PARRT THREE: Processes and Guidelines in Technical Writing
Writing Process: from Audience to Rough Draft 1. FINDING A TOPIC 2. ANALYZING AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE 3. NARROWING DOWN YOUR TOPIC 4. OUTLINING YOUR REPORT 5. ARRANGING THE PARTS OF THE OUTLINE 6. WRITING A ROUGH DRAFT AND COMPARING IT TO THE OUTLINE 7. REVISING THE ROUGH DRAFT.
Task Analysis The job of the technical writer is to create information for products that help users use products. The goal is not simply to describe how the product works. When you write instructions, procedures, and "guide" or user-guide information, you normally must use a task approach. That means providing steps and explanations for all the major tasks that users may need to perform. There are two approaches for task analysis: functional orientation and task orientation.
1. Writing with a functional orientation: It explains each function, feature, or interface element of a product. If this approach shows up in user guides. It is meant for nontechnical readers — perhaps because the writers are inexperienced, untrained, or technical.
2. Writing with a task orientation: 1. Identify the tasks users will need to perform with the product. 2. structure your document accordingly. 3. Make your headings and subheadings task oriented in their phrasing. like "How to adjust the volume, "Adjusting the volume," or "Adjust the volume." It does not mean phrasing like "Volume" or "Volume Adjustment."
This section shows you a step-by-step method for: "translating" technical discussions, that is, specific techniques you can use to make difficult technical discussions easier for nonspecialist readers to understand. Translating technical information
Definitions of unfamiliar terms Comparisons to familiar things Elaborating the process Providing descriptive detail Providing illustrations Providing examples and applications Shorter sentences Methods for Translating Technical Information
Stronger transitions and overviews a) Repetition of key words b) Transition words and phrases. c) Reviews of topics covered and topics to be covered The "in-other-words" technique Posing rhetorical questions Explaining the importance
Providing historical background Reviewing theoretical background Providing the human perspective Combining the translating techniques
Power Revision Techniques How you organize your writing, and how you link it all up together. This means: Looking for potential problems and then fixing those problems There are: structure-level revisions Sentence-level revisions
structure-level revisions Checking contents Checking organization Strengthening topic sentences Strengthening transitions Checking paragraph length and contents
Sentence-level revisions Revising weak be-verbs Revising noun stacks Revising redundant phrasing Revising weak expletives Revising weak passive-voice sentences Revising subject-verb mismatches Revising sentence-length problems
Documentation Documenting your resources makes your work legal and makes it easier for others to find resources of their interest. To document your resources, USE: The number system (Scientific documentation)
Cross References Point readers to other places in the same document or to other information sources where related information can be found. A cross-reference consists of: Name of the source being referenced Page number Subject matter of the cross-reference
Types of cross-reference Internal cross-reference: Refers to some other part of the same document. External cross-reference: Refers to information outside of the current document
Strategies for Peer-Reviewing and Team- Writing Strategies for Peer-Reviewing Initial meeting Peer-reviewing strategies Peer-review summary Strategies for Team-Writing Assembling the team Planning the project Scheduling the project Balancing workload Setting up a style guide or style sheet Reviewing drafts and finishing
Good Luck!