Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TECHNICAL
WRITING
PGL1 - 09/09/2016
COURSE OUTLINE
Technical writing
Types
Format of the types
Use of MS WORD
Research
Research plan
Graphic aids
Guiding principles
Types and application
Visual aids
Types
Advantages and
disadvantages
How to manage
Oral presentation
Types
Steps of oral presentation
TECHNICAL WRITING
The process of writing and sharing information in a professional setting
It is written for colleagues, supervisors, employees, consumers, subordinates and so
on
The significance of technical writing is communication, which enables business to be
conducted
In engineering, it is employed to present information in a structured and accessible
format
It requires time and costs money
Across professions, workers spend about a third of their time writing
Studies have shown that writing is very important to their positions
the ability to write effectively has helped them in their own advancement
The goal of the technical writer is to create text that is clear, concise, easy to
understand and navigate
The following types of correspondences can be written for the following reasons
TYPE
FUNCTIONS
Letters
To sell, complain, hire, fire, ask & answer questions; explain contents of
attachments
Reports
Proposals
Newsletters
Resumes
To find employment
Websites
To explain, inform and define using drop down menus and pop-ups
User manuals
Technical description
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
GOALS OF COMMUNICATION
Persuade audience to accept your point of view
Instruct an audience
Inform an audience of facts, concerns or ask questions
Build trust and rapport by managing relationships
RESEARCH WRITING requires that
The audience is recognised
An effective style is used appropriate to readers and purpose
(formal)
Effective formatting techniques are employed for ease of access
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
A technical writer must adhere to the basic technical writing principles to ensure
their documentation is both legible and easily understood by their audience
CONTENT plan the content by determining the receiver(s), goal of the technical
writing, the manner of delivery and duration of production
THE AUDIENCE - the intended audience has to be analysed (their biases and
backgrounds) and identify the purpose for the document
PURPOSE the goal or what the document will accomplish
STYLE GUIDE An organisations styleguide (if available) is often adopted to
ensure documentation has a structured and organized pattern for consistency
and easy comprehension of the information
This refers to use of specific chronological format and specific layout and structure
MEMORANDUM - MEMOS
Means by which employees communicate with each other
They are written for a wide range of audience supervisors, subordinates, coworkers
Typical maximum length is a printed page
They are flexible and written for various purposes that include
Documentation report on expenses, incidents, accidents, problems encountered,
projected costs, study findings, hiring, firing, reallocation of staff or equipment
Cover (transmittal) Tells the reader you have attached a document
Confirmation tell the reader about a meeting agenda, upcoming discussions at
upcoming teleconferences, conclusions arrived ay
Procedures explain how to;, set up accounts, operate new machinery, solve a
problem create a new company website, use company intranet
Recommendations provide reasons to; purchase new equipment, fire or hire
personnel, contract with new suppliers, revise current practices
MEMO FORMAT
DATE
Memo
TO
ID
FROM
lines
or
SUBJECT FOCUS + TOPIC
header
INTRODUCTION an overview, in a sentence or two, clearly stating why you are writing
and what you are writing about
DISCUSSION
detailed development; explaining exactly what you want to say. Adopt the
use of itemization, headings, graphics, white spaces, columns and boldface types
E-MAILS
Is a valuable communication where messages are distributed by
electronic means from one computer user to one or more recipients
via a network
E-mails are prominent because
It is quick and saves time
It is convenient because it is mobile and compact, is instant and cannot be
easily destroyed
It is cost effective because it is paper-free and has no postage costs
It can be used internally and externally
It can be used for documentation and filing and therefore allows extensive
record keeping
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Your research proposal describes
What your proposed research is about
What it is trying to achieve
How you will go about achieving it
What you find out
Why it is worth finding out
Function
It aids in thinking through each step of your research project
Try out ideas and explore alternatives without investing a lot of funds
Reference point for supervisor(s)
Aids researcher to stay on schedule and within budget
Methodology
Action plan illustrating how you intend to answer the research question
(i.e. How the research will be completed)
Sound methodology and scientific rigour must be demonstrated
The methodology comprises of
Variables and measurement techniques
Sample selection
Materials A description of the type of equipment and materials to be used in the
research
Ethical considerations
Ethics - accumulation of values and principles that address questions of
what is good or bad in human affairs
Ethics of actions are considered in the course of research to ensure
individuals or groups are unharmed
Ensuring anonymity of a respondent is an ethical consideration
Ethical considerations involve researchers who undertake studies of
human behaviour, medical advances or technological devices
It takes into account how humans may feel about the potential
outcomes of the research
Conclusion
FORMAL LETTERS
Your address
PO BOX
Kaduna
2 4 spaces
Date
2-4 spaces
The Managing Director
His address
2 spaces
Dear Dr James Salutation
2 spaces
RESUMES OR CURRICULUM
VITAE
OBJECTIVE State precise career objectives
EXPERIENCE use present tense verbs for current jobs and
past tense for prior employment
EDUCATION
EXPERTISE
REFERENCES
Note - itemize
CONCLUSION
Technical writing
Types of technical writing and their format
Memos
E-mails
Research proposal
Letters
Resumes