TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION - Rev

INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
•Technical communication is the exchange of information that helps people interact with technology and solve complex
problems.
WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?
•To interact with technology in so many ways, we need information that is not only technically accurate but also easy to
understand and use.
•Technical communication serves various needs in various settings.
Technical Communication: A Digital and a Human Activity

•People make information meaningful by thinking critically and addressing such questions as:
➤Which information is relevant to this situation?
➤Can I verify the accuracy of this source?
➤What action does it suggest?
➤How does this information affect me or my colleagues?
➤With whom should I share it?
➤How might others interpret this information?
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION REACH A GLOBAL AUDIENCE
➤ Electronically linked, our global community shares social, political, and financial interests.
➤ To connect with all readers, technical documents need to reflect global and intercultural diversity.
•Cultures differ over which behaviors seem appropriate for social interaction, business relationships, contract negotiation,
and communication practices.
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION IS PART OF MOST CAREERS
➤ Whatever your job description, expect to be evaluated, at least in part, on your communication skills.
➤ Most professionals serve as part-time technical communicators.
➤ Full-time technical communicators serve many roles.
MAIN FEATURES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
Technical communication is:
➤reader-centered
➤accessible and efficient
➤often produced by teams
➤delivered in paper and digital versions
PURPOSES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
Technical communication serves three purposes that sometimes overlap:
➤to inform: Anticipate and answer your readers' questions
➤to instruct: Enable your readers to perform certain tasks
➤to persuade: Motivate your readers
PREPARING EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS
➤ The main question you must answer: "How do I prepare the right document for this group of readers and this particular
situation?"
The four basic tasks of an effective technical communicator are:
1. Deliver information readers can use
2. Use persuasive reasoning
3. Weigh the ethical issues
4. Practice good team work
RELEVANT LAWS AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO TECHNICAL WRITING
"In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so."
- Immanuel Kant
BASIC LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TECHNICAL WRITERS
There are four bodies of law that are relevant to technical be aware of legal and communication. Technical writers must be
aware of legal and ethical considerations when preparing technical papers.
• Copyright Law
• Trademark Law
• Contract Law
• Liability Law
1. COPYRIGHT LAW
- protects authors' rights for written material, printed content, software, and photos, requiring permission for use.
Exceptions allow fair use by reviewers, teachers, and critics, who must attribute the original author when utilizing
material.
2. TRADEMARK LAW
- pertains to federal protection. Commerce to identify the product of one manufacturer from another. The author
explains that registered trademarks should only be used with proper icons (usually, O, TM, or ®) and should always
be used as adjectives instead of nouns.
Registered Trademarks (®)
Usage: Applied to products or services that are officially registered with the relevant trademark office.
3. CONTRACT LAW
- is an agreement between two entities. It can be written or oral. The important part of the agreement is often the
warranty of a product or service.
There are usually two kinds of warranty: express warranty and implied warranty.
• Express Warranty- is typically a written statement, presented as specific facts about the features of a product or service.
• Implied warranty- is an example of the contract theory noted above: a product is presumed to do what the manual and
the package show it to do.
4. LIABILITY LAW
- pertains to responsibilities or obligations of writers who claim they made it on their paper. This branch of law leads
to the documentation often found in packages that tells us not to use products for any purpose not intended by the
manufacturer. It needs to be specific, and it needs to be plainly worded.
PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
DOs of Technical Communication
• Abide by relevant laws.
• Abide by the appropriate corporate or professional code of conduct.
• Tell the truth.
• Be clear.
• Avoid discriminatory language.
• Acknowledge assistance from others.
DON'Ts of Technical Communication
• False Implications- assuming the outcome of a project or making sweeping generalizations.
• Exaggerations expressing situations in extreme proportions.
• Euphemisms- writing about situations in seemingly good conditions even though they are
not.
• Don't mislead your readers.
The Writing process
Pre-writing stage- This is the first stage in the writing process. It is what the writer does before he writes the first draft.
A. Purpose of the paper. This is necessary to determine the content of the paper to be included, the organization and
style of the paper,
B. Choice of topic. A writer has to explain or justify his/her chosen topic.
C. Gathering information. A writer must be able to find sources of information to enrich his/her topic.
Pre-writing techniques:
1. Keep a writer’s journal

2. Do free writing
3. Brainstorming
4. Clustering
5. Asking questions using the 5ws
6. Reading with focus
7. Listening with focus
8. Observing
9. Imagining
Writing stage- The writing stage is the part where we begin to write our first draft.
Do’s of writing a first draft
1. Do feel free to follow the flow of ideas.

2. Do work on the details.
3. Do have fun.
Don’ts of writing a first draft
1. Don’t over analyze your writing

2. Don’t exaggerate details.
3. Don’t worry yet about how good your writing is.
Re-writing stage- During this stage, you review, evaluate and make changes to your initial draft to improve its clarity,
organization, coherence and overall quality.
Criteria for revision
1. Ensuring Relevance of Content

2. Establishing Organization
3. Observing Grammar and Mechanics

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INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Technical Communication: A Digital and a Human Activity

B. Choice of topic. A writer has to explain or justify his/her chosen topic.

1. Keep a writer’s journal

1. Do feel free to follow the flow of ideas.

Don’ts of writing a first draft

1. Don’t over analyze your writing

Criteria for revision

1. Ensuring Relevance of Content

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