CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
MINU JOBBY
B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I C AT I O N S U N I T , C E P S , S Q U

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Learning Objectives
What is Technical Communication?
What are your roles as a communicator?
How important is Technical Communication to your
career?
What are the characteristics of a Technical Document?
Identify the measures of excellence in Technical
Communication
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1. What is Technical Communication?

Professionals use the above four communication skills to

create, design and transmit technical information so that
people can understand it easily, effectively & efficiently.

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Examples: Where do you see Technical
communication?

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1. What is Technical Communication?

Definition: Technical
communication is the process of
finding and using information
and sharing meaning.

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Technical communication & other types
of writing – the difference
ACADEMIC WRITING TECHNICAL WRITING
Descriptive Writing Résumé, Explanation Process, Job Description
Persuasive Writing Proposal, Job Application Letter, Action plan

ACADEMIC WRITING TECHNICAL WRITING

Audience: Instructor
Purpose: To show that the student has
mastered the skill/knowledge
Audience: colleagues, supervisors, customers
Purpose:
• Help them carry out tasks
• Re-inforce or change attitudes towards the
subject
• Motivate the reader to take particular action

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Examples of Academic Writing &
Technical Writing
Academic Writing Technical/Professional Writing
Project Report Technical manuals
Examination Answers Industrial reports
Lab reports Project Proposals
Dissertations Business Letters
Abstracts E-mails
Scientific articles Memos
Lecture notes Meeting Agenda
Research papers Meeting minutes

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Focus of Technical Writing
1. PROCESS
• Finding information & developing ideas

2. APPLICATIONS
• Reports, memos, proposals etc.

3. TECHNIQUES
• Analyze audience & purpose
• Research information on the subject
• Arrange information skillfully to meet audience needs and preferences
• Deliver information using the most effective applications

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2. What are your roles as a
communicator?

Role

Technical Technical
Professional communicator

Information
Writer of the Member of a
resource (internal
document project team
or external)

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3. How important is Technical
Communication to your Career?
• Writing and speaking are the first outward
sign of your abilities: Managers will notice

• Performance evaluations will be based on the

documents you wrote (letters, e-mail, memos,
reports, proposals, manuals etc)

• Colleagues will judge your abilities by the

effectiveness of your document

• Company’s clients will judge the quality of

your entire company by the quality of your
documents

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 Technical Communication and Career
֍ As an employee or intern in the nonprofit sector (an environmental group or a government agency), you will research
important topics and write brochures, press releases, or handbooks for clients.
֍ As a medical professional, psychologist, social worker, or accountant, you will write & keep precise records that are
increasingly a basis for legal action.
֍ As a scientist, you will report on your research and explain its significance.
֍ As a manager, you will write memos, personnel evaluations, and inspection reports; you will also give oral presentations.
֍ As a lab or service technician, you will keep daily activity records and help train coworkers in installing, using, or
servicing equipment.
֍ As an attorney, you will research and interpret the law for clients.
֍ As an engineer or architect, you will collaborate with colleagues as well as experts in related fields before presenting a
proposal to your client. (For example, an architect’s plans are reviewed by a structural engineer who certifies that the
design is sound.)
֍ As an employee of any company or organization, you will write status reports, trip reports, memos, proposals,
instructions, and many other forms of technical communication.

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4. What are the characteristics of a
Technical Document?
AUDIENCE DRIVEN
HELPS READERS SOLVE PROBLEMS

REFLECTS ON ORGANIZATION’S GOALS & CULTURE

PRODUCED COLLABORATIVELY

WELL DESIGNED FOR INCREASED READABILITY

CONSISTS OF WORDS/ GRAPHICS OR BOTH

PRODUCED USING HI TECH TOOLS

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 1. Writing is always Audience driven
Develop a Reader Profile

Who are
they?

How will
they be
What do
they need?
The answers to the questions
reading
help you decide what kind of
Profile documents to write, how to
of
Readers structure it, how much detail
When will Where will to include, the sentence style
they be they be
reading reading? and vocabulary to use
Why will
they be
reading?

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4. What are the characteristics of a
Technical Document?
AUDIENCE DRIVEN
HELPS READERS SOLVE PROBLEMS

REFLECTS ON ORGANIZATION’S GOALS & CULTURE

PRODUCED COLLABORATIVELY

WELL DESIGNED FOR INCREASED READABILITY

CONSISTS OF WORDS/ GRAPHICS OR BOTH

PRODUCED USING HI TECH TOOLS

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2. Writing must help to solve reader’s problems

People don’t read technical documents

for pleasure. Instead, most readers are
raiding your document for the
information they need to make
decisions or take action.

Readers want you to give them only the

information they need, nothing more.
Any additional material only makes the
information they want harder to find.

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 3. Reflects on organization’s goals and cultures
16

Technical documents enhances the goals of an organization

Companies publish and produce many kinds of technical documents
like flyers, brochures, pamphlets and other documents that help them to
reach their audience: stakeholders, customers and/or community.
Technical Documents also reflects on the culture of an
organization
Eg: many companies encourage their employees to blog about their
areas of expertise.

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3. Reflects on organization’s goals and cultures (Eg.)

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3. Reflects on organization’s goals and cultures (Eg.)

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3. Reflects on organization’s goals and cultures (Eg.)
19

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Example: Reflects on organization’s goals and
cultures

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 4. Technical Document is produced
collaboratively
Nobody has all the information, skills or time to create
large documents.
For larger and advanced documents, there is a need for
writers, editors, designers, designers, translators, production
specialists to work with technical professionals or content
experts.
Social Media(blogs, Twitter, Wikis) has made collaboration
more convenient.

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 5. Technical Documents uses design to
increase readability
Design aspects in technical documents Typography
makes the document look attractive
Spacing
& professional
Headers & Footers
Design aspects in technical documents
Color
helps readers navigate the document
Design aspects in technical documents Justification

helps readers understand the Bullets

document

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Font type: Serif & Sans-serif font

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 6. TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION
COMBINES
WORDS OR
IMAGES (GRAPHICS) OR BOTH

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GRAPHICS
• ILLUSTRATIONS
• PHOTOS/IMAGES
• FIGURES

FUNCTIONS OF IMAGES
(STATIC/MOVING)
 Make documents interesting and reader-
appealing
 Communicate and reinforce difficult concepts

 Communicate instructions and descriptions of

objects and processes
 Communicate large amounts of quantifiable
data
 Communicate with non-native speakers
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4. What are the characteristics of a
Technical Document?
AUDIENCE DRIVEN
HELPS READERS SOLVE PROBLEMS

REFLECTS ON ORGANIZATION’S GOALS & CULTURE

PRODUCED COLLABORATIVELY

WELL DESIGNED FOR INCREASED READABILITY

CONSISTS OF WORDS/ GRAPHICS OR BOTH

PRODUCED USING HI TECH TOOLS

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 5. Measures of Excellence in Technical
Communication
Honesty
Clarity
Accuracy
Comprehensiveness
Accessibility
Conciseness
Professional Appearance
Correctness
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1. HONESTY
Tell/Write the truth. Incorrect information can lead to accidents and misleading
information/claims can lead to lawsuits.
Examples of Dishonesty:
Misrepresenting facts in order to make one’s organization look better is dishonest.
 Leaving out negative parts of customer reviews if you're using quotes on a webpage, for
example, is unethical.

Reasons to tell the truth:

It is the right thing to do.
If you are dishonest, readers can get hurt.
If you are dishonest, the writer and his/her organization can face serious legal charges.

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2. CLARITY
Document must convey single meaning to the
reader to ensure that the reader can understand
clearly

Reasons to make documents clear:

Unclear technical communication can be dangerous
Unclear technical communication is expensive

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3. ACCUARACY
Technical documents must be factual, objective and
unbiased.
Accuracy means to get your facts straight: but do not provide
unwanted specifics.
Include only those details that are necessary for the readers’ to
achieve their purpose
Accuracy is also allied with conciseness or Brevity.
Striking a balance with enough and too much information is
important to analyse.
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4. COMPREHENSIVENESS
Document should include all necessary
information that readers need.
Background information, details and supporting
information (attachments) is necessary
Comprehensiveness is important as the readers need
a complete and self contained discussion to use the
information safely, effectively and efficiently.

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5. ACCESSIBILITY
Technical documents (most of
them) are made of small,
independent sections. Your job is
to make its various parts
accessible (locate easily)

Readers should be able to find

appropriate sections without
flipping pages.

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6. CONCISENESS
Eliminate unnecessary
phrases
Choose smarter words Is it really
Use economical necessary?
grammatical forms

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An example of Conciseness
Blasting is a very important and significant process, which can be defined as a process where rock is broken
into fragments for a remarkable purpose, that is, recovery of valuable ore. It cannot be denied that modern
technology has led to the advent of modern earth moving and rock-breaking equipment, but the advent of such
sophisticated equipment has not diminished the value of explosives, which still remain the cheapest method of
rock-breaking. However, there is no doubt that rock breakage by explosives has a negative impact on the
environment, resulting in certain negative environmental consequences. These negative environmental
consequences include ground vibration, air-overpressure, noise, dust, and toxic fumes.
(Number of words:111)

Blasting is a process where rock is broken into fragments for recovery of valuable ore. Despite the advent of modern
earthmoving and rock breaking equipment, explosives still remain the cheapest method of rock breaking. However,
rock breakage by explosives has environmental consequences, which include ground vibration, air-overpressure, noise,
dust, and toxic fumes.
(Number of words: 54)

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An example of Conciseness

It should be clear to everyone and there should be no doubt about the

fact that the company would never be the one that encourages
incompetence and lethargy. (28)

The company does not encourage incompetence and lethargy. (8)

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Checklist for Conciseness
Avoid repetition
Avoid using wordy phrases and expressions
Do not include unnecessary details
Revise your document thoroughly in order to make it
concise
 Avoid exaggeration

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Example
Communicating Concisely
Due to the fact… because

Mr. Saeed is a wonderful person who
made excellent sales in Quarter 3 of last
year.
In my opinion, the CEO’s wonderfully
made presentation remarkably convinced
the stockholders in his favor.
Mr. Saeed had excellent sales record in
the third Quarter of 2022.
The CEO’s presentation convinced the
stockholders.

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7. PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE
If the documents looks neat and professional,
reader will form a positive impression of the
document and yourself.
Your document should adhere to the format
standards of your organization and professional
field.

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8. CORRECTNESS
A correct document is one that follows the
proper rules of grammar, punctuation,
spellings, word usage etc.

Incorrect writing makes one look

unprofessional and careless

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CORRECTNESS

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 5. Measures of Excellence in Technical
Communication

Honesty
Clarity
Accuracy
Comprehensiveness
Accessibility
Conciseness
Professional Appearance
Correctness
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END OF CHAPTER

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