Dr. ELIZABETH ANTHONY FSTPi UTHM TECHNICAL WRITING Dr. ELIZABETH ANTHONY FSTPi UTHM

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING What is technical writing? The most important aspects of communication in the world of science, engineering, technology, and business. The delivery of technical information to (readers/listeners/viewers) in a manner that is adapted (to their needs, level of understanding and background). alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING What is technical writing? cont… Putting scientific and technical information into easily understandable language to a specific audience. Communication for the purpose of giving instructions, narrating an event or a performed task and making descriptions of things, phenomena, etc. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS Topic Decide what subject you are going to speak about or write on; narrow it as much as possible. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS cont… Audience Define a specific person/group of people for whom you are going to communicate. Define the circumstances in which it is needed. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS cont… Purpose Define your purpose for communicating and what you plan to accomplish – what needs of the audience it is going to fulfill. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS cont… Type Decide on the type of communication. For example, technical background report, feasibility report, instructions, narration, description of an equipment or some others. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS cont… The ability to “translate” technical information to non-specialists or those who come from different field of study is the key skills to any technical communicator. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING How Technical Information may be Organized Understanding how technical information may be organized will make it easy for you to put down and present your ideas more systematically and clearly. Most importantly you will be making it a lot easier for your audience to have a good grasp of what actually you want to inform your audience with confidence. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

alice@copyright/fstpi/2011 TECHNICAL WRITING How Technical Information may be Organized cont… Via ideational frameworks alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) WHAT IS IF? Models of how the mind organizes information or ideas in information sets. (Burgess, 1994) The use of IFs is actually putting an abstract body of information into a concrete visual format. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) PURPOSES Provide insights into how meaning is constructed and may be visualized. Can be used to contain and organize ideational content to facilitate learners. Act as a link between the receptive skills and the production skills. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) TYPES There are basically three types or models. - Flow Chart - Tree Diagram - Grid/Table Used in the technical fields of science and technology, education, professional communication and media. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - FLOW CHARTS Used in managing a series of information that interrelate in terms of sequences. They order graphically how something occurs. It is well defined in instructions, descriptions of processes and narrations. The audience are able to view the flow of content in a more concrete form. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - FLOW CHARTS cont … (a) A Simple Linear Flow Chart Roll some paper into a cylinder Push a band on to the pillar Etc alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - FLOW CHARTS cont … (b) A Bifurcating Flow Chart The milk is transported to the dairy It may be pasteurized It may be sterilized It is bottled alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - FLOW CHARTS cont … (c) A Lateral Branch Flow Chart IF He saw an advert for a job he had not seen the job He applied for it he would not be the director He got it alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - FLOW CHARTS cont … (d) A Cyclic Flow Chart Moisture falls on the land It flows into rivers It evaporates from the surface It goes to the sea alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - A GRID Represent the attribution of characteristics to phenomena. Used to organize clusters of ideas that interrelate across two axes; (i) the axis of phenomena, and, (ii) the axis of criteria. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - A GRID cont … COMPUTERS SIZE USER Desktops Big General population Notebooks Small People on the move Palmtops Very small Executives alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - A GRID cont … Basically, there are three main kinds of computers available in the market. These are desktops, notebooks and palmtops. In terms of size, desktops would be the biggest whose monitor is about the size of a small TV set. In most office and homes this kind of computer would be predominant and the prices is relatively cheaper. As for notebook, it is about the size of an A4 paper. It is light and slim and very popular among working people who are always on the move. The third kind and the smallest of the three is the palmtop. As the name implies, it is about the size of your palm which can be easily stored in your pocket. Busy executives find this kind of computer most handy. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - A TREE DIAGRAM Represent the highly abstract classification of information into hierarchies. Used to relate information to each other in order of generality. The framework produces a hierarchy of information that moves downwards narrowing in subdivisions from general to specific. alice@copyright/fstpi/2011

IDEATIONAL FRAMEWORKS (IFs) - A TREE DIAGRAM cont … There are two main classes of trunks. In the first class, trunks are straight. Straight trunks are either upright or leaning. In the second class, trunks are curved. Curved trunks stretch upward or downward. Trunks that stretch upward have either gentle or … alice@copyright/fstpi/2011