1

TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING
TYPES of WRITING

1. PERSONAL

2. ACADEMIC

3. PROFESSIONAL
 3

PERSONAL WRITING
o Purpose/Objective:
 to entertain
 to inform

o Evaluation:
 desired emotional response
 informed
 4

PERSONAL WRITING
o Graphics:
 emoticons
 text-messaging lingo

o Formats:
 e-mail
 letters
 journals
 text messages
 5

PERSONAL WRITING
o Audience:
 equal knowledge
 friends
 colleagues

o Informality
 6

TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING
 *AUDIENCES*
Specific Audiences General Audience
o boss o generic reader
o supervisor o teacher
o team o perhaps fellow
o committee students
o politicians
o bank officers
o general public

TC AW
 *AUDIENCES*
1 Document = Many Readers: 1 Document = 1 Reader:
(1 Reader = 1 Need)

(Many Readers = Many Needs) o teacher

o “food chain”
o boss, supervisor
o team
o engineers
o workers
o politicians
o bank officers
o general public TC AW
 PURPOSES
o Purpose =
o Writing Situation
o Objective
o Why was the document written?
 PURPOSES
Situation-Oriented
o see a need —
o address a need
o internal motivation
o professional
motivation
o outcome-oriented:
 to get something
accomplished
Assignment-Oriented
o passive (vs. active)
o given a topic, test
o given an assignment
o external motivation
o scholastic
motivation
o grade-oriented
 grade, g.p.a., degree

TC AW
 EVALUATION CRITERIA
Success Success
o satisfaction of the o correct answer
needs of all readers o right information
o something was done o unity, coherence
o informed o support, detail
o persuaded o grammar

TC AW
 APPLICATIONS
Real-World Applications College Application
o case studies o “academic” writing
o illustrative o essays
scenarios o essay exams
o operations o for academics
management o for grade
o for a job o for degree
o for a raise or o “show what you
promotion
know”
o for a bid
 practical
 demonstrative
TC AW
 DISCIPLINES
Across Disciplines Single Discipline
o “interdisciplinary” o “discipline-specific”
o computer sciences  literary data for an
English paper
o psychology  historical information
o mixture of: on a history paper
 history  psychological ideas
 math on a psychology test
 science o rarely a mixture
 technology

TC AW
 *PAGE DESIGN*
o Paragraphs o Paragraphs
 6-10 lines  Minimum of 3-5
 vary lengths for visual sentences
o White Space  No maximum length
o Columns o NO
o Headings
 White Space
 Columns
o Lists  Headings
o Graphics  Lists
o Varying Fonts  Graphics
o Use of Color  Varying Fonts
o Relative Spacing  Use of Color
o Relative Margins o Double Spacing
o Relative Justification o Equal Margins
o Left Justification
TC AW
 COMPONENTS
Oral, Visual, Written Written
o produce documents o infrequent oral and
o present documents visual components
o write to be read o predominant written
o write to be seen component
o write to be read
o write to be heard
 by teacher
o write to be graded
o not to be seen or
heard
TC AW
 GRAPHICS
o tables o uncommon
o charts o photographs
o graphs
o diagrams
o photographs
o maps
o blue prints

TC AW
 FORMATS
o memos o essay questions
o e-mails o essays based on the
o letters rhetorical strategies
o cover letters  Description
o resumes  Narration
o proposals  Illustration
o manuals  Process-Analysis
o portfolio  Division-Classification
o abstracts  Comparison-Contrast
o reports
 Definition
 formal
 Cause-Effect
 informal
 Pro-Con Argument
TC AW
 GRAMMAR
Grammar-less Grammar-full
o visual-oriented o written-oriented
o grammar = less o grammar = key
important
o sentence errors =
o fragments =
permissible avoided
o active voice o active voice
o descriptive writing o descriptive writing
o concise sentences o concise sentences
o spelling! o spelling!
o proofread! o proofread!
TC AW
 19

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
 Practicality in the employment world
 Real-World application

o Academic Writing:
 Demonstration of knowledge
 Limited to academia
 20

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
 By an informed writer
 Conveying necessary information
 Both visually & verbally
 To a lesser-informed reader
 (writer = teacher)

o Academic Writing:
 By a student-learner for an expert reader
 21

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
 Read by many,
 To satisfy the needs of many

o Academic Writing:
 Read by one,
 To appease the criteria of one
 22

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
 “Information Retrieval”
 organization & format = designed
 to help readers quickly & easily locate
information

o Academic Writing:
 “Information Retrieval”
 little concern beyond a logical organization
 23

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
 Public Speaking component —
 formal conference speeches
 informal meeting speeches

o Academic Writing:
 Limited Public Speaking opportunities
 conferences or rare class projects
 Public Speaking courses
 24

DEFINITION
Technical Communication:

o Encompasses a wide range

o of writing and speaking responsibilities
o required to communicate your ideas
o on the job.
25
 26

SIMILARITIES
o Grammar:
 active voice
 descriptive writing
 concise sentences
 spelling!
 proofread!
 27

SIMILARITIES
o Writing as a Process:
 Planning
 Drafting
 Revising
 EDUCATIONAL
PHILOSOPHIES
writing: process & writing: product
product o prescriptive
o HEURISTIC: o teach from models
 process o rhetorical strategies
 reader-focused
 how-to
o writer-focused
 analyze-and-compose
process
o PRESCRIPTIVE:
 product
 writer-focused
 models/forms of
writing TC AW
 29

ACADEMIC WRITING
o Purpose/Objective: o Evaluation:
 to demonstrate  correct information
knowledge  unity, coherence,
 to “show what you  depth, clarity,
know” grammar
o Audience: o Graphics:
 superior knowledge  limited
 teachers, perhaps  to explain or
peer editors persuade
 30

ACADEMIC WRITING
o Formats: (Rhetorical Strategies or
Writing Models)

 Description
 Comparison-Contrast
 Narration
 Definition
 Illustration
 Cause-Effect
 Process-Analysis
 Pro-Con
 Division-
 Argument-
Classification Persuasion
 31

TECHNICAL WRITING
o Purpose/Objective: o Graphics:
 to entertain  emoticons
 to inform  text-messaging lingo
o Audience: o Formats:
 equal knowledge  e-mail
 friends, colleagues  letters
o Evaluation:  journals
 desired emotional  text messages
response
 informed