Prepared by: Jasley Babe Manuel-Eulogio, LPT
Lesson 1: What is Technical Writing?
Lesson 2: Relevant laws and Ethical
Considerations Related to Technical Writing
Lesson 3: The Writing Process
Technical writing is about scientific subjects and
about various technical subjects associated with
sciences.
Technical writing is characterized by certain formal
elements, such as its scientific and technical
vocabulary, its use of graphic aids, and its use of
conventional report forms.
Mills and Walter (1981)
Technical writing is ideally characterized by
the maintenance of an attitude of impartiality
and objectivity, by extreme care to convey
information accurately and concisely, and by
the absence of any attempt to arouse
emotion.
Mills and Walter (1981)
Technical writing is writing in which there is
relatively high concentration of certain
complex and important writing techniques, in
particular description of mechanisms,
description of process, definition,
classification, and interpretation.
Mills and Walter (1981)
Business letter Instructional
Contract manuals
Monograph Brochures
Printed action Proposals
memo Memoranda
Graphic aids
Business letter is a type of written
communication.
It is written using formal language and
follows formal elements of letter writing.
Business letter
People usually write business letters to
communicate with companies,
organizations or individuals with the
purpose of applying for a job, making
requests, seeking appointments, etc.
Contract
It is a written agreement between two
people under mutually agreed terms.
Monograph
It is a detailed essay or book on a very
specific topic.
Printed Action Memo
It is a ready-format memorandum that
only requires a checkmark on the
appropriate box that contains the
message.
Graphic Aids
Are drawings, sketches and illustrations
that aid the readers in understanding the
presented data.
Instructional Manuals
Are written to guide the readers on how
to assemble, maintain, and operate an
apparatus, machine or gadget.
Brochures
Are pamphlets or flyers that endorse a
product in such way that the potential
customer will be convinced that the
product is effective and eventually avail
of the product.
Proposals
Are written suggestions on how to make
the company or organization more
productive and successful.
Memoranda
Are inter-office written communication
used to disseminate information.
1. Always have in mind a specific
reader, real or imaginary, when you
are writing a report. Always assume
that he is intelligent, but uninformed.
2. Before you start to write, always decide
what the exact purpose of your report is,
and make sure that every paragraph, every
sentence, every word makes a clear
contribution to that purpose.
3. Use language that is simple,
concrete, and familiar.
4.At the beginning and end of every
section of your report, check your writing
according to this principle: “First you tell
the reader what you’re going to tell him,
then you tell him what you’ve told him.”
5. Make your report attractive.
It serves as basis for management decision.
It furnishes needed information.
It gives instructions.
It records business transactions through proposals.
It procures business proposals.
It serves as basis for public relations.
It provides report to stockholders of companies.
The following properties of technical writing are also
known as “considerations” when writing technical
reports.
Subject matter. In writing technical papers, you
must ask the question, “What will I write about?”
The subject matter is an essential element in
technical report writing. Some examples of this are
description of a process, writing about a theory, or
submitting a policy.
Audience.
When thinking about the audience, ask “Whom am I
writing for? Or who are my intended readers? This is
a property which pertains to a particular reader of a
technical literature.
Expression.
This property refers to two basic modes in which a
technical report has to be delivered-writing it of
reading it. Your expression of the content will
depend on your awareness of your
audience’s/reader’s psychology and your style in
writing to be able to reach your audience’s/reader’s
understanding.
Style.
This refers to how the material is written. A
technical writer uses clear, specific point of
view, objective, impartial, and unemotional
style in writing.
Arrangement of materials.
This pertains to how ideas should be organized
in chronological, spatial or logical order, from
general to specific or specific to general, and
use illustrations to present information.
