Lecture #2
Technical Communications
What is Technical
Communication?
Technical communication is
the process of transmitting
facts and information to a
defined audience for a
specific purpose.
In other words it is
”writing for understanding”.
Explanation:
• Technical writers present information in
science ,electronics or other technical
areas on a professional level, backed up by
data facts, so that information is complete
and accurate.
• Employee who can produce focused, clear
documents often have a competitive edge
over others who are less skilled with
written communication.
The History of Technical
Communication
Ancient civilizations drew pictographs
on cave walls to describe how they
hunted and where they journeyed.
Today we use wide variety of
equipment and computer software to
make our writing, research efficient.
e.g. graphics, multimedia presentation
software and others to process
information into usable forms.
Factors involved in Technical
communication
•
Technical writers must consider
before beginning any type of
technical communication.
These are
1.
2.
3.
4.
audience,
purpose,
format,
and style.
Audience
• The Audience could consist of
managers, co-workers, customers
and clients, the general public, or
any combination.
• They will have different levels of
understanding
and
different
information needs that require
specific formats and styles of
communication.
Purpose
The purpose of a technical
document could be
• to inform,
• explain,
• describe or record your
action.
Format
Technical communication can be
written in the following formats
Reports or documents, such as
personals, lab reports, product
specification, or quality-test results.
Records-keeping forms, such as
service reports, travel and expense
forms or troubleshooting logs.
Instructions, such as user guides,
online help, and training manuals.
Correspondence,
such
as
letters,
memos, and emails.
Presentations, such as interviews,
marketing calls, or training seminars
Style
Writers base the style (language,
organization, and layout) of document
on audience, purpose, and format
The document might need visible structure
of headings and subheadings or even
chapters to identify the flow of information
The document might not need visible
clues for structure, such as casual
emails or memo focused on only one
topic
• The layout can consist of
condensed paragraphs that fill
the pages of the document,
• or it can provide lots of white
space, with examples, charts,
or graphics to illustrate points
and bulleted or numbered lists
to highlight main points.
Preferences of Technical
Readers
(These types of visual aids allows for quick or scanned readings)
• Generally people who read technical
information prefer sentences that get
straight to the point.
• They prefer words that are functional,
exact, and clear.
• They prefer paragraphs that are short, with
each paragraph focused on only one
(Function, usage instruction, etc.)
Style guide
• A style guide is a reference book for
writers.
• It offers guidelines on the finer points
of word usage, punctuation, and
mechanics for standard communication.
• If
your
company
makes
such
recommendations ,familiarize your-self
with approved style and adjust your
writing accordingly
Writing Technical
Communication
What does the audience already know
about the subject?
The first step in writing technical
communication is to focus on the
audience.
Because of different mental level,
knowledge , background audience can
be categories in the following
Technical
Semi technical
Non technical
• Technical Audience
• A technical Audience understands
fundamental concepts and jargon
without definitions or background
information
• The Reader expects the writer to
use technical language efficiently
and appropriately.
here is a flavor for such a report for
a technical audience: the medical
staff at an emergency room.
•
REPORT FOR A TECHNICAL
AUDIENCE.
• Subjective: Patient C/O SOB
secondary to MVA.
• Objective: 40 y.o. W/m found
conscious, sitting behind bent
steering wheel of passenger car with
extensive front-end damage.
HEAD: ARWY patent; EYES: attntv ;
PERL;SKIN:W&D; c some cyanosis
presents - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
Semi-technical Audience
The semi-technical audience needs some
explanation of concepts, abbreviations,
and jargons. Writers user technical
terms only if they are common in the
company or industry.
Report for SemiTechnical
Subjective: patient complains of shortness of breath,
secondary to motor vehicle accident.
Objective:
40-years-old,white male found conscious,
sitting behind bent steering wheel passenger car with
extensive front-end damage.
Head: airway patent (breathing freely);
EYES: attentive, pupils equally reactive to light.
Skin: warm and dry with some cyanosis present. ---- --------
Non-technical Audience
The last type of audience is the general
public, and unknown audience, or any
combination of technical, semi-technical
and non-technical readers, including
customers, clients, and patients.
Report for Non technical
Audience
Your husband was involved in car accident.
He's alert, cooperate, and oriented. we are
treating him for five broken ribs on his
right side, which are each broken in
several places, called flail chest. This can
cause breathing difficulties and even lung
damage.-------------
What does the
audience want to
know?
The audience, whether technical or
general, might want only the highlights
of the information. For example, a
manager might want bottom-line
information, such as total cost, time
frame, or budget impact.
Or the audience might want detailed
information, including all the
background, procedures used, visual
aids, data tables and your conclusions.
What does the audience
intend to do with the
information?
This is the critical question !
People read technical information for a
purpose.
– Sometimes that purpose is simply for
general interest.
– Other times audience want to follow the
a procedure, solve a problem, or make a
decision.
Writers must anticipate questions and
provide the organization and details
this audience needs
False assumptions about
the audience
Unfortunately, writers sometimes have
false assumption about their
audiences.
Assumption: my audience speaks and
reads English.
Fact: Only some % know about English.
Assumption: My audience will read the
complete report or manual
Fact: people normally don’t read long
documents.
Assumption: My audience will remember
what i tell them.
Fact: Studies shows that people forget
up to 50 % of what they hear within
10 min and memory declines even more
after that