INTRODUCTION TO

TECHNICAL
WRITING
Understanding the Nature and Purpose of Technical Writing

Professor: RYAN A. BRADECINA

SPELLING QUIZ

10 ITEMS ONLY
(RECORDED)
SPELLING QUIZ

redundancies
obscure
jargon
SPELLING QUIZ

comprehensible
doable
restraint
SPELLING QUIZ
reliable
polishing
humorous
SPELLING QUIZ
flurry
 INTRODUCTION
TO TECHNICAL
WRITING
Understanding the Nature and Purpose of Technical
Writing
Professionals and specialists
need to write for their world
of work.

They will need knowledge, skills and

techniques for their message to be
readable and comprehensible by their
fellow professionals.
ASPECTS OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING
 Nature of Technical Writing
O TECHNICAL – is a term that refers to
knowledge or specific discipline that
is more the line of experts and
specialists.

O (For short, a professional JARGON/language.)

 Nature of Technical Writing
O TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION OR
TECHNICAL WRITING – is the
transfer of information to readers in
a way that is aligned to their need,
level of understanding and
background.
 Nature of Technical Writing
O The focus of Technical Writing is
to communicate professionally in
an organizational system.
§ It involves accurate, precise, logical
arrangement and organized preparation
of information.
 Nature of Technical Writing
O It is also a problem solving process within
an organization.
O They investigate, find solutions and write
reports in a structured manner to provide
information as basis decision making and
to fulfill the organization’s purpose.
 Language of Technical Writing
O Technical style – tone and attitude of the
communication of the specialists
§ joyful, serious, humorous, sad, threatening,
formal, informal, pessimistic, and optimistic

O BUT TECHNICAL WRITING USES

FORMAL TONE
 Language of Technical Writing
O Formal Tone - characterized by
restraint and objectivity
§ impersonal
§ impartial
§ do not allow the use of feelings
§ no biases in interpretation of data
FIVE STEPS OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING
 THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
1) Identify the audience
2) Determine purpose/ objectives
3) Gather information
4) Organize data
5) Edit, revise and finalize
 THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
1) Identify the audience
§ Knowing your readers in terms of background,
needs and knowledge to adapt to their level of
understanding.
§ To communicate more effectively and address
the needs of your reader.
§ Ex. You are writing to a busy boss, thus you need to
make your letter/report brief and straight to the
point.
 THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
2) Determine purpose/objectives
§ Helps the writer know what and how to write a
given subject matter.

§ You can write to record important events, inform,

explain, complain, appeal, request or propose.
 THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
3) Gather information
§ It helps the writer choose important
and accurate data to use to meet the
objectives of the report.
§ It makes the report more reliable
and effective.
 THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
4) Organize data
§ Putting the essential parts of the report
in their proper places and logical order.
§ Using appropriate visual aids to present
data more effectively.
 THE TECHNICAL
WRITING PROCESS
5) Edit, revise and finalize
§ Like any form of writing this is essential in
the polishing of the product
§ We need this to make sure we don’t have
grammar and spelling errors.
§ Any formal writing with multiple errors is
unreliable.
PRINCIPLES
OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING
 PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING
O These principles will make technical
writing easy and an effective tool of
communication in an organization.
 PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING

1) A technical report is designed

to meet specific needs of
individuals in the organization.
 PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING

2) Technical writers need

knowledge and skills to be
able to communicate their
ideas specifically and
effectively.
 PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING

3) Technical writers write in

appropriate style and have a
scientific attitude.
 PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING

4) Technical writing has a

specific reader, purpose and
organized data to fulfill the
specific objectives.
 PRINCIPLES OF
TECHNICAL WRITING

5) Technical writing helps

influence decision for change
and betterment of individuals
and organization.
TECHNICAL WRITING
VS
LITERARY WRITING
 Group activity:
O Count off to 5.
O Be seated according to
groups.
 Group activity:
COMPARE LITERARY TECHNICAL
WRITING WRITING
DEFINE EACH
TOPIC
GIVE THE PURPOSE
OF EACH TYPE OF
WRITING
GIVE 10 EXAMPLES
FOR EACH TYPE
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Technical writing differs from
literary writing in content, purpose,
language and appeal.
O It is about facts, ideas for a
particular audience and it reports
results to an experiment or
investigation
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Technical writers focus on matters
about science, technology, industry
and business.
O Outputs are usually very purposive,
factual and provide vital
information to an organization.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Technical reports are used as basis
for actions and decisions in
organizations. (ex. Field report,
memo)
O Writers strictly observe grammar
rules and use scientific
terminologies/ jargon.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Technical professionals make
readers think, analyze and
criticize.
O They appeal to intellect and
reasoning.
O They are very objective, formal
and impersonal.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Literary writing on the other hand
includes poetry, short stories,
novels, essays, fiction, prose,
drama, tragedy, play, parable,
pun, comedy and many more.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Literary writers, also known as
creative writers or artists, talk
about experiences in life, the
problems of human existence,
philosophy and the desires of the
human heart.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O These creative writers aim to
entertain and amuse their audience
from all walks of life and different
professions.
O Literary writings are used to give
lessons, change outlook in life and
transport the spiritual being to a
higher level.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Literary pieces are used to stir
both the senses and emotions,
language is used to appeal to the
imagination by using figures of
speech.
LITERARY vs. TECHNICAL
WRITING
O Figurative language used has
meaning beyond the literal level
which makes the tone of the
writer very personal and
subjective.
Try to analyze the example
CONFUCIUS
 LITERARY ANALYSIS
O COPY AND ANALYZE EACH LINE
ACCORDING TO YOUR
UNDERSTANDING
O USE THE DICTIONARY TO SUPPORT
YOUR ANSWERS
 CONFUCIUS
O WRITE ABOUT THE LIFE OF
CONFUCIUS USE TECHNICAL
WRITING AND RESEARCH
FOR FACTS
 CONFUCIUS
Confucius or Kung Fu-tzu, 551-
479 B.C., was the Chinese sage who
founded Confucianism. Born of a
poor but aristocratic family in the
state of Lu, he was orphaned at an
early age.
 CONFUCIUS
As a young man, he held several
minor government posts; in later years he
advanced to become minister of justice in
his home state. But he held these
positions only intermittently and for short
periods because of conflicts with his
superiors.
 CONFUCIUS
Throughout his life, he was best
known as a teacher. When he died at
the age of 72, he had taught a total
of 3,000 disciples who carried on his
teaching.
 Distinctions of Technical
Writing from other Kinds of
Writing
O There are many types of writing,
including literary writing, expressive
writing, expository writing, persuasive,
and technical writing (Gerson &
Gerson, 1999 p. 1& 2 cited by Abelos
et al., 2005, p. 1-3)
O 1. Literary writing includes poetry, fiction (short
stories and novel), plays, and essay. The authors
might draw on experience to create their text, but
the writing is purely imaginative. Creative writing
often employs figures of speech, imagery, dialect,
symbolism, and fictitious characters to present a
message.
O 2. Expressive writing records a subjective,
emotional response to a personal experience (a
tragic incident, a joyful meeting with a person
not seen for 20 years, a wonderful experience in
a basketball championship, a rewarding on the
job training, etc.). Journal and diary entries are
expressive. The goal of expressive writing is to
express one's feelings through description and
narration. Students in composition classes often
write expressive essays, relying heavily on
narration and description to develop ideas.
O 3. Expository writing analyzes a topic objectively.
Most essays in composition classes are
expository. The goal of expository writing is to
explain, hence reveals you the knowledge of a
particular subject. In expository writing, you don't
usually expect a response from your reader even
if you explained the topic.
O 4. Persuasive writing, in some ways, combines
the emotionalism of expressive writing with the
analytical traits of expository writing. Editorials
are a good example of persuasive writing. The
goal of persuasive writing is to convince your
audience's emotional attitude toward a topic.
 Comparison Between
Technical Writing and Literary
Writing
O We all know that literary writers cater man’s
affective sense; technical writers cater to man’s
cognitive sense. For contrastive analysis,
technical writing differs from literary writing in
some aspects:
 Purpose of Technical Writing
O The purpose of technical writing is often determined by
the audience, which then affects the tone of the
correspondence (Gerson & Gerson, 1999, p.3). In fact,
understanding the interrelationship among purpose,
audience, and tone is essential to answer the question,
“Why do we write technical correspondence?”
O This is a common technical writing
situation, but it is not the only environment
in which technical writing is generated. In
summary, your purpose in technical writing
is determined by your audience’s needs.
This sense of audience then affects tone.
Within these parameters, the purpose of
technical writing is wide-ranging.
O 1. Technical writing is used to request
action. If you are writing to a supervisor or
manager (audience) about scheduling and
manpower distribution, then you are
requesting a direct action.
O 2. Technical writing is used to propose
action. When you write to your city
Engineer about the transfer of the garbage
dump, then you are proposing an action.
O 3. Technical writing is used to recommend
action. When you write to your Production
Manager to increase the volume of t-shirt
production bound to Hongkong and Macau,
due to increase of orders from your market
threat, then you are recommending an
action.
O 4. Technical writing is used to inform. It is
written to make another person to
understand or do something. It is designed
to fulfil a need to tell and need to know.
O 5. Technical writing is used to analyse
events and their complications. It will
explain how certain systems failed. This
may include education, socioeconomic,
political and the need to change.
O 6. Technical writing is used to persuade
and influence decisions. It will show how a
business, or an industry succeed.
 Importance of Technical Writing
Technical writing is a significant factor for your work experience for several

p. 4)
reasons. (Gerson & Gerson, 1999, p. 3 cited by Abelos, 2005,
O 1. Technical writing conducts business.
O 2. Technical writing takes time.
O 3. Technical writing costs money.
O 4. Technical writing is an expression of
your interpersonal communication skills.
 Basic Principles of Effective
Technical Writing
1. Understanding the Reader
2. Knowing the Purpose of Each Technical
Report
3. Knowing the Subject Matter
4. Using Correct Format
5. Writing Objectively
 Basic Principles of Effective
Technical Writing
1. Understanding the Reader
2. Knowing the Purpose of Each Technical
Report
3. Knowing the Subject Matter
4. Using Correct Format
5. Writing Objectively
6. Adopting Ethical Standards
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.
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.
1. It is clear and straight forward. If you
are interested in technical writing for
professional purposes, it is very important
to know that this type of writing requires
that the writer stick to the subject matter
and relay information in a clear and
concise manner.
2. The language is very direct and straight
to the point. The writing will avoid words
that people do not understand and will
avoid an eloquent writing style.
3. It is very detailed and informative. The
perfect example of technical writing is a
textbook. The written content of most
textbooks is geared to providing
information by describing the subject
matter as fully as possible.
4. It is very structured. This type of writing
has a very obvious composition that
makes it easy for the reader to follow
along. Solid structure is needed with
technical writing as it allows the audience
to easily access the information as
needed.
Uses of Technical Writing
With understanding the characteristics of
technical writing, you can better
comprehend how this type of writing is
used. Technical writing is found
everywhere.There are a variety of
different types of writing which use a
technical style.
Classification of Technical Writing

Technical writing is useful for any theory,

software or hardware that needs an
explanation. Industries that require
technical writing include science,
medicine, engineering, mechanics and
law.