UBa/NAHPI/CEA/YEAR 5/2022-2023/CVLE 6107

TECHNICAL WRITING
CHAPTER 1: GENERALITIES
I-1 Introduction to technical writing

I’m a university student, I

can write well, so... why
should I learn to write?

Haven’t you ever had this thought, or a similar one? Of course, most of you are more or less
competent writers in your first language. In fact, many people can get through their lives with just a first
language literacy to write postcards, recipes, shopping lists, or odd messages. These documents are quite
spontaneous and transient and therefore do not require a large amount of planning. But we are not
addressing you as apprentice writers or as English language beginners. Not even as proficient writers in
general English. We are addressing you as future skilled professionals who need to perfect their writing skills
in English from a professional point of view. This implies that you will need to be acquainted with certain
types of documents, which have specific characteristics (e.g. layout, content or style). The examples
mentioned above (a recipe, a postcard or the shopping list) stand out as everyday life genres you already
know very well. Yet, in your professional life you may very well need to write formal business letters and
reports of different kinds. Each of these genres has its own characteristics and conventions that make it a
genre and, as engineers, you’ll be expected to write them appropriately.
One of our objectives in this course is to provide you with an awareness of the differences in
language use that are associated with different contexts: engineers today are expected to be multiliterate
(i.e. be able to use different registers according to the different communicative situations). As engineers you
will soon realize that being literate is not enough and that writing an email to a friend is not the same as
writing in a job-related context. Although at this point we are just scratching the surface, you should be aware
of what readers will expect your documents to look like. You should then be competent enough and deploy
writing skills that allow you to adapt your documents to every writing situation. Being multiliterate in the sense
defined above is not usually an easy task because you need to have a good command of:

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• content knowledge: technical and scientific knowledge that is transferred to you at university,
• context knowledge: you should be sensitized about the importance of the scientific community
or academic context in which your documents will be read,
• English language knowledge: level of proficiency in terms of syntax, grammar, vocabulary, etc.
in general-purpose English and in technical English,
• genre knowledge: knowledge of the different written genres used in the technical professions,
and
• writing process knowledge: knowledge of the most efficient writing skills and techniques for a
writing task.
See how the above categories of knowledge can help you identify some of your knowledge gaps and
self-assess your current level of writing competence at this very initial stage. More specifically, try to find out
with which categories you would encounter difficulties when writing the documents below:
• Request for detailed plans of projects • MSc final project or thesis
• Evaluation of a machine breakdown • Technical manual
• Laboratory report • Brochure
• Departmental monthly report • Journal (research) article
• Report on a meeting or site visit • Email to a business contact
• Reception letter • Letters of rejection, complaint, etc.
Finally, there are different techniques that can help you improve your writing skills as engineers. For example,
it has been demonstrated that reading plays a crucial role in learning a language and, most importantly, that
good readers make good writers. Reading is very beneficial, but only if you read voluntarily, extensively and
for pleasure. As you can imagine, however, reading is not enough. Apart from reading, you should also write
and write because while you are learning to write you are also writing to learn the language and to be an
efficient communicator. The more you read and the more you write, the better writers you will become. Last
but not least, it can also be very helpful for you to acquire some autonomy to allow you to actively participate
in your learning process, for example by monitoring your learning and choosing the tasks that best suit your
needs and preferences.

I-2 Definition
Technical writing is communication written for and about business and industry, focusing on products
and services: how to manufacture them, market them, manage them, deliver them, and use them.
Technical writing is written for supervisors, colleagues, subordinates, sub-contractors, suppliers and
clients. In each case, the technical document must be quantifiable, precise, and easily understood.
Technical writing is the resumé that helps get a job and the web page that promotes a company.

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I-3 Why is it important to study technical and professional communication?

In a world of rushing and pressure to save time, writing documents seems slow and time-consuming.
Why write a letter or a memo if you can make a quick phone call? Why spend time thinking about how to put
into words information that can be transmitted spontaneously without the extra effort of heeding syntax and
punctuation? This logical reasoning fails, though, when we come to consider the type of documents technical
writers need to develop as well as the audience they are addressed to. On many occasions, communication
is not just from one emitter to one receiver but rather from one to many, as is the case of memos addressed
to company staff, or a report meant to be read by more than one person, for example. In addition, most
documents generated in the technical field include information that cannot be easily transmitted unless it is
orderly displayed on a document. In other words, oral communication may fall short when we need to transmit
the information technical documents require. Hence, writing skills can be considered an important factor in
the technical and scientific field because:
1- In many different types of work, writing constitutes an important part of the everyday workload. In a
company, people write to inform about a project or activity (progress reports), to help managers in
decision-making (recommendation reports), to communicate within the organization (memos), to ask
questions (inquiry letters) and to contact colleagues, distributors, and mates in the same workplace
(email messages). These various tasks reveal that writing is a key activity for many technical
professionals.
2- They facilitate communication with co-workers, clients and supervisors, that is, inside and outside
the workplace. Engineers and scientists’ writing skills must be of a high standard in order to
effectively communicate with the people with whom they work. It is not enough for them to be
technically good, they must be skilful in communicating what they are doing and why it is important.
As a last resort, their technical and professional value will very much depend on their capacity to
convince others of the importance of their work.
3- They are necessary for a successful career. Organizations know the advantages of a well written
document since the way they construct their documents reflects their image. Poorly written
documents will reveal not only writers’ inefficiency but also organizations’ lack of seriousness. Thus,
engineers who can communicate their thoughts clearly and efficiently are bound to be promoted to
more challenging positions. Additionally, being good at written communication skills (in whatever
language) is likely to act as an added value that enhances your curriculum vitae and helps you stand
out from other applicants in a job selection process.
4- Writing skills contribute to saving time and money. Good technical writing saves time and, therefore,
money. If you create a document, a report, for example, for your superior, which is clear and easy
to understand, no time will be wasted on pondering the meaning.

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Technical writing is not literature; it’s neither prose which recounts the fictional tales of characters nor
poetry which expresses deeply felt, universal emotions through similes and metaphors.
• Technical writing is neither an expressive essay narrating an occurrence nor an expository essay
analyzing a topic.
• Technical writing is not journalism, written to report the news.
• Technical writing does not focus on poetic images, describe personal experiences, or report who
won the basketball game.

Instead, technical writing is:

• an instructional manual for repairing machinery
• a memo listing meeting agendas
• a letter from a supplier to a client
• a recommendation report etc.…

I-4 Characteristics of Technical Writing

Technical writing, just as any other form of writing, has certain characteristics which distinguish it
from other types of writing. It is very different from writing opinion pieces, essays, prose, non-fiction, or fiction.
Technical documents are written in a business writing style rather than one that is academic or creative in
nature. The followings are some key characteristics of a good technical writing:
• Focused on audience: Technical and workplace documents address a specific audience. The
audience may be an individual or a group, and it may or may not be known to the writer. While there
is always a primary audience addressed, there may be a secondary audience.
• Professional: Technical communication reflects the values, goals, and culture of an enterprise and
as such, creates and maintains the public image of the enterprise.
• clear - Technical writing presents information clearly, leaving little to no room for misunderstanding.
It requires the use of clear, concise sentences.
• straightforward - This type of writing is straightforward; it requires relaying information in a way that
is direct and straight to the point, without the use of literary devices.
• precise - The language used in technical writing should be very precise, describing objects and
procedures in an exact manner.
• easily understood - Effective technical writers avoid words that people may not understand and will
avoid an eloquent writing style.
• denotative meanings - This type of writing relies on the denotative meanings of words to ensure that
misunderstandings don’t occur due to differing interpretations based on connotation.

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• detailed - Technical writing is very detailed and informative, leaving nothing to the imagination. The
perfect example of technical writing is a textbook. Most textbooks describe the subject matter as fully
as possible.
• very structured - Technical writing is very structured. This type of writing needs to have an obvious
composition that makes it easy for readers to follow along. The audience needs to be able to rely on
technical writing for step-by-step instructions.
• problem-solving focus - Technical documents should be created with problem solving in mind.
Readers use these documents to learn how to perform certain tasks or gain technical information,
so they should be easy to follow and organized in a way that’s easy to refer back to as questions
come up.
• Ethical: Lastly, technical communication is ethical. All workplace writers have ethical obligations,
many of which are closely linked to legal obligations that include liability laws, copyright laws,
contract laws, and trademark laws.
I-5 What Standards Should I Observe to Make my Writing Successful?
Good question! As a member of an enterprise or team, even as a student, you want to produce the
absolute best writing you can. Here are the standards you must follow and some tips to help you. You will
have a tremendous advantage in the workplace if your communication and design skills meet these
standards.
First and most important, your writing must be honest. Your trustworthiness in communication reflects
not only on you personally but on your organization or discipline.
Your writing has to be clear so that your reader can get from it the information you intended. Strive to make
sure that you have expressed exactly what you mean and have not left room for incorrect interpretations.
Next, good writing is accurate. Do your homework and make sure you have your facts right. There is no
excuse for presenting incorrect information.
Also make sure you have all the facts, as your writing must also be complete. Have you included
everything that your reader needs?
Your audience has neither time nor patience for excessive verbiage, so simplify and cut any clutter. Good
writing is always concise writing.
Your document should be attractive and pleasing to look at. Just as you wouldn't eat a hamburger from
a dirty plate, your reader will not be moved by a document that is not carefully designed and professional.
Without exception, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure have to be correct. Even a
single grammatical or spelling error can cause your reader to dismiss you as not professional, as not caring
enough to edit carefully. Poor writing at this level reflects poorly on your organization as well.

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I-6 Different types of writings and their characteristics

Of course, there are exceptions… Newsletters, sales letters, websites, and fliers might include
promotional information. Such sales details could depend on expressive words, maybe even fictional
characters. However, generally speaking, most technical writing is denotative versus connotative.
I-7 Comparison/Contrast: Technical Writing vs. Essays

Components Technical Writing Essays Summary

Uses examples, anecdotes, Uses examples, anecdotes,
Development Same for both
testimony, data, research testimony, data, research
Grammar It is important! It is important! Same for both
• Provides an introduction, body, and
conclusion
• Provides an introduction,
• Uses a subject line vs. a thesis and Similar in some
thesis statement, body
Organization itemization of points vs. transitional words ways, different in
paragraphs, transitional
• Uses topic sentences only when needed, others
words, and topic sentences
dependent upon the type and length of
correspondence

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Uses longer, connotative

Uses short, denotative words; short
Style words; longer sentences; and Different
sentences; and short paragraphs
longer paragraphs
Uses highlighting techniques, such as
Document
graphics, headings, subheadings, various Not usually a factor Different
design
fonts, white space, bullets, etc.

Below is a poem about a tennis shoe as well as technical specifications for manufacturing the same
shoe. These two writing samples further illustrate the difference between technical writing and other types of
writing.
Technical Specifications for Manufacturing
Ode to a shoe
Tennis Shoes

End-of-Chapter Activities
Reflect on…
• Do you think communication skills are of minor importance in scientific and technical studies?
• Do you think a technical student can write as well as a humanities student?
• What characteristics do you think distinguish a technical text from a non-technical one?
• How can your knowledge of general-purpose English help you towards writing technical documents?

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