ENG 103: Technical Communication

Technical vs academic writing

Examples of technical communication: cell phone instruction manuals, printer or microwave setup information, banking systems, online courses, writing emails and reports. Examples of academic writing: an essay, a research paper, a research proposal, a thesis and a dissertation.

Who creates technical communication?

• All professionals function as technical communicators.
• Anyone in a workplace setting can be a technical communicator.
• Experts in any field are often required to present their knowledge to nonexpert audiences.

The 8 main features

1. Focuses on the reader, not the writer (user-centered)
2. Is efficient and accessible
3. Is clear and relevant
4. Uses media effectively
5. Is created by individuals and teams
6. Targets a global audience
7. Is persuasive and truthful
8. Is based on research

The three primary purposes

Common types of technical documents

Memos, emails, letters, instructions, procedures (always about company or organizational policy), manuals, brochures, proposals and reports.

Notice that emails can be informational or persuasive, depending on their goal.

Proofreading

Basic errors (sentence and punctuation errors) distract the reader and make the writer look careless. Strategies:

1. Save it for the final draft
2. Take a break before proofreading
3. Work from hard copy
4. Keep it slow
5. Be alert for your own problem areas
6. Proofread more than once
7. Never rely only on computerized aids (e.g. Grammarly)

Thinking critically about research

Critical thinking means you test the quality of information and the accuracy of interpretations. Instead of accepting information at face value, you examine, evaluate, verify, analyze and weigh alternatives at every stage.

5 strategies

1. Ask the right questions
2. Explore a balance of views
3. Explore your topic in sufficient depth
4. Evaluate your sources
5. Interpret your findings objectively

Primary vs secondary research

Secondary sources

Examples: websites, online news and magazines, blogs, library books, journals, newspapers. They come as hard copy or web-based.

Strategies for researching on the Internet

• Expect limited results from any one search engine or subject directory.
• Choose varied and technical keywords rather than general ones.
• In a subject directory, drill down to the right level of specificity.
• Consider the domain type and the site’s purpose and sponsor.
• Look beyond the style of a site. Assess currency and the author’s credentials.
• Use bookmarks and hotlists.

Categories of sources

Primary sources

Strategies for informational interviews

• Know exactly what you are looking for, and request the interview at your respondent’s convenience.
• Make each question clear, specific and open-ended. Avoid loaded questions.
• Save the most difficult or sensitive questions for last.
• Be polite and professional. Ask for clarification, but do not put words in the respondent’s mouth.
• Ask for closing comments and permission to follow up. Invite the interviewee to read your version.
• End on time and thank the interviewee.

Strategies for surveys

• Define the survey’s purpose and target population; identify the sample group and the survey method.
• Decide on the types of questions. Write an engaging introduction. Phrase questions precisely. Avoid loaded questions.
• Keep it brief, simple and inviting. Have an expert review your questionnaire when possible.

Questions to answer before creating a document

Example: a brochure about Saudi National Day. Who (audience)? Why (purpose)? Where (setting)? Might it be misunderstood (potential problems)? How much information (length)? How does it look (format)? When (timing)? How much money (budget)?

The 6 steps

1. Analyze the document’s audience
2. Determine the document’s purpose
3. Create a task analysis for the document
4. Consider other usability factors: setting, potential problems, length, format, timing, budget
5. Develop an information plan
6. Write, test and revise the document

Step 1: Audience

Also consider the relationship with the audience (type, formality, personality), the audience’s technical knowledge (language, content, organization, illustrations, design), and their cultural background (to avoid cultural misunderstanding).

Step 2: Purpose

Primary purposes: to instruct, inform or persuade. There may also be a secondary purpose. Example: “The purpose of my document is to inform my readers about the new antivirus software (primary), as well as to instruct them on how to install it (secondary).”

Step 3: Task analysis

Think through the step-by-step nature of your document before you write it. Define the main tasks, then the subtasks.

Step 4: Other usability factors

Step 5: Information plan

An outline based on all the previous considerations: audience, user tasks, setting, potential problems, length, format, timing and budget.

Step 6: Write, test and revise

Check content, organization, style, layout and visuals, and ethical, legal and cultural considerations.

Three types of ethical choices

Why ethics matters

Unethical decisions can harm a company’s reputation and its workers and customers. Example: if vital safety information is purposely omitted from an instruction manual to save printing cost, people can be injured. (The slides give the hoverboard example: batteries with flammable liquid may explode if they overheat.)

Examples of unethical communication in the workplace

Strategies for avoiding ethical abuses

1. Always cite your sources if the information or data is not your own
2. Give the audience everything it needs to know
3. Give people a clear understanding of what the information means
4. Never manipulate information or data in your writing or visuals
5. Use common sense and follow your company’s confidentiality guidelines
6. Do not exploit cultural inequalities or manipulate international readers
7. Ask yourself: “Would I stand behind what I have created if I were held publicly accountable for it?”

1. Understandable structure

2. Outlining

Before writing, create an introduction-body-conclusion outline to guide the reader from point to point and decide how to divide each part into subtopics. A formal outline usually changes as you write (true).

3. Chunking

Chunking breaks information into smaller units, so readers see which pieces belong together and how they connect. Information is handled differently on the web than on the printed page:

• Web: readers expect very short chunks because they dislike long text on a screen.
• Print: readers accept longer passages, because the printed page is easier on the eye.

4. Sequencing

Shows the logical progression of information. The best sequence depends on the document type.

5. Paragraphing

6. Headings and 7. Overview

• Headings break up long passages. Make them clear. Not all documents need them (a memo does not).
• An overview is a general, brief summary. It answers: What is the purpose? Why should I read it? What can I expect to find?

Style is a blend of how you build each sentence, sentence length, how you connect sentences, the words and phrases you choose, and the tone you convey. It also needs correct grammar, usage, mechanics and spelling.

Writing clearly: 6 things to avoid

Appropriate passive: “The data were analyzed, and the findings were discussed.” and “Your bill has not been paid.” (less blaming than “You have not paid your bill.”)

Writing concisely

• Avoid wordiness (long, unnecessary words). “increased at a rapid rate” becomes “increased rapidly”. “due to the fact that” becomes “because”.
• Eliminate redundancy and repetition.

Writing fluently

• Combine related ideas. A series of short, choppy sentences loses interest and fails to show how ideas relate.
• Use parallel structure: similar grammatical form for items in a list (e.g. “reading, writing and speaking”).

Writing personably (friendly tone)

• Adjust your tone, your personal stamp: formal or informal, using “I” and “we”, active voice.
• Avoid sexist and biased language, based on sex or gender, especially against women and girls.

Memos

Memorandum means “reminder”. Memos give directives, provide instructions and make requests. They are easy to post in a workstation or office. If people will print your communication, use a memo rather than an email.

Parts of a memo

A heading with To, From, Date, Subject, then the body. A memo usually has no salutation (no “Dear…”).

Direct vs indirect approach

Which to use depends on the sensitivity of the subject matter.

Readers prefer the direct approach, because they want to know the bottom line without being told in advance how to feel about it.

Three types of memos

Workplace letters

Letters convey a formal, professional impression, serve as an official notice or record and are often legal documents, so precision is crucial.

7 parts of a letter

1. Sender’s address
2. Date
3. Inside address
4. Salutation
5. Body text
6. Complimentary closing
7. Signature

Two standard formats

Four types of letters

Emails

• Audience: you have little control over the final audience, because emails can be forwarded.
• Format: a standard email resembles a combination of a paper memo and a letter. It begins with a heading guide: To, From, Date, Subject.

Style and netiquette

1. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation
2. Avoid words or phrases in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
3. Avoid text-message abbreviations (LOL) and emoticons
4. Adopt a professional, respectful tone and express complete thoughts

Netiquette means “Internet etiquette”. It covers not only email tone but also the physical ways people respond to and forward email messages.

Strategies for effective emails

Text messages

Text messages (“texts”) are a faster medium than email, sent from a cell or smart phone. Similar to them are instant messages (IMs, chats), which allow text-based conversations in real time.

Strategies for workplace texts

• Consider your audience and purpose.
• Stick to the topic.
• Keep texts very short.
• Stay connected if you are in the middle of a communication.
• Know when to end the conversation.
• Observe the rules of netiquette.

Instructions vs procedures

Choose the format based on the people using it and the environment (instructions for connecting a battery charger to a car battery should not be on a CD).

1. Instructions

Find out how much the reader knows about the task. Write in a straightforward style with visuals, sensitive to cultural differences. Use a layered approach: a quick start-up document for those who know, and a comprehensive user guide for new users.

Instructional formats

Elements of effective instructions

1. Title: a clear and exact preview of the task (“Instructions for Cleaning the Drive Head of a Laptop Computer”)
2. Overview or introduction: purpose and what it covers
3. Body: each step and sub-step in the correct order
4. Conclusion: summarize main steps, describe results, offer follow-up advice
5. Visuals: show what to do, attract attention, keep words to a minimum
6. Notes, cautions, warnings and danger notices

2. Procedures

Procedures give rules and guidance for people who must follow accepted practice (students, employees, nurses, firefighters). Unlike instructions, they may be used by people already familiar with the task who must still follow a standard. Consider whether readers will use them in a hurry (e.g. evacuating a building) and whether they are on paper or on a computer.

Usability testing and strategies

Ask: Do these instructions help you carry out the task safely, efficiently and accurately? Strategies: 1) analyze your audience, 2) analyze your purpose, 3) remember ethical and legal implications, 4) use standard organization with all needed elements, 5) provide the right level of detail, 6) write in a readable style, 7) design for maximum accessibility, 8) always test for usability.

Example: atmosphere is the envelope of gases around a planet to a meteorologist, but the mood of a country or workplace to a politician.

Audience, purpose and implications

• Audience: definitions may use metaphors or references to history to make terms easy to understand.
• Purpose: why do readers need to know it? The language level must match the audience’s background.
• Legal and ethical: the writer is legally responsible for the document and ethically bound to convey an accurate interpretation of the facts. Clear, accurate definitions help the public evaluate complex issues.

Three types of definitions

Methods for expanding a definition

Where to place definitions

• Printed text: a brief definition in parentheses within the running text; a sentence definition as part of the text; an expanded definition near the beginning of a long document or in an appendix.
• Web site: use a hypertext link for expanded definitions.

Strategies

Decide the level of detail. Classify the item precisely and differentiate it accurately. Avoid circular definitions. Expand selectively. Use visuals. Know “how much is enough”. Consider the legal and ethical implications. Place it appropriately. Cite your sources.