Aspects of Technical Writing, Technical Writing Process and Principles of Technical Writing

1. INTRODUCTION TO
TECHNICAL
WRITING
Understanding the Nature and Purpose of Technical
Writing

2. SPELLING QUIZ
10 ITEMS ONLY
(RECORDED)

3. INTRODUCTION
TO TECHNICAL
WRITING
Understanding the Nature and Purpose of Technical
Writing

4. Professionals and specialists
need to write for their world
of work.
They will need knowledge, skills and
techniques for their message to be
readable and comprehensible by their
fellow professionals.

5. ASPECTS OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING

6. Nature of Technical Writing
OTECHNICAL – is a term that
refers to knowledge or specific
discipline that is more the line of
experts and specialists.
O(For short, a professional
JARGON/language.)

7. Nature of Technical Writing
OTECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
OR TECHNICAL WRITING – is the
transfer of information to readers in
a way that is aligned to their need,
level of understanding and
background.

8. Nature of Technical Writing
OThe focus of Technical Writing
is to communicate
professionally in an
organizational system.
 It involves accurate, precise, logical
arrangement and organized
preparation of information.

9. Nature of Technical Writing
OIt is also a problem solving process
within an organization.
OThey investigate, find solutions and
write reports in a structured manner to
provide information as basis decision
making and to fulfill the organization’s
purpose.

10. Language of Technical Writing
O Technical style – tone and attitude of
the communication of the specialists
 joyful, serious, humorous, sad, threatening,
formal, informal, pessimistic, and optimistic
OBUT TECHNICAL WRITING USES
FORMAL TONE

11. Language of Technical Writing
OFormal Tone - characterized by
restraint and objectivity
 impersonal
 impartial
 do not allow the use of feelings
 no biases in interpretation of data

12. FIVE STEPS OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING

13. THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
1) Identify the audience
2) Determine purpose/
objectives
3) Gather information
4) Organize data
5) Edit, revise and finalize

14. THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
1)Identify the audience
 Knowing your readers in terms of
background, needs and knowledge to adapt
to their level of understanding.
 To communicate more effectively and
address the needs of your reader.
 Ex. You are writing to a busy boss, thus you
need to make your letter/report brief and straight
to the point.

15. THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
2) Determine
purpose/objectives
 Helps the writer know what and how to write
a given subject matter.
 You can write to record important events,
inform, explain, complain, appeal, request or
propose.

16. THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
3) Gather information
 It helps the writer choose important
and accurate data to use to meet
the objectives of the report.
 It makes the report more reliable
and effective.

17. THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
4) Organize data
 Putting the essential parts of the report
in their proper places and logical order.
 Using appropriate visual aids to present
data more effectively.

18. THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
5) Edit, revise and finalize
 Like any form of writing this is essential
in the polishing of the product
 We need this to make sure we don’t
have grammar and spelling errors.
 Any formal writing with multiple errors is
unreliable.

19. PRINCIPLES
OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING

20. PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
OThese principles will make
technical writing easy and an
effective tool of communication in
an organization.

21. PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
1) A technical report is
designed to meet specific
needs of individuals in the
organization.

22. PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
2) Technical writers need
knowledge and skills to be
able to communicate their
ideas specifically and
effectively.

23. PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
3) Technical writers write in
appropriate style and have
a scientific attitude.

24. PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
4) Technical writing has a
specific reader, purpose
and organized data to fulfill
the specific objectives.

25. PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
5) Technical writing helps
influence decision for
change and betterment of
individuals and
organization.

26. TECHNICAL WRITING
VS
LITERARY WRITING

27. Group activity:
OCount off to 5.
OBe seated according to
groups.

28. Group activity:
COMPARE LITERARY
WRITING
TECHNICAL
WRITING
DEFINE EACH
TOPIC
GIVE THE
PURPOSE OF
EACH TYPE OF
WRITING
GIVE 10
EXAMPLES FOR
EACH TYPE

29. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OTechnical writing differs from
literary writing in content,
purpose, language and appeal.
OIt is about facts, ideas for a
particular audience and it
reports results to an
experiment or investigation

30. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OTechnical writers focus on
matters about science,
technology, industry and
business.
OOutputs are usually very
purposive, factual and provide
vital information to an
organization.

31. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OTechnical reports are used as
basis for actions and decisions
in organizations. (ex. Field
report, memo)
OWriters strictly observe
grammar rules and use
scientific terminologies/
jargon.

32. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OTechnical professionals
make readers think, analyze
and criticize.
OThey appeal to intellect and
reasoning.
OThey are very objective,
formal and impersonal.

33. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OLiterary writing on the other
hand includes poetry, short
stories, novels, essays,
fiction, prose, drama,
tragedy, play, parable, pun,
comedy and many more.

34. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OLiterary writers, also known
as creative writers or artists,
talk about experiences in life,
the problems of human
existence, philosophy and
the desires of the human
heart.

35. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OThese creative writers aim to
entertain and amuse their
audience from all walks of life
and different professions.
OLiterary writings are used to give
lessons, change outlook in life
and transport the spiritual being
to a higher level.

36. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OLiterary pieces are used to
stir both the senses and
emotions, language is used
to appeal to the imagination
by using figures of speech.

37. LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
OFigurative language used has
meaning beyond the literal
level which makes the tone of
the writer very personal and
subjective.

38. Try to analyze the example

39. CONFUCIUS

40. LITERARY ANALYSIS
OCOPY AND ANALYZE EACH
LINE ACCORDING TO YOUR
UNDERSTANDING
OUSE THE DICTIONARY TO
SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS

41. ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
(19th Century translation)
1. (1)The Master said: “Love makes a spot
beautiful: who chooses not to dwell in love,
has he got wisdom?”
2. (7) “A man and his faults are a piece. By
watching his faults we learn whether love be
his”
3. (16) “A gentleman considers what is right;
the vulgar considers what will pay”

42. ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
(19th Century translation)
4. (5) “Wealth and honors are what men
desire; but abide not in them by help of wrong.
Lowliness and want are hates of men; but
forsake them not by help of wrong.
Shorn of love, is a gentleman worthy of
the name? Not for one moment may a
gentleman sin against love; not in flurry and
haste, nor yet in utter over throw.”

43. ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
(19th Century translation)
5. (21) “A father’s and a mother’s age
must be borne in mind; with joy on one
hand, fear on the other .”

44. CONFUCIUS
OWRITE ABOUT THE LIFE OF
CONFUCIUS USE TECHNICAL
WRITING AND RESEARCH
FOR FACTS

45. CONFUCIUS
Confucius or Kung Fu-tzu,
551-479 B.C., was the Chinese
sage who founded
Confucianism. Born of a poor but
aristocratic family in the state of
Lu, he was orphaned at an early
age.

46. CONFUCIUS
As a young man, he held several
minor government posts; in later
years he advanced to become
minister of justice in his home state.
But he held these positions only
intermittently and for short periods
because of conflicts with his
superiors.

47. CONFUCIUS
Throughout his life, he was
best known as a teacher. When
he died at the age of 72, he had
taught a total of 3,000 disciples
who carried on his teaching.