Learning Objectives

1
Learning Objectives

• To become aware your audience
• To become aware of the difference between
  technical writing and academic writing.

2
Learning Objectives Cont

• To become familiar with tone and style.
• To become familiar with the Technical Writing
  Process.

3
Technical Writing

• is the written communication of engineering and
  scientific ideas, concepts, and data presented
  objectively, logically, and accurately.

4
Technical Vs Academic

• How are they different?
• 1. Purpose
• 2. Knowledge of topic
• 3. Audience
• 4. Criteria for evaluation

5
Technical Writing

• is clear and concise,
• uses graphics to convey ideas
• has a predetermined format

6
In Technical Writing

• Reader uses documents
• to perform a task
• to make a decision
• to solve a problem, or
• to acquire information and knowledge.

7
Technical Communication

• Is usually used to
• Inform
• Persuade
• Instruct

8
Readers Philosophy

• Dont tell me what you know rather, provide me
  with information I need, in a format I can use!

9
Tone?

• Is your attitude towards the message audience
• Creates Emotional Attitude
• Creates Writer Persona

10
Key Tone Decision

• Personal Tone
• Pronouns
• Active Voice
• Impersonal Tone
• Writer not important
• Situation neutral

11
What Tone Depends Upon

• The Situation
• Formal Vs Informal
• Personal Relationship
• How Writer wants to be perceived

12
Recommended

• Majority
• Personal Pronouns
• Active voice
• Formal Reports (Body)
• Limited Pronouns
• Active Voice

13
Creating Readable Style

• Emphasize Important Ideas
• Whose story is it (important elements)?
• What is the plot?

14
Avoid Agentless Prose

• Agents are
• Clearly identified persons or things that are
  acting
• Have Sentences Verb-driven

15
Structure Sentences

• Agent
• Action
• Result

16
Same as

• Subject Verb beginnings
• Makes writing easier to read
• Gets across main ideas

17
Use Transitions

• What are transitions?
• Between paragraphs?
• Within paragraphs?

18
Definition of a Process

• A process is a sequence of interrelated
  operations or actions by which something is done
  or made.

19
Writing Process Involves

• Planning
• Drafting
• Revising