1. TECHNICAL WRITING 1
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2. INTRODUCTION
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3. Introduction
College-educated employees spend a minimum of 20% of their time on the
job writing.
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4. Introduction
Most college-educated workers rank the ability to write well as critically
important to
their job
performance.
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5. Introduction
Technical writing produces:
Proposals…
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6. Introduction
Brochures…
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7. Introduction
Sales literature…
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8. Introduction
Reports to
stockholders…
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9. Introduction
Company memos…
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10. Introduction
Company reports…
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11. Introduction
Research reports,
and…
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12. Introduction
Public relations releases.
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13. Introduction Technical information goes: Superiors Superiors
Colleagues
Subordinates
Subordinates
Colleagues
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14. Introduction
If documents move in more than one direction, they may have to be drafted in more than one version.
Superior
You
Colleague
Subordinate
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15. Introduction People working with technical documents need to learn:
document design,
standards for abbreviation,
uses of tables and graphs.
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16. DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL WRITING
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17. Definition Technical writing is a specialty that requires: a working
knowledge
of technical
subject
matter,
and…
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18. Definition
the arrangement and presentation of information that achieves the writer's purpose.
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19. Definition Technical writing is clear, useful, and persuasive
documentation.
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20. DISCOVERY
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21. Discovery
Occurs in libraries…
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22. Discovery
laboratories, and…
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23. Discovery
the workplace.
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24. LOCATING INFORMATION
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25. Locating Information
Most people selectively read online technical documents...
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26. Locating Information
Readers look for headings that match their needs and interests.
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27. Locating Information
Readers stop when a heading or graphic strikes them…
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28. Locating Information
Readers seldom read an online document from beginning to end.
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29. Locating Information
Page numbers are not useful for online documents unless the document is to be used for an oral presentation.
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30. AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
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31. Audience Analysis
What is appropriate for your colleagues…
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32. Audience Analysis …may be inappropriate for the general public.
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33. POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE
Audience Analysis
Terms are defined when your audience cannot be expected to know them.
POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE
PTFE
TEFLON
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34. Audience Analysis
Sentences can be fact filled when the audience is professional.
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35. Audience Analysis
However, when your audience does not share your profession, make your
verbiage
less
dense.
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36. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
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37. Situational Analysis Brings a thought from nowhere to somewhere.
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38. Situational Analysis
May take 80 percent or more of the total project time.
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39. RESEARCH
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40. Research
Employees record and transmit research via reports.
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41. Research Students present their research through: laboratory reports…
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42. Research
tech briefs…
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43. Research
monographs, and/or…
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44. Research
theses.
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45. EXAMPLES OF TECHNICAL WRITING
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46. Examples
A computer company prepares instructional manuals to accompany its computers.
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47. Examples
An architectural firm prepares progress reports to inform clients of the status of contracted building
programs.
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48. Examples A state department makes the public aware of natural
resources.
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49. Examples
Agricultural extension services prepare and disseminate agricultural information.
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50. Examples
Companies use brochures to improve their public image and attract customers.
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51. Examples
Airlines, railroads, distributors of goods and services keep in the public view through:
pamphlets,
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52. Examples
WWW sites, and…
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53. Examples
radio and television announcements.
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54. Examples
A technical paper on smoke detectors is used to determine their effectiveness in detecting:
smoldering fires,
flaming fires, and
high temperatures.
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55. GOOD TECHNICAL WRITING
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56. QUALITIES OF GOOD TECHNICAL WRITING
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57. Qualities
Arrives by the date it is due…
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58. Qualities
Is well designed…
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59. Qualities
Makes a good impression…
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60. Qualities Conveys an impression of authority, thoroughness, soundness.
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61. Qualities Can be read selectively: summary, introduction, conclusions.
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62. Qualities Can be read coherently and cumulatively from beginning
to end.
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63. Qualities
Is free from:
typographical errors…
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64. Qualities
grammatical mistakes, and…
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65. Qualities
misspelled words.
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66. Qualities
Sentences are highly specific and fact filled.
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67. Qualities
Provides essential information…
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68. Qualities
Is written clearly, without jargon…
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69. Qualities
Has a summary and/or conclusions.
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70. Qualities Documents and credits sources through references and/or
bibliographies…
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71. Qualities
Uses graphics to present and clarity content…
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72. Qualities
Answers readers' questions.
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73. ARRANGEMENT
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74. Arrangement Divide your subject into a series of sub- topics.
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75. Arrangement
Rough out a plan in a fairly complete
outline...
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76. Arrangement
95 percent of writers use an outline.
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77. Arrangement Think about graphics while you are arranging your
material.
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78. Chronological Arrangement
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79. Chronological Arrange events chronologically in a natural way.
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80. Topical Arrangement
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81. Topical The topic of Farming might be divided into sub-topics:
Production and
Marketing.
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82. Topical Production sub-topic could be divided into: planting,
maintaining, and
harvesting.
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83. ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD TECHNICAL WRITERS
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84. Attributes
Methodical and painstaking.
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85. Attributes Do not squander their time and energy on minor tasks.
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86. Attributes
Record what they do and learn in a notebook or a computer journal.
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87. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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88. Ethics
It is unethical and illegal to
plagiarize!
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89. EFFECTIVE PAGES AND SCREENS
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90. Effectiveness Visually effective pages and computer screens are
inviting...
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91. Effectiveness
Information is easy to locate.
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92. Effectiveness
Pages and screens have:
space
inside
the
text,
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93. Effectiveness
space around the graphics,
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94. Effectiveness
ample margins, and…
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95. Effectiveness
extra blank lines separating paragraphs.
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96. CONCLUSION
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97. Conclusion Remember: Clarity is your most important attribute
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98. Conclusion
Until the reader can understand what you write, nothing else can profitably be done with it.
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