Information Technology Department: Technical Documentation For It

INNOVATIVE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Malitbog, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR IT

GRACE ANNE NALING CASAPAO
I. OBJECTIVES
 Learn the definition of technical writing.
 Identify the difference of technical writing to other document writing.
 Determine the different examples of technical documentation.
II. TIME FRAME

Week 1-2 – January 10-21, 2021
6 hours
III. TOPIC
TECHNICAL WRITING
Technical writing is writing or drafting technical communication used in technical and occupational fields,
such as computer
hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, aeronautics, robotics, finance, medical, consumer
electronics, biotechnology, and forestry.
 Technical writing encompasses the largest sub-field in technical communication.
 The Society for Technical Communication (STC) offers this definition of technical writing: "the process
of gathering information from experts and presenting it to an audience in a clear, easily understandable
form." It can take the form of writing an instruction manual for software users or detailed specifications
for an engineering project—and myriad other types of writing in technical, medicine, and science fields.
 In an influential article published in 1965, Webster Earl Britton concluded that the essential
characteristic of technical writing is "the effort of the author to convey one meaning and only one
meaning in what he says."
Characteristics of Technical Writing

 Purpose: Getting something done within an organization (completing a project, persuading a
customer, pleasing your boss, etc.)
 Your knowledge of the topic: Usually greater than that of the reader
 Audience: Often several people, with differing technical backgrounds
 Criteria for evaluation: Clear and simple organization of ideas, in a format that meets the needs of
busy readers
 Statistical and graphic support: Frequently used to explain existing conditions and to present
alternative courses of action
Elements of Technical Writing

1. The problem or subject matter
2. Study, investigation, observation, analysis and experiment
3. Organization and presentation of information
Properties of Technical Writing (ABC’s of Report Writing)

 Accuracy
 Brevity
Technical Documentation for IT | Grace Anne Naling Casapao Page 1 of 4

 Coherence
 Confidence
 Dignity
 Emphasis
 Facility
 Grammatical Correctness
 Honesty
 Illustrations
 Judgment
 Knowledge
 Logic
 Mechanical Neatness
 Normal Procedure
 Objectivity
 Qualification
 Straight Sentences
 Thoroughness
 Unity
 Veracity
 Viewpoint
 Word Choice
 You-Point
 Zest
 Technical writing is performed by a technical writer (or technical author) and is the process of writing
and sharing technical information in a professional setting.
Task of a technical writer
 To communicate technical information to another person or party in the clearest and most effective
manner possible. (primary task)
 The information that technical writers communicate is often complex, so strong writing and
communication skills are essential.
 Technical writers not only convey information through text, but they must be proficient with
computers as well.
 Technical writers use a wide range of programs to create and edit illustrations, diagramming
programs to create visual aids, and document processors to design, create, and format documents.
Some examples of technical documentation include:

 Instructions and procedures are documents that help either developers or end-users operate or
configure a device or program. Examples of instructional documents include user manuals and
troubleshooting guides for computer programs, computer hardware, household products, medical
equipment, mechanical products, and automobiles.
 Proposals. Most projects begin with a proposal—a document that describes the purpose of a project, the
tasks that will be performed in the project, the methods used to complete the project, and finally, the cost
of the project. Proposals cover a wide range of subjects. For example, a technical writer may author a
proposal that outlines how much it will cost to install a new computer system, a marketing professional
may write a proposal with the product offerings, and a teacher may write a proposal that outlines how a
new biology class will be structured.
 Emails, letters, and memoranda are some of the most frequently written documents in a
business. Letters and emails can be constructed with a variety of goals—some are usually aimed at
simply communicating information while others are designed to persuade the recipient to accomplish a
certain task. While letters are usually written to people outside of a company, memoranda (memos) are
documents written to other employees within the business. Press releases. When a company wants to
publicly reveal a new product or service, they will have a writer author a press release. This is a
document that describes the product's functions and value to the public.
 Specifications are design outlines that describe the structure, parts, packaging, and delivery of an object
or process in enough detail that another party can reconstruct it. For example, a technical writer might
diagram and write the specifications for a smartphone or bicycle so that a manufacturer can produce the
object.

 Descriptions are shorter explanations of procedures and processes that help readers understand how
something works. For example, a technical writer might author a document that shows the effects of
greenhouse gases or demonstrates how the braking system on a bike functions.
 Resumes and job applications are another example of technical documents. They are documents that
are used in a professional setting to inform readers of the author's credentials.
 Technical reports are written to provide readers with information, instructions, and analysis for
tasks. Reports come in many forms. For example, a technical writer might evaluate a building that is for
sale and produce a trip report that highlights his or her findings and whether he or she believes the
building should be purchased. Another writer who works for a non-profit company may publish an
evaluation report that shows the findings of the company's research into air pollution.
 Case study is a published report about a person, group, or situation that has been studied over
time; also: a situation in real life that can be looked at or studied to learn about something. For example,
an individual's challenging situation at his or her workplace and how he or she resolved it is a case
study.
 White papers are documents that are written for experts in a field and typically describe a solution to a
technological or business challenge or problem. Examples of white papers include a piece that details
how to make a business stand out in the market or a piece explaining how to prevent cyber-attacks on
businesses.
 Websites. The advent of hypertext has changed the way documents are read, organized, and accessed.
Technical writers of today are often responsible for authoring pages on websites like "About Us" pages
or product pages. They are often expected to be proficient in web development tools.
 Datasheets are the documents that summarize the features, key specifications, technical characteristics,
application circuits, and some other important information about the product, machine, equipment,
software, application, or system in brief.
 API guides are written for the developer community and are used to explain the application
programming interfaces.
 Help systems are online help centers that provide users with technical information about products and
services. They provide content as web pages that are viewed in a browser. The content may be created in
help center software, such as Zendesk, or in help authoring tools or component content management
systems that can create a help center as an HTML output.
Tools
The following tools are used by technical writers to author and present documents:
 Desktop publishing tools or word processors. Technical writers use word processors such as
Scrivener, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and LibreOffice Writer to author, edit, design, and print
documents. Since technical writing is as much about page layout as it is the written language, enhanced
desktop publishing tools such as Adobe InDesign and LyX are also used. These programs function
similarly to word processors but provide users with more options and features for the document's design
and automate much of the formatting.
 Help authoring tools. These are used by technical writers to create the help systems that are packaged
with software products, delivered through web browsers or provided as files users can view on their
computers. When writing instructional procedures to describe mechanical, electrical, or software
programs, technical writers use these tools to assist them in simplifying assembly, operation, or
installation processes.
 Component Content Management Systems. These are also used by technical writers to create help
systems and documents. Component Content Management Systems (CCMS) allow writers to create
similar outputs as help authoring tools, but they also provide content management features such as
version management and built-in workflows.
 Image editing software. Often, images and other visual elements can communicate information better
than paragraphs of text. In these instances, image editing software like Adobe Photoshop and GIMP are
used by technical writers to create and edit the visual aspects of documents like photos, icons and
diagrams.
 Collaborative software programs. Because technical writing often involves communication between
multiple individuals who work for different companies, it can be a collaborative affair. Technical writers
use Wiki Systems and shared document work-spaces to work with other writers and parties to construct
technical documents.
 Web development tools. Technical writer jobs are no longer limited to just producing documents. They
sometimes also produce content for a company's corporate and other professional web sites. Technical
writers might therefore be expected to be proficient in Web development tools like Adobe
Dreamweaver.

 Text editor. Programs such as Microsoft Notepad, TextEdit, or Wordstar allow technical writers to
edit plain text. Text editors can be used to change content such as configuration files, documentation
files, and programming language source code. Text editors are widely used by technical writers working
with online content.
 Graphing software. To communicate statistical information such as the number of visits to a restaurant
or the amount of money a university spends on its sporting programs, technical writers use graphs and
flowcharts. While programs like Microsoft Excel and Word can create basic graphs and charts,
sometimes technical writers must produce more complex and detailed graphs that require functions not
available in these programs and may need to turn to graphing and diagramming tools.
 Screen capture tools. Technical writers frequently use screen-capture tools like Camtasia and Snagit.
When creating instructions for computer software, it may be easier for a technical writer to simply
record a short video of their desktops as they complete a task than it would be to write a lengthy series
of instructions that describe how the task must be performed. Screen capture tools are also used to take
screenshots of programs and software running on user's computers and then to create accompanying
diagrams.
IV. COMPREHENSION CHECK-UP
V. ACTIVITY

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INNOVATIVE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Malitbog, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR IT

II. TIME FRAME

Characteristics of Technical Writing

Elements of Technical Writing

Properties of Technical Writing (ABC’s of Report Writing)

Technical Documentation for IT | Grace Anne Naling Casapao Page 1 of 4

Some examples of technical documentation include:

Technical Documentation for IT | Grace Anne Naling Casapao Page 2 of 4

Technical Documentation for IT | Grace Anne Naling Casapao Page 3 of 4

IV. COMPREHENSION CHECK-UP

Technical Documentation for IT | Grace Anne Naling Casapao Page 4 of 4

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