Technical Writing:

Real-World Writing
What do YOU write?
At home?
At work?
For learning?
What is Technical
Writing?
 Technical Writing AKA …

Business Writing
Workplace Writing
Professional Writing
Informational Writing
 What is Technical Writing?
It is the type of everyday writing that
surrounds us from the time we wake until we
climb in bed at night.
• Directions on the toothpaste tube
• Nutrition benefits on the cereal box
• Business letters and catalogs that come in the mail
• Written instructions for assembling a new product
• Tax receipts and notices
• Product safety information
How is Technical Writing Different?
 The information is organized, presented and
communicated in a specific format.
 The writing is concise, clear and accurate.
 The writing takes into account the audience’s
needs, biases and prior understanding.
 The writing presents information to help
readers solve a problem or gain a better
understanding of a situation.
 The writing conveys technical, complex, or
specialized information in a way that is easy
for a non-technical reader to understand.
Definition/Purpose of
Course
 It gives information in decision making
and task accomplishments.
 It analyzes events and their
implications, the failure of systems.
 It persuades and influences decision
making.
Accessibility

 Accuracy– no errors of fact or grammar

 Clarity– no ambiguity
 Completeness– all necessary information is
present
 Diction—appropriate and grammatically
correct language
 Organization—logical arrangement of parts
 Visual effectiveness– page/screen design,
graphics
Usability

Allows audience to perform the

task or retrieve the information
they need
Studies design of table of
contents, index, headings, etc.
Keeps learning curve short
Relevance

Focus on your audience’s need

for information.
Give only what’s needed.
Use language that fits your
audience and situation and is
consistent.
 On-the-job Writing
Communicate expertise to clients,
customers, and the public
Report tech activities to
supervisors and others
Write proposals
Instruct lay people
Correspond with colleagues and
clients
Tech Communicator’s
Skills
Facility with language
Use of critical thinking skills to
solve problems
Ability to assess situations,
determine what the most important
issues and the subsidiary ones are
Ability to organize a document that
presents the information clearly
Skills, continued

Awareness of the persuasive nature of

writing and ability to compose documents
that convince your reader(s) to act as you
suggest or to trust your point of view
Ethical behavior shown by avoiding
deceptive graphics, presenting
information truthfully, balancing ethical
and moral beliefs with the demands of the
job
Three-Part Foundation needed on the
job
• Basic Skills (reads, writes, performs
mathematical operations, listens and
speaks)
• Thinking Skills (Thinks creatively, makes
decisions, solves problems, visualizes,
knows how to learn, and reasons)
• Personal Qualities (Displays
responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-
management, and integrity and honesty)
 Five Workplace Competencies
•Resources: Identifies, organizes,
plans and allocates resources
•Interpersonal: Works with others
•Information: Acquires and uses
information
•Systems: Understands complex
interrelationships
•Technology: Works with a variety
of technologies
Possessing basic writing skills means that
students need “to communicate thoughts,
ideas, information, and messages in
writing; and create documents such as
letters, directions, manuals, reports,
graphs, and flow charts.”
 Academic Writing Technical Writing

Descriptive Writing Job Description, Incident Report,

Résumé, Process Explanation

Narrative Writing Observation Report, Progress Report

Analysis Performance Evaluation, Feasibility
Report
Cause and Effect Analytical Report, Product Field Test
Report
Compare-Contrast Product Comparison, Feasibility
Report
Persuasive Writing Proposal, Action Plan
Examples of Technical Writing:
Examples of Technical Writing:
Properties of Technical Writing

 Objectivity
 Qualifications
 Thoroughness
 Unity
 Veracity
 Viewpoint
 You-point
Questions
and
Comments
Reflection
Things I learned

Things I confirmed

Question I still have