Introduction to Technical Writing

1. Technical Writing

2. Technical writing is writing about scientific subjects and
about various technical subjects associated with the
sciences.
Technical writing is characterized by certain formal
elements, such as its scientific and technical vocabulary,
its use of graphic aids, and its use of conventional report
forms.
Mills and Walter (1981)

3. Back to Agenda
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Technical writing is ideally characterized by the
maintenance of an attitude of impartiality and objectivity, by
extreme care to convey information accurately and
concisely, and by the absence of any attempt to arouse.
Mills and Walter (1981)
Technical writing is writing in which there is relatively
high concentration of certain complex and important
writing techniques, in particular description of
mechanisms description of process, definition,
classification, and interpretation

4. Products of Technical Writing
Business letter
- Written using formal language and follows formal elements of letter writin.
People usually write business letter to communicate with companies,
organizations or individuals with the purpose of applying for a job, making
requests, seeking appointments, etc.
Contract
- Written agreement between two people under mutually agreed terms.
Memoranda
- inter-office written communication used to disseminate information.

7. Products of Technical Writing
Graphic Aids
- are drawing, sketches, and illustrations that aid the readers in
understanding the presented data.
Instructional manuals
- Written to guide the readers on how to assemble, maintain, and operate
an apparatus, machine, or gadget.
Proposals
- Written suggestions on how to make the company or organization more
productive and successful. Most companies and organizations require this
before an agreement is reached.

10. 3 PRONGED FUNCTION OF TECHNICAL WRITING
Informs
Instructs
Direct

11. Principles of Technical Writing
1. Always have in mind a specific reader, real or imaginary, when you are
writing a report. Always remember that he is intelligent but uninformed.
2. Before you start to write, always decide what the exact purpose of your
report is, and make sure that every paragraph, every sentence, and
every word makes a clear contribution to that purpose.
3. Use language that is simple, concrete, and familiar.

12. Principles of Technical Writing
4. At the beginning and end of every section of your report, check your
writing according to this principle: “First you tell the reader what you are
going to tell him, then you tell him what you’ve told him.”
5. Make your report attractive.

13. Purposes of Technical Writing
1. It serves as a basis for management decisions.
2. It furnishes needed information.
3. It gives instructions.
4. It records business transactions through proposals.
5. It procures business proposals.
6. It serves as basis for public relations.
7. It provides reports to stockholders of companies.

14. Properties of Technical Writing
1. Subject matter.
In writing technical papers, you must ask the question, “What will I write
about?”
2. Audience.
When thinking about the audience, ask “Whom am I writing for? Or who
are my intended readers?” This is a property that pertains to a
particular reader of technical literature.

15. Properties of Technical Writing
3. Expression.
This property refers to two basic modes in which a technical reports
has to be delivered – writing it or reading it. Your expression of the content
will depend on your awareness of your audience’s/ reader’s psychology and
your style in writing to be able to reach your audience’s/ reader’s
understanding.
4. Style.
This refers to how the material is written. A technical writer uses clear,
specific point of view, objective, impartial, and unemotional style in writing.

16. Properties of Technical Writing
5. Arrangement of Materials.
This pertains to how ideas should be organized in a chronological, spatial,
or logical order, from general to specific or specific to general, and use
illustrations to present the information.

17. Technical Writing vs. Creative Writing
Technical Writing Creative Writing
Content factual, straight-forward imaginative, metaphoric or
symbolic
Audience specific general
Purpose inform, instruct, entertain, provoke, captivate
Style formal, standard, academic informal, artistic, figurative
Tone objective subjective
Vocabulary specialized general, evocative
Organization sequential, systematic arbitrary, artistic