Principles of Effective Technical Writing

Effective Technical WriterWelcome to this topic entitled Principles of Effective Technical Writing! We will tackle this topic first as we prepare to write technical reports. In this topic you will learn the various types of technical documents. You will also discover the essential requirements a good technical report. Let’s proceed!

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

At the end of this topic, you should be able to:

  1. Apply the basic principles of effective technical writing.
  2. Discuss the different types and qualities of technical effective reports.
  3. List down the desirable traits of a good technical writer.

Principles of Effective Technical Writing

An effective technical report follow certain requirement. In order to properly serve its purpose, a technical document must contain the following characteristics:

  1. It addresses particular readers. All technical documents address a particular audience. For example, if you are composing a proposal for your supervisor, you may think about that person’s job responsibilities, the level of detail they expect, and their history with the organization. You should always keep your audiences goals and expectations for the document in mind when composing the document.  Remember, technical documents are user-centered.
  2. It helps readers solve problems. Technical documents help readers learn something or carry out a task (action-oriented). For example, if you are reading an instruction manual on how to assemble a bookshelf, you are reading this because you need information on how to carry out the task.
  3. It reflects the organization’s goals and culture. Technical documents work to further the organization’s goals. Technical documents also work to reflect the organization’s culture. For example, think of brochures and pamphlets that are put out by a certain organization and think about how these compositions work to further the organization’s goals as well as represent the culture of the organization.
  4. It is produced collaboratively. Although you will often compose documents, or portion of documents on your own, you will most likely work as part of a team producing larger, more complicated documents. Collaboration can vary from composing with a team to simply having a colleague review your writing. The constant influx of technology is always working to make collaboration easier. Think of technologies like Google Hangouts, Skype, and Google Drive.
  5. It uses design to increase readability. Technical communicators often use design features such as typography, spacing, color, special paper, etc. to accomplish three basic goals:
    1. To make the document look attractive and professional,
    2. To help readers navigate the document,
    3. To help readers understand the document.
  6. It consists of words or images or both. Most technical documents include both words and images. The use of images helps the writer perform five main functions:
    1. Make the document more interesting and appealing to readers.
    2. Communicate and reinforce difficult concepts.
    3. Communicate instructions and descriptions of objects and processes.
    4. Communicate large amounts of quantifiable data.
    5. Communicate with nonnative speakers.

Outputs/End Products of Technical Writing

The purposes of technical writing/technical communication which are detailed here are performed by the following outputs or end products of technical writing. Any document which is a product or output of technical writing used in technical communication is called technical document or technical artifact. Here are some of them:

  1. Abstract. This is a summarized form or a resume of any longer piece of writing.
  2. Brochure. This is a pamphlet or printed information material given to customer in order to convince or persuade them to take an action on the company’s products or services.
  3. Business Letter. This is a piece of written communication used to transact business which cannot be conveniently conducted orally.
  4. Contract. This is a formal arrangement made between two or more persons, organizations or parties to do something on mutually agreed terms.
  5. Feasibility Report. This is specially intended to examine the advantages and disadvantages of a certain project or business endeavor in order to determine the possibility of going into it.
  6. Graphic Aids. This include pictures, graphs, diagrams, and other printed materials used in illustrating important details in a report.
  7. Instructional Manual. This material describes the procedures on how to install, maintain and operate an equipment/appliance or gadget.
  8. Memorandum. This is a written communication circulated within the company and its branches which is used to disseminate information.
  9. Monograph. This is a textbook-like treatment of a concept that requires full illustration and a thorough documentation.
  10. Policy. This is a formal course of action adopted or pursued by an individual, party,  business and industry.
  11. Printed Action Memo. This is similar to a memo and a survey which is a prepared form that requires only a check-mark in an appropriate square to indicate its message.
  12. Proposal. This is a formal suggestion of an activity or project to be pursued in order to solve problems and for a change or an improvement of a current situation.
  13. Specification.  This document contains detailed information about performance courses, materials for construction needed, theory of operations, sample calculations, tables and operating data or other technical information.
  14. Technical Report. This document provides useful information about a complete program of work, for reference and permanent record.
  15. Article for Technical Jargon. This document contains a thorough information published in  a journal discussing a specific concept, reporting an achievement, or discussing a certain problem.

Qualities of Effective Technical Writing

As technical communicators, you should be familiar with these qualities of an effective technical writing outputs. When your turn to write one comes, make sure that your technical documents comply with the following required qualities. This is also known as the ABC of Effective Technical Writing. They are the following:

  1. Accuracy. This quality refers to the faithful recording of data, statement, and results of calculating logical and mathematical figures. A technical writer must always aim to be accurate and clear in order to be easily understood.

  2. Brevity. This enhances understanding on the main purpose of the report by giving concise statements.

  3. Confidence. The ability of the writer to be decisive or sure of what is being written about helps the reader/user a lot.

  4. Dignity. This pertains to the adherence to ethical writing standards.
  5. Emphasis. This refers to organizing points and ideas by observing hierarchy and subordination.

  6. Facility. The document or report is easy to read and understand by proper pacing, sequence, arrangement  and continuity.

  7. Grammatical Correctness. The thorough application of grammatical and linguistic rules is indispensable in technical writing.
  8. Honesty. The acknowledgement of sources and borrowed/lifted information, data, quotes and statements is essential in technical writing.

  9. Illustration. The use of graphics helps to make thoughts and/or ideas more concrete and vivid.

  10. Judgment. This refers to the choices made in the gathering of information gathered and collected considering adequacy, relevance, simplicity and collaboration with the rest of the data.

  11. Knowledge. This involves the ability to process, analyze, and interpret the gathered data which is necessary for the formulation of conclusion.

  12. Logic. This refers to the process of showing the relation between and among groups of ideas and things as well as classification and grouping.
  13. Mechanical Neatness.  This refers to the physical appearance of the report which helps not only aesthetically but also its readability.
  14. Normal Procedure. A technical report should follow acceptable and standard arrangement of the different parts of a report.
  15. Objectivity. The spirit of balance and fairness is important in technical writing. The use of third person point of view is preferable because of its impersonal effect.
  16. Planning. Technical writing is not like poetry which is spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion. It needs careful and thorough preparation.
  17. Qualification. The writing ability has a direct relationship to the qualification of the writer. However, proper training and exposure is also needed in order to become adept technical writer.
  18.  Revision. This does not only involve checking spelling, punctuation marks, spacing and margins, it also examines the diction, organization of ideas whether the subject was fully treated or not.
  19.  Sentences. The sentences must be limited to only one idea or two closely related ideas. The use of simple and compound sentence is highly encouraged.
  20. Thoroughness. The technical writer must treat well the subject matter and see whether the objectives are realized or not.
  21. Unity. This is to ensure that every idea should have correlation to the main topic on hand.
  22. Viewpoint.  The document should be written from the viewpoint of the reader/user.
  23. Word Choice. The writer must employ simple and appropriate words to suit the reader’s ability and background.

Qualities of an Effective Technical Writer

They say “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” so, you can’t be effective technical writer after this lesson. Or even after this course. However, we have a lot of good technical writers we can emulate and see what made them become such. The following essential qualities of effective technical writer were lifted from Ugur Akinci written by “techwriter” in his website on June 28, 2017. They are the following:

  1. Love of technology and software, and the ability to upgrade one’s tech skills regularly.
  2. Love of writing and the ability to understand and formulate procedural steps.
  3. Ability to write plainly, simply, without the pride of authorship.
  4. Love of solving puzzles and finding solutions to problems. The courage not to run away or get depressed when one is faced with a situation that requires calm rethinking and innovating.
  5. Courage and appetite to learn new things fast.
  6. Love of order, structure and hierarchy. Allergy for ambiguity and disorder.
  7. Ability to listen carefully, without thinking “what shall I say to this as an answer?” No-ego-listening.
  8. Ability to organize and schedule work. Ability to use Excel for project record-keeping, accountability and transparency.
  9. Ability to get along well with others in a team environment.
  10. Ability to appreciate with a glad heart what smart people around you are accomplishing.
  11. An endless curiosity about how the world works and how one can improve one’s company and community.
  12. An unconditional insistence on accuracy. Refusal to accept mediocrity.

Do you possess all or some of those?

Works cited

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