Introduction To Technical Writing

INTRODUCTION TO
TECHNICAL
WRITING
 Professionals ranging from doctors and engineers
to chemists find it necessary to convey complex
topics to regular consumers or professionals with
less experience. Technical writing describes this
process of making complicated information more
accessible in the form of reports, product
descriptions or instruction manuals. Learning more
about this communication style can help you
pursue a career that suits your interests and
develop the appropriate skills needed for a
technical writing job.
What is Technical Writing?
 Technical writing is a form of communication that professionals use to convey information
about specialized topics.
 Some of the most common industries that rely on technical writing include:
• Engineering
• Computer software and hardware
• Robotics
• Chemistry
• Finance
• Consumer electronics
• Forestry
• Aeronautics
• Medical and health care
• Biotechnology
Technical writing involves three elements at one or more stages of the process:
A problem or subject matter that is not popular knowledge but, rather is
specialized in that it belongs to art, science, medicine, engineering, architecture,
business.
Study, investigation, observation, analysis, experimentation and measurement to
be able to collect accurate and precise information about the problem or subject
matter.
The organization and presentation of the information thus gathered so that it will
be clear and meaningful to the intended readers.
The final product of this three-stages process is a technical report that may range
in size and complexity from a simple memorandum or letter to a voluminous report
or stack of books.
General Overview of Technical Writing Applications
Effective technical writing must have the following distinct
characteristics.
1. Clear and capable of being understood easily
 The writer should say exactly what he means, and should say this so clearly that they may not be
misunderstood.
2. Well organized and structured

 The technical report must be well organized and structured. If the author is not able to organize his
material properly and in logical sequence, it may lead to total confusion and lack of clarity.
3.Use of prevalent technical terms in the field

 Technical terms which are being used in the field should be preferred to be used in technical writing.
If the technical report is intended for readers not acquainted with the specialized words, then the
technical terms should be explained in a foot note. The writer should never assume that the
audience knows everything.
 4.Use of an appropriate language

 The language of the technical report should be direct and straight to the point.
 The difficult word, clichés or jargon must be avoided. Grammar, punctuation and syntax should be
proper, and adequately taken care.
5.Action oriented
 The basic purposes of the effective technical writing is to
convey what are the net findings of the investigation or
research or analysis carried out in the present case. Also,
how these net findings were arrived at and how to use
them.
6.True and based on actual facts

 Technical writing must always be based on truth and truth
alone. Whatever be the situation, a technical report
should never resort to the falsehood .
7. It must serve the purpose for which it is written

 Effective technical report must serve the interest or
purpose of the audience, for whom it is written.
 When writing, remember that there is no right or wrong way to do things;
however, certain conventions are followed when communicating with others.
These conventions are called standard English. Standard English is the set of
rules and conventions that people follow when speaking and writing.
 A good writer should know how to write clearly and concisely. There is a
difference between clear writing and concise writing.
• The writing style can be classified into two types – formal and informal.
Formal writing is characterized by using correct grammar and good
vocabulary. Informal writing is characterized by poor grammar, incorrect
usage of words, and bad spelling.
• There are four main styles of writing – expository, persuasive, narrative, and
descriptive. Expository writing is used when you want to give details about something.
Incase of a Technical content , it is used to inform people about the products features.
Persuasive writing is used to persuade someone to do something. Narrative writing is
used to tell a story. Descriptive writing is used to describe things.
• There are three parts of technical writing – introduction, body and conclusion.
Introduction is the first part of any technical document. Here, the author tells the reader
about the subject matter and its importance. Technical documentation writers need to
have a thorough knowledge of their subject area because they will be required to
provide clear explanations of concepts and procedures. Technical writers also need to
understand how to make information easy to read and understand.
• Technical writing includes both academic and non-
academic writing. Academic writing is used in colleges and
universities. Non-academic writing is used in other places
like government agencies, business firms etc.
• Technical writing is usually divided into two categories:
informative and instructional. It is important to make sure
that the table of contents.
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INTRODUCTION TO

2. Well organized and structured

3.Use of prevalent technical terms in the field

 4.Use of an appropriate language

6.True and based on actual facts

7. It must serve the purpose for which it is written

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