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11 views20 pages

Reading ?

Reading ?

Uploaded by

hajilala123123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction

Lecturer: Atiqullah Mashal


What is Technical Writing?
 Technical writing is an audience-centered means of communication that
provides a reader with clear & easy access to info.
 The technical writer and reader have a vis-à-vis relationship.
 The writer recognizes, respects, and addresses the importance of time in
effective communication by providing documents written in specific formats,
using unambiguous language.
 The reader in turn thoroughly understands the info in order to give a
thoughtful response.
Formatting and Language:

 Formatting & appropriate language are the basic design elements of all
technical documents.
 A format of hierarchical structure & a coordinate structure of info leads the
reader thorough text.
 Using appropriate language is useful to know how the document relates to the
reader’s needs, & what action is expected of the reader.
 A document may have one reader (the primary reader) or several readers (the
secondary readers).
 A primary reader is the person who ordered the report to be written or the
person for whom a report is intended. These readers read the entire report.
 Secondary readers are those who will read only the sections of the report that
relate to them, their jobs, their departments, responsibilities, etc.
Academic Writing V.S Technical Writing

 The purpose of academic writer is to write an assignment, a story, a letter,


etc.. These works may or may not have a reader.

 Technical writing always has a definite purpose and will always have a
reader.
Cultural Communication
 Technical writers need to be aware of the differences between the behaviour & the
norms, beliefs & values of specific cultural.
 Each culture operates according to its own rules.
 To communicate effectively with other cultures, the (TW) needs to not only be
aware of rules governing behaviours that can be observed, but also of the not-so-
obvious rules that govern the norms, beliefs, and values of the people of a culture.
 The invisible rules of a culture impact the acceptance of ideas, plans, & strategies.
 The Cultural Iceberg illustrates patterns of world communication & showing
indicators of:
 Institutional Culture (the obvious behaviour of a culture), which can be clearly
seen as the tip of the iceberg.
 People Culture (the norms, beliefs and values of a culture), which cannot be seen
& are the barriers to successful communication.
Ethics

 TW have to follow the ethics when writing reports.


 They must use words that are reasonable, and avoid emotional words & phrases.
 They must use valid references to support ideas and strategies, and avoid
referencing non experts.
 They must use accurate numbers to report data.
 Instead of reporting accurate info, they also have a responsibility to credit
accurate sources of info.
 All sources must be referenced accurately in the text & cited on a reference page.
Read Daniel G. Riordan (2005), in Technical Report Writing Today, who cited
Dombrowski to define three threads of ethics. Page 3
THE MANY CONTEXTS OF COMMUNICATING
TECHNICAL INFORMATION

1. Technical Communication Can Take Many Forms:


 The most common & well known forms documents are memos & emails,
which are used in every type of business.
 Technical communicators also create:
 instructions
 product guides and documentation
 graphs
 charts
 images
 Videos
Cont…

2. Technical Communication Serves a Practical Purpose:


 It is a real world activity
 It is employed in real world settings for practical purposes.
 It is used for a myriad (ten thousand) of purposes
 Beyond being inspiring or entertaining, technical writing must be useful to an
audience trying to perform a task.
Cont…

3. Technical Communication Addresses Complex Audiences


 Academic papers often addressed to a single individual or a small group of
peers with very similar experiences & expectations.
 Technical writing has practical & collaborative nature.
 Technical communicators must be careful to be conscious of:
 Intended and unintended audiences
 Foreign and domestic readers
 Individuals with different responsibilities, experiences, and expectations of a
given document.
 Keep documents concise & free of bias and excessive or unclear language to
ensure that they are understood.
Cont…

4. Technical Communication is Collaborative:


 Technical communication documents require input or additional work from
several co-authors, depending on the complexity of document and the nature
of the task with which it is dealing.
 EX: Paul Anderson’s Technical Communication textbook relates an anecdote
regarding the proposal to build the International Space Station which
contained text and drawings from more than 300 engineers.
Cont…

4. Technical Communication is Shaped by Conventions and Culture:


 A technical communicator’s style will change depending on the social and
organizational contexts that they are working within.
 Technical Communication is a complex discipline, because it can occur in so
many contexts.
 It can be encountered in nearly any professional setting from a construction
yard to a courtroom.
 Adaptation is important.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS AND POTENTIAL
COMPLICATIONS
 Writing for Work vs. Writing for School
 ‘Redos’ in the world of Academia
 Education vs. Practicality
 Relationships Between People
 Use of Graphics:
 1. Tables 2. Charts 3. Photographs 4. Graphs 5. Drawings 6. Symbols
 Teamwork
 Conventions and Culture
 Your Company’s Style
Cont…

 Cross-Cultural Communication
 Potential Complications
 Technology
 Ethical Communication
 Working in Teams
 Losing Focus of Your Goal
LEGAL ISSUES AND COMMUNICATION
 When a company is involved in a lawsuit or a recall, the company has to
consider the consequences.
 Carefully review before you send to the intended readers.
 To write ethically, you must also identify another group of people: the
individuals who will gain or lose because of your message.
 When crafting your communication think about who will be affected by what
you say and how you say it.
Cont…
 You have to be sensitive to the following language in a professional document:
• Race and gender roles
• Political correctness
• Generalizations
• Cultural awareness
• Religious symbols

Communication Constraints:
 Constraints are limits for documents set by the company or industry.
 In the working world, expectations and regulations can affect any aspect of a
communication.
Cont…

 Aspects that affect communication are as follows:


• Tone of voice
• Use of abbreviations
• Tables
• Margins
• Length of document (as a maximum)
Cont…
Style Constraints:
 Constraints may be set by style issues as well.
 There should be no clichés and idioms in documents because they may pose a
problem with translating documents from one language to another.
 Look at the phrases that you use when you write and see if they make sense when
translated literally.
 Don’t use “compound” sentences (and, or, nor, but, however, yet).
 Opinions & jokes should also be avoided in business documents.
 Communicate with readers through facts & data.
APPRECIATING DIFFERENT CULTURES

 The following characteristics show differences between cultures and should be


considered by effective writers:
1. Amount of Detail Expected
2. Distance Between the Top and Bottom of Organizational Hierarchies
3. Individual versus Group Orientation
4. In-person Business Communications
5. Preference for Direct or Indirect Statements
6. Basis of Business Decisions
7. Interpretation of Images, Gestures, and Word
Gaining Knowledge about Intercultural Readers

 When writing to a wide variety of people, knowing their cultural biases,


assumptions, and customs are essential.
 Understanding differences reduces the amount of miscommunication when
doing global business.
 Learning information about other nationalities helps you relate to your readers
as well as prepare you for the future.
Other sources:
Co-workers
Unknown readers:
Phantom readers
Future Readers
Complex Audiences
Thank You All

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