TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION  Jargons- words or terminologies used in a specific profession or field to

communicate clearly and economically with one another.

WEEK 6  Unnecessary jargons are inadvisable for four reasons:
1. It can be imprecise.
o Principles for Structuring Effective Sentences: 2. It can be confusing.
 Use lists 3. It is often seen as condescending.
 Focus on the “real” subject 4. It is often intimidating.
 Focus on the “real” verb  Use positive constructions
 Use parallel structure  Avoid long noun strings
o Use lists:  Avoid clichés
 Set off each listed item with a number, letter, or a symbol (usually a bullet)  Avoid euphemisms
(Use numbered lists to suggest sequence) o Use Nondiscriminatory Language
 Break up long list  Discriminatory writing can cause hurt, pain, and miscommunication. Discriminatory
 Present the items in a parallel structure language creates or reinforces hierarchy of difference between people.
 Structure and punctuate the lead-in correctly. A lead-in introduces a list.
 Punctuate the list correctly WEEK 7
a. If the items are phrases, use lowercase letter at the start. Do not use a
period or a comma at the end. The white space beneath the last item o Writing coherent paragraphs
indicates the end of the list. 1. Body Paragraph- basic unit for communicating information, is a group of sentences (or
b. If the item are complete sentences, use an uppercase letter at the start and a sometimes a single sentence) that is complete and self-sufficient and that contributes to
period at the end. a larger discussion.
c. If the items are phrases followed by complete sentences, begin the complete 2. Transitional Paragraph- helps readers move from one major point to another. Usually it
sentences with uppercase letters and end them with periods. Use italics to summarizes the previous point, introduces the next point, and helps readers understand
emphasize the main idea in each bullet point. how the two are related.
o Focus on the “real” subject: o Adding Transitional Words and Phrases
 The conceptual subject of the sentence should also be the grammatical subject.  Transitional words and phrases help the reader understand a discussion by explicitly
o Focus on the “real” verb stating the logical relationship between two ideas.
 A “real” verb, like a “real” subject should stand out in every sentence
 A common problem in technical communication is the inappropriate use of nominalized
verb- a verb that has been changed into a noun, then coupled with a weaker verb.
o Use parallel structure:
 A sentence is parallel if its coordinate elements follow the same grammatical form.
Parallel structures create a recognizable, making a sentence easier for the reader to
follow
o Choosing the Right Words and Phrases
 Technical communication usually requires a moderately formal or highly formal style. To
achieve the appropriate level and tone, think about your audience, your subject, and
your purpose.
o Be Clear and Specific
 Use active and passive voice appropriately
 In most cases, the active voice works better than the passive voice because it
emphasizes the agent (the doer of the action). An active-voice sentence also is
shorter because it does not require a form of the verb to be and the past participle,
as a passive-voice sentence does.
 Using passive voice
1. When the agent is clear from the context
2. When the agent is unknown
3. When the agent is less important than the action
 Be specific
 Avoid unnecessary jargon
 o Five Design Principles in Writing a Technical Document 1. Title Page- reveals the subject of the document; the purpose of including a title page
1. Balance- can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. is to help readers quickly determine the subject and purpose of the document
a. Symmetrical design can be achieved by placing two objects of the same size on  Includes the title, author, and the date
both halves of your sheet of paper.  Includes the company’s logo, an explanation of who the document was prepared
b. Asymmetrical design can be achieved by placing several items on one side and for and where the document can be found
one larger item on the other.  The title should be clear and detailed enough so that readers could easily
2. Alignment- important for connecting like objects. Often text that falls within two different grasp the idea of what is covered
columns or text boxes will need to be aligned to visually connect the text. This can be 2. Abstract- a summarizing statement; should only be 150-250 words; should contain general
done by having them fall along the same line horizontally or vertically. information about the topic or issue, methods used, main results, and conclusions of your
3. Contrast- used to draw the eye to aspects of the image. A person’s eye will be drawn to document; content should be clear and straightforward as long as it succinctly communicates
the object that sticks out first, and it will move through the image e from there. There are the purpose of the following document
a lot of different ways to create contrast, such as color and size. 3. Table of Contents- a list of the subject headings and subheadings of the document;
4. Repetition- can involve using the same colors, fonts or layouts on a variety of different usually provided in long documents such as reports, proposals, and other administrative and
items. If you are using too many different fonts, pages can look overly research documents; should be properly done, so that readers can easily navigate through
complicated. By using the same fonts or by styling multiple designs similarly adds the document
consistency and will bring that campaign to people’s minds when they see the design 4. List of Figures- used to organize the visuals and make them easier to navigate; make sure
next.
to provide them with a description
5. Proximity- often means grouping similar items together on a page. It can often be used
5. Executive Summary- should summarize the key points of the report; should restate the
to create a focal point on the page, which will direct the eye on how to move through the
purpose of the report, highlight the major points of the report, and describe any results,
design.
conclusions, or recommendations from the report
o Brochure- a brief document used to provide information or to promote something
o Body- contains materials with steps to take and/or methods to use in order to
o Kinds of Information that might be communicated in a brochure:
resolve the issue presented in the abstract
a. products
1. Introduction- presents the main goal and what to expect further in document; contains
b. services
the subject of your document, the issue resolved, the purpose, its scope and
c. benefits
background information.
d. techniques
2. Background- information should be relevant. Usually, this part includes the history of the
o Types of Brochure Folds:
problem, a summary of previous research and reasons why you decided to write this
a. Half-fold brochure- Also known as a bifold brochure, is composed of a single document
sheet of paper folded in half. The brochure is divided into two panels. The standard 3. Methods- This section answers the question “What did you do?”; provide enough
brochure size for the half-fold is 8.5” x 11”. This fold is best for simple product information to help readers understand what you did and why you did it that way
presentation, such as one or two product features. 4. Results- sum up the data of the whole project in this part; include charts and figures to
b. Trifold Brochure- The trifold brochure divides a single sheet of paper into three. The visualize your results in an effective manner; answers the question “What did you do?”
right panel folds underneath the left panel. The standard brochure size for the trifold and “What did you see?”
brochure is 8.5” x 11”. As the most common fold, the trifold is great for general 5. Conclusion- It answers the question “What does it mean?”; contains the implications of
purposes. It provides a perfect balance between design and content the results; to draw conclusions, you need to think carefully
c. Z-fold brochure- The Z-fold brochure also divides a single sheet of paper into three. It about your results
got its name from its distinct Zshape that folds each panel on top of one another. 8.5” x 6. Recommendations- answers the question “What should we do?”; includes your
11” is the standard brochure size for the Z-Fold. The Z-fold is also great for general
suggested idea on what to do based on the implications indicated in the ‘Results’ and
product presentations.
‘Conclusion’
o Guidelines in Creating a Brochure
1. Decide where and how your brochure will be reproduced.
2. Design your information to fit appropriately on the brochure’s panels.
3. Use the front panel to attract attention.
4. Avoid design clichés.
WEEK 8
o Front Matter- information that is presented before the body of the document;
introduces readers into the title of the document, its author(s), the topic(s)
described, the issue(s) solved, the method(s) used, and the overall purpose of the
document.
o End Matter- provides useful information and materials outside the main body
a. References- a list of sources that you’ve used
b. Appendices- include materials like additional diagrams, tables, lists, etc.
o Types of Definitions
1. Parenthetical Definition
 words that quickly explain a term and are included within the same
sentence as the word being defined.
 can be a synonym or a short phrase.
 The definition will be placed in parentheses immediately following the
word being defined
2. Sentence Definition
 Is an explanation of a word using one sentence. These are more
formal explanations than parenthetical definitions.
3. Extended Definition
 The function of the term
 The location of the term
 The physical traits of the term
 The causes and effects of the term