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Introduction To Technical Business Writing

The document provides an introduction to technical business writing. It defines technical business writing as taking complicated subject matter and making it easy to understand for readers. The purposes of technical writing are to inform and to persuade. When informing, writers should be concise, explain ideas in detail, and connect new information to what readers already know. When persuading, writers should remain objective, appeal to logic over emotion, and provide evidence. Technical writing helps perform jobs better by informing, describing, instructing, and persuading through documents like memos, reports, proposals, and manuals. Writers should consider their audience's knowledge and needs. Technical writing is characterized by specialized vocabulary, specific sentences, jargon, graphs/tables, and documentation. It

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212 views23 pages

Introduction To Technical Business Writing

The document provides an introduction to technical business writing. It defines technical business writing as taking complicated subject matter and making it easy to understand for readers. The purposes of technical writing are to inform and to persuade. When informing, writers should be concise, explain ideas in detail, and connect new information to what readers already know. When persuading, writers should remain objective, appeal to logic over emotion, and provide evidence. Technical writing helps perform jobs better by informing, describing, instructing, and persuading through documents like memos, reports, proposals, and manuals. Writers should consider their audience's knowledge and needs. Technical writing is characterized by specialized vocabulary, specific sentences, jargon, graphs/tables, and documentation. It

Uploaded by

umair
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to

Technical Business
Writing
What is Technical Business Writing?

Taking complicated subject matter


and transforming it into easy-to-
understand information for the
reader.
Purpose
There are two general purposes for technical
writing:
To inform (reports, instructions, descriptions)

To provide the audience with factual


information
To persuade (proposals, recommendations)

To convince the audience to draw the


desired conclusions from the provided
information
To inform

Remain as concise as possible.


Explain ideas in enough detail
to make it understandable to
your audience.
Given to new method For
each new piece of information
tie it in to knowledge the
audience already has.
To persuade
Try to remain, or appear to
remain, as objective as possible.
Appeal to logic, not emotion.
Provide evidence for all
arguments
Answer the question Why?
Why is this important?, Why is
this beneficial?, Why is this a
problem?
What does technical writing do?
Technical writing helps perform jobs
better
It does it by
Informing
Describing
Instructing
Persuading
These goals are achieved through
technical documents
Examples of Technical
Communication
Memos and electronic mail (e-mail) to set meeting
agendas and to ask and answers questions

Lettersto sell, complain, hire, fire, ask and answer


questions, and explain the contents of attachments

Reportsto report on job-related travel or incidents, to


study options and recommend action, to report on the
progress of ongoing projects, and to document meeting
minutes

Proposalsto highlight problems, to suggest solutions, and


to recommend action

Brochuresto sell and inform, using six-to eight-panel


(back and front) foldouts
Examples of Technical
Communication (cont.)
Newslettersto report on corporate activities to both
employees and stakeholders

Fliersto sell and inform, using brief, single-sided


documents

Resumesto help you find a job

Web sitesto sell and inform, using multiscreened,


Internet-based, hypertext-linked communication

User manualsto explain the steps in a procedure

Technical descriptionsto explain the parts of a


mechanism, tool, piece of equipment, or product
Audience
Just as you have a purpose in writing,
your audience has a purpose in reading.
Your goal is to ensure that the ideas you
have when writing are the same ideas
that your audience has when reading.
Determine who your audience is so you
can focus in on as small a group as
possible.
The broader the audience, the larger the
chance that the same information will be
interpreted in different ways.
How to determine your audience?

Do this by considering the following


questions.
What is their area and level of
education?
What is their knowledge of your subject?
What is their position?
What is their demographic information?
What is the relationship or status that
exists between your audience and
yourself?
The Nature of Technical
Writing
Purpose: Spelled out in the opening
paragraphs
Vocabulary: Typically specialized
Sentences: Highly specific and fact
filled
Jargon: Typically present in specialized
terminology, definitions, signs, symbols,
and formulas.
The Nature of Technical
Writing (contd)

Graphs and tables: Reinforces


and/or
expands upon surrounding prose
Documentation: Appears in text
and
bibliographies
Qualities of Technical Writing
Arrives on or before the due date
Impressive when flipped through
Contains necessary front matter
discloses purpose and scope
Provides essential information,
clearly
written, free of jargon or padding
Qualities of Technical Writing
(contd)
Uses tables and graphics to present
and
clarify content
Contains a summary or conclusions
Is designed to be read selectively by
readers with diverse interests or
needs
Qualities of Technical Writing
(contd)
Uses a rational, readily discernible
plan,
revealed by the table of contents
and
headings
Reads coherently and cumulatively
Anticipates and answers readers
questions
Excellent technical writing
conveys an overall
impression of authority,
thoroughness, soundness,
and honest work.
Characteristics of Excellent
Technical Writers
Methodical
Organized
Objective
Audience centered
Critical
Informed
Purposeful
Technical Writing
Technical writing describes
communication at the workplace
Technical writing also refers to
information about technology
Technology: 1) practical knowledge,
2) tools and appliances
The modern workplace depends on
technology so much that technical
writing is also called business,
professional, or workplace writing
Technology in todays workplace
We live in a world in which many of our
everyday actions depend on complex but
important technical information
Household appliances, banking systems,
online courses, business negotiations,
government correspondence and affairs,
and almost every other aspect of your
daily life is affected by technologies and
technical information .
Things to consider when doing
business correspondence
Who are you writing to and what is your
relationship with the person?
If the person you are writing to is in a higher position than you,
use more formal language than if the person is someone in
the same level position than you.

If you have never met the person receiving your


correspondence before, you should use formal language
in the first writing to him or her.

Once you have sent the first writing and received a reply, you
can choose to continue using formal language or choose to
use less formal language in future corresponce.
What is the situation?
Think about the reason why you are sending the specific
document and decide if formal or informal language is better.

If you are requesting a service or asking a favor, you should


use formal language.

If you are making a complaint, you should use strong words


to express your dissatisfaction or problem but you must be
polite.

If you are introducing yourself, you should use formal


language but you can use words or phrases that let your
personality show through as well.
If you are writing a customer relation letter, you should use
formal language.
What do you want to accomplish?
If you want the receiver to do something for you, make it
clear. Tell the receiver exactly what action you want done.

Tell the receiver if no action needs to be taken.

If you want the receiver to respond by a certain date, write


the response date.

If you are negotiating or rearranging a meeting, write your


demands or available times clearly.

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