Introduction of

Technical
Communication
Ethical behavior, including ethical technical
communication, involves not just telling the
truth and providing accurate information,
but telling the truth and providing
information so that a reasonable audience
knows the truth. 

*Ethics in technical
writing
Ethical Writing
Once on the job, you will be assigned to create many
documents throughout your professional career. Some
may be simple and straightforward, some may be
difficult and involve questionable objectives. Overall,
there are a few basic points to adhere to whenever
you are writing a professional document:
* Don’t mislead
* Don’t manipulate
* Don’t stereotype

*Ethics in technical
writing
Don’t mislead
*When writing persuasively, do not write something that can cause the
reader to believe something that isn’t true.

*This can be done by lying, misrepresenting facts, or just “twisting”

numbers to favor your opinion and objectives. This is clearly different from
the resume ethics.

*Be cautious when using figures, charts and tables, making sure they are not
misleading. While this may seem easy to read about, when the pressure is
on and there are deadlines to meet, taking shortcuts and stretching the
truth are very common.

*Ethics in technical
writing
*When you are researching professional documents, make
sure you are using material with permission. If you are
writing about what you’ve researched, make sure you are
citing the sources of your information and giving credit to
all the necessary researchers. This rule also extends
beyond writing to what is referred to as intellectual
property. Intellectual property includes the following:

*Patents – Items whose credit for creation is protected

*Trademarks – Company names (WalMart), logos (the
Target bulls-eye), or slogans (I’m lovin’ it)
*Copyright law – Items whose distribution is protected by
law (books, movies, or software)

*Ethics in technical
writing
Don’t manipulate
*If you are holding a professional job, it is understood that you have a
decent ability to write persuasively, even if your first persuasive
document was your resume. Do not use your ability to persuade people
to do what is not in their best interest.

*While this may not always seem easy, a good writer with a bad motive
can twist words to make something sound like it is beneficial to all
parties.

* Make sure they are not only considered and cared for when writing a
persuasive document. It is easy to get caught up in the facts and forget
all the people involved. Their feelings and livelihood must be
considered with every appropriate document you create.

*Ethics in technical
writing
Don’t stereotype
* Most stereotyping takes place sub-consciously now since work
places are careful to not openly discriminate.

* When crafting your communication think about who will be

affected by what you say and how you say it. You have to be
sensitive to the following language in a professional document:
•Race and gender roles
•Political correctness
•Generalizations
•Cultural awareness
•Religious symbols

*Ethics in technical
writing
*Under the law, most documents written by employees
represent the position and commitments of the
organization itself.

*Professional documents can serve as evidence in

disputes over contracts and in product liability
lawsuits.

*Legal considerations
 Stages of the
Writing Process
*Prewriting: This is the planning phase of
the writing process, when students
brainstorm, research, gather and outline
ideas, often using diagrams for mapping
out their thoughts. Audience and purpose
should be considered at this point, and for
the older students, a working thesis
statement needs to be started.

*Stages of the Writing

Process
*Drafting: Students create their initial
composition by writing down all their ideas
in an organized way to convey a particular
idea or present an argument. Audience and
purpose need to be finalized.

*Stages of the Writing

Process
*Revising: Students review, modify, and
reorganize their work by rearranging,
adding, or deleting content, and by making
the tone, style, and content appropriate
for the intended audience. The goal of this
phase of the writing process is to improve
the draft.

*Stages of the Writing

Process
*Editing: At this point in the writing
process, writers proofread and correct
errors in grammar and mechanics, and edit
to improve style and clarity. Having
another writer’s feedback in this stage is
helpful.

*Stages of the Writing

Process
*Publishing: In this last step of the writing
process, the final writing is shared with the
group. Sharing can be accomplished in a
variety of ways, and with the help of
computers, it can even be printed or
published online.

*Stages of the Writing

Process
Collaborative writing involves two or more
persons working together to produce a
written document.

Also called group writing, it is a significant

component of work in the business world, and
many forms of business writing and technical
writing depend on the efforts of collaborative
writing teams. 

*Collaborative
writing
"Collaboration not only draws on the
expertise and energy of different people but
can also create an outcome that is greater
than the sum of its parts."
-Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper