Fundamentals of Technical Writing PDF

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! Lesson 5.1:Fundamentals of Technical Writing! ! Definition and Nature! ▸ Technical Writing or Report Writing is giving an account or description of an aspect of a particular art, science, trade, or profession, learned by experience, study, observation, or investigation (Vicente, et al., 1997).! ! ▸ Technical Writing is a communication in any field which aims to convey a particular piece of information for a particular purpose to a particular reader or a group of readers. It is objective, clear and accurate, concise and unemotional in its presentation of facts.! ! ▸ It is also an exposition about scientific subjects and various technical subjects associated with sciences; hence, it uses scientific and technical vocabulary; tables, graphs, and figures to clarify and support textual discussion; and, conventional report forms (Alcantara & Espina, 2010).! ! Characteristics of Technical Writing! a. Technical Writing treats of subject matter related to science and technology and, lately has involved other disciplines such as economics, medicine, psychology, agriculture, radiology, business administration, and others.! ! ! b. Technical Writing is characterized by certain elements such as its scientific and technical vocabulary, its use of graphic or visual aids, and its use of conventional report forms.! ! c. Technical Writing observes impartiality and objectivity, shows extreme care to convey information accurately and concisely, and avoids any attempt to arouse emotion.! ! d. Technical Writing uses certain complex writing techniques such as definition, classification, description of mechanisms, description of processes, exemplification, causal analysis, and others.! ! e. Technical Writing has practicality and power.! ! f. Technical Writing used to involve only engineers and architects as its primary audience. Today, however, technical writing begins to attract students from many disciplines.! ! g. Technical Writing courses are worthwhile because they have a high carry-over value beyond the college days.! ! Properties of Technical Writing! ! Vicente, et al. (1997) emphasized that, “Reading a piece of technical writing leads one to discover its distinctive characteristics which differentiate it from other types of writing.” One distinguishing mark of technical writing is aptly stated by Rufus Turner: “Truth is the soul of science.” Good technical writing never misleads or misrepresents.! ! Following is a list of the properties of technical writing which Zall refers to as the ABC’s of report writing.! A - Accuracy! B - Brevity! C - Coherence!

D - Confidence! E - Emphasis! F - Facility! G - Grammatical Correctness! H - Honesty! I - Illustration! J - Judgment! K - Knowledge! L - Logic! M - Mechanical Neatness! N - Normal Procedure! O - Objectivity! Q - Quality! S - Straight Sentences! T - Thoroughness! U - Unity! V - Veracity and Viewpoint! W - Word Choice! Y - You-Point! Z - Zest! ! ! Purposes of Technical Writing! a. It gives information that leads to the accomplishment of specific tasks and in the making of needed decisions.! b. Technical Writing persuades and influences decisions.! c. Technical Writing analyzes events and their implications like the failure of certain educational, socio-economic, or political systems; or needed social changes, like how to save the dying bodies of water in the country, particularly the Pasig River, Laguna Lake, and the Lingayen Gulf.! ! ! Comparisons between Technical Writing and other Forms of Writing! Literary Writing includes poetry, short stories, plays, and novels.!

characters to present a message.! ! Comparisons between Technical Writing and other Forms of Writing! b.! Expressive Writing records a subjective, emotional response to a personal! experience.!

! Comparisons between Technical Writing and other Forms of Writing! c. Expository Writing analyzes a topic objectively.!

! ! !

Comparisons between Technical Writing and other Forms of Writing! d. Persuasive Writing combines the emotionalism of expressive writing with the analytical traits of expository! writing.! audience’s emotional attitude toward a topic.! 22! Outputs/End Products of Technical Writing! 23! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! a. Business Letter! transact business.! 24! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! b. Feasibility Report! economical, and technical benefits/practicability of a proposed business project.! 25! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! c. Abstract! conducted study.! 26! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! d. Specification! assessment, or calculations of requirements, dimensions, materials, etc., as of a proposed building, machine, bridge, etc.! 27! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! e. Brochure! containing summarized, introductory advertising, or information about a product, service, or idea purposely written to attract attention and action of the customers.! 28! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! f. Memorandum! interoffice communication about company matters, e.g. on something to be done or acted upon in the future.! 29! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! g. Instruction Manual! accompanying a technical device or appliance which gives directions for use. It may also refer to a set of directions for work procedures or policies.! 30! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! h. Proposal!

proposed to elicit action for a change of performance which may help solve a problem.! 31! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! i. Treaty! document of agreement between two or more parties aiming for peace, alliance, commerce, or other international agreement.! 32! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! j. Article (books and technical journals)! books or journals.! 33! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! k. Contract! two parties enforceable by law in doing or not doing something.! 34! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! l. Policy! of action adopted and pursued by the government, company management, or any organization.! 35! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! m. Progress Report! work on what has been accomplished during a specified period of time, including future expectations in the next period.! 36! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! n. Technical Paper! describing a new concept or development intended for a professional journal or magazine.! 37! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! laboratory tests with corresponding procedures done. It contains descriptions of the scope, equipment, procedures, results, and possibly conclusions and recommendations.! 38! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! p. Survey Report! subject or product service using subjects like potential market, labor policies, public opinion, and community resources.! 39! Output/End Products of Technical Writing! q. Re"sume"! and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Resumes " " can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment.! 40!

Outlining! 41! Outlining! Menoy (2009) identifies outlining as the fourth in the pre-writing process. It implies organization of ideas. In outlining, the writer lists down all ideas relevant to the topic, sorts them all into major and minor ones, and creates an outline out of them.! 42! Outlining! Furthermore, Menoy emphasizes that a good writer uses an outline which serves as skeletal framework for his composition. Materials are well organized when an outline is made prior to collecting information or writing the draft. Indeed, an outline helps the writer present his ideas in an orderly fashion.! 43! Outlining! Alphanumeric (number-letter) System! 44! Outlining! Example:! 45! Use of Graphic Aids! 46! Use of Graphic Aids! Menoy (2009) emphasizes that in doing oral and written reports, graphic aids and other visual aids are important. They not only help the listeners or readers understand the materials, but also make them retain these materials. Reporters must remember this principle: “What is seen is better remembered than what is heard.”! 47! Classification of Graphic Aids! and percentages.! 48! Classification of Graphic Aids! b. Column (Bar) Graph! 49! Classification of Graphic Aids! c. Line Graph! development.! 50! Classification of Graphic Aids! d. Surface Graph! and quantities.! 51! Classification of Graphic Aids! e. Map Chart! data and how things are put together.! 52!

Classification of Graphic Aids! responsibility and accountability in an organization.! 53! Classification of Graphic Aids! g. Table! numerical and other data.! 54! Classification of Graphic Aids! h. Schematic Diagram! works or is organized.! 55! Classification of Graphic Aids! i. Flow Chart! events in a narrative or stages in a process.! 56! Classification of Graphic Aids! j. Tree Chart/Diagram! or an analysis.! 57! Business Communication! 58! Business Communication! ▸ Business Communication is also one of the essential products of technical writing. They are called business letters because they are used for business purposes and they are aimed to serve three purposes: to sell, to buy, and to promote good business relationship (Menoy, 2007).! 59! Elements of a Business Letter! ▸ Unlike a social or a friendly letter (whose parts are limited to heading, salutation, body of the letter, complimentary close, and signature) a business letter is composed of the basic and the miscellaneous elements.! 60! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! a. Heading! address and the dateline (month, day, and year).! 61! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! 62! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! b. Inside Address! the addressee, his designation, his company, and its business address.! 63! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! 64! Basic Parts of a Business Letter!

c. Salutation! part of the letter.! 65! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! 66! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! d. Body of the Letter! communication and consists of the introduction (purpose), the body (discussion), and the conclusion (token of appreciation/building of goodwill).! 67! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! 68! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! e. Complimentary Close! part of the letter.! 69! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! 70! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! f. Signature! the signatory (sender) and his designation.! 71! Basic Parts of a Business Letter! 72! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! a. Reference Line! number of the letter which is used for reference/filing purposes.! 73! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! 74! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! b. Attention Line! addressee intended to read the letter if such name does not appear on the inside address.! 75! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! 76! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! c. Subject Line! letter or the title of the message elaborated in the body of the letter.! 77! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! 78! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! d. Identification Notation or!

Reference Initials! letters.! e. Enclosure Notation! placed inside the envelope, other than the letter.! 79! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! 80! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! going to receive the letter other than the addressee.! 81! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! 82! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! g. Postscript! that are omitted from the body of the letter and should be included.! 83! Miscellaneous Parts of a Business Letter! 84! Mechanics of Letter Writing! 85! Mechanics of Letter Writing! M - Margining! E - End Stops! C - Comma! H - Hyphenation & Spacing A - Abbreviation & Acronym N - Numbers! I - Italicization & Indention C - Capitalization! S - Spellings! 86! Margining! a. The usual margin is one inch on all sides, particularly letters of one-page length.! b. Short letters or articles of less than one-page long have two-inch or one-and-a-half margins on the left and right sides.! 87! Margining! c. If the report is bound, a half-inch is added to the one-inch.! d. Margins may be justified or unjustified.! 88! Abbreviation and Acronym! a. Acronyms (UP, HIV/AIDS, ASEAN, UNICEF, NBA, etc.)! b. Clipped or Apocopated Words (ad, exam, gas, gym, memo, photo, lab, lib, psych, max, typo, carbs, etc.)! 89! Abbreviation and Acronym! c. Blends or Portmanteau Words (infotech, medtech, scifi, podcast, motel, cosplay, sitcom, spork, etc.)! d. Conventional Abbreviations (Dr., Atty., Gen., Gov., Cong., Fr., Sr., Jr., Bro., etc.)! 90!

Abbreviation and Acronym! Note: Unconventional Abbreviations are not allowed in formal written business communication. These include: & (for and), w/c (for which), w/ (for with), w/o for (without), # (for number, and so on).! 91! Numbers! a. Numbers as one digit are written as words.! Example:! There are seven sacraments.! 92! Numbers! b. Numbers of two or more digits are written as figures.! Example:! There are 27 students who attended the conference.! 93! Numbers! c.! Numbers are written as figures if they precede units of measurements.! Example:! The customer ordered 25 kilos of sugar.! 94! Numbers! d.! Numbers are written as words when they appear first in a sentence or direct speech.! Example:! Thirty cases of AIDS have been discovered in the Philippines.! 95! Numbers! e.! Numbers are written as words and figures enclosed in parentheses in business documents and contracts.! Example:! Pay to the order of Dr. Martinez the amount of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000.00).! 96! Italicization! a. Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, and periodicals.! b. Names of ships, aircraft, and spacecraft.! 97! Italicization! c.! Words, letters, and figures when referred to as words, letters, and figures.! Examples:! not have a prefix.! the suffix ing is added.! are even.! 98! Italicization! d.! Foreign words and expressions that have not been assimilated in English.!

Examples: bon appetit, " bon voyage, hasta la vista, etc.! Scientific names of plants and animals.! e.! 99! Capitalization! a. The first word of the sentence or the sentence fragment.! Example:! Yes. In America.! 100! Capitalization! b. The first word of a direct question.! Example:! The customer asked, “What is the selling price?”! 101! Capitalization! c. The first word of a direct quotation.! Example:! The teacher said, “Pass your paper now.”! 102! Capitalization! d. The first word of a line of poetry.! e. Words in titles of books, magazines, newspapers, movies, shows, etc.! f. The first word of the salutation or complimentary close of a letter.! 103! Capitalization! g. The names of natural and juridical persons (Mr. Contreras, San Miguel Corporation).! h. The names of historical periods and events.! i. The names of ships, aircraft, and spacecraft.! 104! Capitalization! j. Words designating places, races, and languages.! k. Words used to address people (Madam President).! l. Words or titles preceding names of people or used as epithets (Saint John the Beloved).! 105! Capitalization! m. The pronoun I.! n. Words designating the! Deity.! o. The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays and holy days.! 106! Capitalization! p. Names of courts and treaties.! q. Registered trademarks and service marks.! r. Names of planets, constellations, satellites, and other heavenly bodies.! 107! Spellings! a. Silent e. When adding suffixes, drop the e if the suffix begins with a vowel and retain the e if the suffix begins with a consonant.! 108! Spellings! Examples: love + able love + ly like + ing like + ness!

= lovable = lovely! = liking! = likeness! 109! Spellings! b. Final y. When adding suffixes, change y to i if y is preceded by a consonant and retain the spelling of the word to be affixed if y is preceded by a vowel.! 110! Spellings! Examples:! lady + es = ladies marry + ed = married key + s = keys pray + ed = prayed! 111! Spellings! c. Final consonant. When adding suffixes, double the final consonant if it is preceded by a vowel and found in a one-syllable word or a two-syllable word stressed on the final syllable and the suffix begins with a vowel.! 112! Spellings! Examples:! begin + ing = beginning benefit + ed = benefited! 113! Spellings! d.! EI and IE pronounced as long e. Remember to use i before e, except after c.! Examples:! believe perceive belief conceit! 114! Spellings! e. Plurals of Nouns. Nouns that end with a sibilant sound (s, z, sh, zh, ch, j, and x) have es as the plural suffix. Otherwise, the nouns take the s as the plural suffix.! 115! Spellings! Examples: bus - buses flash - flashes buzz - buzzes tax - taxes girl - girls! test - tests cent - cents! 11 6! Styles of a Business Letter! 117! Styles of a Business Letter! a. Full-Block Style! letterhead is aligned along the left margin.! 118! Full-Block Style! 119! Styles of a Business Letter! b. Modified Block Style! such as the dateline, the complimentary close, and the signature are aligned to the right to help balance the other parts of the letter which have a left hand alignment.! 120! Modified Block Style!

121! Styles of a Business Letter! c. Semi-Block Style! as the modified block except that the first line of each paragraph is indented.! 122! Semi-Block Style! 123! References! ▸ CAS English Faculty Members. Purposive Communication 101 Module – College of! Arts and Sciences (CAS).! ▸ Template.Net. 6+ Formal Outline Templates! – Sample, Example. Retrieved from https://www.template.net/business/outline-te mplates/formaloutline-templates/! ▸ Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia. Re"sume." ! Retrieved from! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sum %C3%A9! 124! Any questions?! THANKS!!...