men and women the same way.
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Which one is properly written?

 Access to studen  Access to student information is

authorized only t information is authorized only

for
Enrollment Services purposes. Employees who
have access to student information are required to
protect and keep it required to protect and keep it
confidential. confidential.

 Access to studen  Access to student information

is not authorized t information is not authorized
for any parties except Enrollment Services.
Employees who have access to student
information are not allowed to share information
are not allowed to share that information with
non-affiliated third parties if you
technical document
have not authorized it.
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for a diverse group
2. Know your readers of readers.
readers and their • Understand their
requirements.
needs
• You often write a
• The needs and
wants of your
readers dictate
every decision

you make as a
writer.
Categories of readers:

1. LAY READER: a general reader

without expert knowledge but with an
interest in a subject
2. TECHNICIAN: a person with skilled
knowledge in an area who

implements the ideas or plans of the

expert. They read manuals,

 blueprints, and technical reports.

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3. EXPERT: an authority in a particular

field who is highly skilled and
professional, perhaps with an

advanced degree.
4. MANAGER: a
person who organizes a personnel and is
responsible for
the day-to-day operations as well as
long-range planning.

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COMPONENTS OF TECHNICAL
WRITING

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1. Context 2.
Message 3.
 Language
4. Purpose
5. Audience
6. Product

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Context
• refers to the situation in which
technical writing exists
• it may include personal
relationships with the intended
audience, time and place, and
interferences that may influence
the writing

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 Mes s ag e
• refers to the content
• it includes facts, issues, and

relevant details to clear and

effective communication

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Language
• the channel used to convey the
 message
• in the context of technical
writing, the language is usually

formal and standard

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Purpose
• refers to the reason why the
technical writer is
communicating and reactions
he/she wants to elicit from the
target audience
• can be to inform or to persuade

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 A udience
• the receiver of the the receiver
 of the informatio information • can
be classified as primary or
secondary
• to understand the audience, you
need to know their purpose,
desires, motivation, attitude, and
level of understanding about the
subject

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Product 
• refers to the physical form of the
message influenced by context,
purpose, message, language, and
audience

• may include letters, memos,

reports,
proposals, abstracts and summaries,
and resumes

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Group Task

Try to understand your audience by

identifying the:
a) purpose
b) demographic information
c) product
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Example:
You are working as a Human
Resources Director in a Resources
Director in a private firm. private firm. You
want to implement a new policy on
wearing of uniforms during weekdays. a)
purpose?
b) demographic information?
c) product/media?

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1. You want members of your

scuba diving club to know the

latest diving news.

2. You a
manufactured homes in

your You are responsible for se e

for selling territory.
3. The Barangay Health Center
wants to tell the public how to
prevent the flu.
P

4. You and your friends are o s are

opening a milk tea shop in the
university belt.
5. You are working in a consumer
company that is launching a new
brand of shampoo.
END OF LESSON 1