Technical Writing

The purpose of this study guide is to familiarize yourself with the terms you will study in class.

Table of Contents

I. Theory and Practice of Technical Writing

 Establishing Goals
 Analyzing the Audience
 Ensuring the Validity

II. Purpose, Content and Organizational Patterns of Common Types of Technical Documents
 Reports
 Progress/Inspection Reports
 Feasibility Reports
 Research/Laboratory Reports
 Correspondence
 Manuals
 Proposals

III. Elements of Various Technical Reports

 Titles
 Summaries/Abstracts
 Headings
 Definitions
 Conclusions
 Recommendations
 Graphics
 Report Supplements
 Page Design

IV. Technical Editing

 Clarity
 Completeness
 Conciseness
 Correctness
 Sequence
 Unity
 Tone
I. Theory and practice of Technical Writing

A. Establishing goals:
The goal of a technical writer is to explain complex technical information clearly, concisely and in
simple language, so the average reader can understand the information.

B. Analyzing the audience

It is important that the technical writer know their audience early in the writing process. This
helps create an objective and writing style for the intended audience. It is important to think
about what matters to the reader and focus on that.

C. Ensuring the validity

The purpose of writing a document is to convey information. You will need to understand the
information yourself to give instructions. It is necessary to conduct research and ensure that the
information you are giving to the reader is valid.
Once you complete your documentation, you need to test it to make sure it is understandable
and the instructions given are understood and doable to the reader.

II. Purpose, Content, and Organizational Patterns of Common Types of Technical

Documents
A. Reports
Reports communicate information, which has been compiled because of research and analysis of
data and of issues (UniLearning, n.d.).
Technical reports should include a short paragraph summarizing what the report is about.
It will often include graphs and diagrams to illustrate the data from the research. It should also
include details of work, problems encountered, questions that arose and the consequences of
actions towards the research.

B. Progress/inspection reports
1. Progress reports explain the progress of a given project or several projects. It is to reassure
recipients that you are making progress, that the project is going smoothly, and the expected
completion date.
A progress report includes how much work is complete, what work is still in progress, and what
work remains to be completed. It should also include what problems
have occurred, and how the project is going in general.

2. Inspection reports explain the condition of the item being inspected as observed at the time of
inspection. Inspection reports should include the condition of the item being inspected, any
major concerns, safety issues, needs of improvements, and whether further monitoring is
needed.
C. Feasibility reports
Feasibility reports provide information and argue the point of certain course of action. It may
present information to prove whether a project can be done and/or worth doing. The feasibility
report includes the project information, problems, solutions, what you need in order to achieve
the solutions, alternative plans, risks and the length of the project.

D. Research/laboratory reports
Research/laboratory reports include scientific information that is gathered during a study. The
information is presented and tested to make sure that the findings are legitimate. Research and
laboratory reports should include the title of your report, introduction, objective, hypothesis, the
method and materials, and the results. A summary with discussion and observations on the
results would also be included in the report.

E. Correspondence
1. Memos:
A memo is commonly used for communication within a company. It may be formal or used to
present a report. The memo is used to inform readers of specific or basic information.

2. Letters:
A letter needs to have an objective and an aim. You need to know the recipient and always
remain courteous and professional. A business letter is printed on company letterhead. The
format of a letter contains the recipient name, date, and address. The body of the letter includes
a salutation, subject or objective of the letter, and at the end a signature.

3. Resumes:
A resume is a document that lists the set of your professional and personal accomplishments.
You would present this to a potential employer when applying for a position. The resume should
include an objective as well as employment history, your skill sets and educational background.

F. Manuals
1. A manual is a document that serves as a training tool to educate the reader how to use, run,
install, set up or build a tool/product. It should include simple language and images.

2. Instructions: When creating instructions, start by writing steps that are logically ordered. It is
helpful to write steps for a procedure by starting with a verb and should be in present tense.

3. Procedures: Procedure steps should be written in simple English so the reader may easily
understand it. Sentences should be short but very descriptive. Procedure steps written in bullet
points rather than paragraphs make it easier for the reader to understand. There should be
some assumption that the reader has little knowledge and experience.

4. Process Descriptions: Manuals should be written with instructions, which include a sequence
of events. Each instruction may be numbered by which the order it should occur. The process
should be broken up into smaller stages. Describe each stage in order in chronological or
sequential order.

G. Proposals
1. A proposal is a written document, which includes a suggestion or recommendation on a plan.
When gathering information for a proposal it should include the summary of the entire proposal,
why the proposal is necessary, proposal description, budget and conclusion. The proposal should
also include a cover page, and contact information.

III. Elements of Various Technical Reports

A. Titles
The title of a report needs to be detailed so there is no question as to what the report is about.
The title appears on the title page, which would also include the author’s name and the date of
the report.

B. Summaries/Abstracts
The summary/abstract is a brief overview of the report. It clearly states the main topic, purpose,
investigation, results, conclusions and any recommendations. It should only be a few sentences
long.

C. Headings
Headings are an important feature to a technical report because they help break up long
stretches of straight text. All headings should be consistent in style and format. The title of the
headings should indicate the topic coverage in the section.
Effective headings make it easier for the reader to access and understand the document. You
may have 2 to 3 headings per
page with regular text. Do not overdo headings. There may be first level, second level and third
level headings dependent on the type of technical report (McMurrey, D., 2011).

a. First-Level Heading
i. Make first-levels all-caps.
ii. Use Roman numerals with first-levels.
iii. Either underline the words but not the Roman numeral, or bold the entire heading including
the Roman numeral.
iv. Make first-levels centered on the page.
v. Start a new page whenever you have a first-level heading.
vi. Begin first-levels on the standard first text line of a page.
vii. Leave 3 blank lines between first-levels and the first line of text.

b. Second-Level Headings
i. Make second-levels headline-style caps.
ii. Underline or use bold on second-levels.
iii. Do not include outlining apparatus such as "A." or "B." or "1." or "2." with second-levels.
iv. Make second-levels flush left.
v. Leave 2 blank lines between previous text and second-levels.
vi. Leave 1 blank line between second-levels and the following text.

c. Third-Level Headings
i. Make third-levels sentence-style caps.
ii. Underline or use bold for third-levels (but don't underline the period).
iii. End third-levels with a period.
iv. Do not include outlining apparatus such as "A." or "B." or "1." or "2." with third-levels.
v. Indent third-levels 5 spaces (or the standard paragraph indentation).
vi. Do not make third-levels a grammatical part of sentences that follow.
vii. Use the standard spacing between paragraphs for paragraphs that contain third-levels.

D. Definitions
1. All terms and concepts that need to be defined should be included in the material documents.
The definitions may be placed in endnotes or in the glossary at the end of the document. This
should be indicated at the beginning of the document.

E. Conclusions
The conclusion section is an effective ending to your report. The content should state whether
you have achieved your objective, a brief summary of important information and findings and
highlights the outcomes and results of your investigation and the significance.

F. Recommendations
Recommendations are often included in reports that include results of test experiments, field
trials, specific design problems and feasibility reports.
The author may suggest a course of action to the reader, such as if any additional information
needs to be learned and what the author wants the reader to do with the information resented.
G. Graphics
Using graphics in a technical document helps the reader understand the instructions of a
technical document. When including graphics, tables or charts in a technical document make
sure, the graphics are appropriate to the reader, subject matter and purpose. Always discuss
graphics in nearby text preceding the graphic. Orient readers to the graphic; explain its basic
meaning. The graphic should be labeled, include a title and a source if the graphic is not your wn.

H. Report supplements (glossary, footnotes, appendices, indices)

Information essential to the understanding and defending of the text appears in the text.
Information that needs more understanding such as definitions, sources, should be included in
the document. Each new type of data or procedure/technique should be found in its own
appendix. Anything that cannot be left out of a report, but is too large for the main part of the
report and would serve to distract or interrupt the flow belongs in the appendixes.

I. Page design
1. The page design covers a wide range of reader aids, including white space, bullets or
numbering, indentation, underlining, bold facing, capitalization, headings, subheadings, and
visual aids.

a. White space refers to the amount of blank space between lines or groups of lines. It can set off
an important line or section simply by putting more than the usual space above and below it just
as this guidebook uses space to separate different sections from one another.

b. Bullets or numbers can be used to emphasize separate points. Bullets and numbering are
especially useful when writing a technical manual.

c. Indentation also visually separates important points from the rest of the text.

d. Underlining, either by itself or in combination with other strategies such as boldfacing, italics
and CAPITALIZATION, helps define separate sections, especially in headings and subheadings.

e. Headings, placed at the beginning of every major segment of your report, guide your readers
to the parts they consider most relevant and interesting.

f. Subheadings break down long segments into more manageable pieces and serve as guideposts
for the reader.
g. Visual aids encompass many items: tables and graphs, illustrations, and charts. All visual aids
must be labeled; usually they are numbered and captioned. Anything not a table is called a
figure. Place numbers and titles above tables and below figures. Refer to each table or figure
in the text, for example, "see Figure l," or "see Table 2." Be sure to show the source of your visual
aid at the bottom of the table or figure.

h. Tables present information in columns and rows.

i. Graphs simplify statistical data.

i. Line graphs show trends or relationships.
ii. Bar graphs compare separate items.
iii. Pie charts show different values as part of a whole.

j. Illustrations include photographs and line drawings.

k. Line drawings come in three types:

i. A simple reproduction of an object, similar to a photograph
ii. An exploded view of an object showing its parts disconnected but arranged in the order
they fit together.
iii. A detail drawing showing a close-up view of a particular part.

l. Chart is a catch-all term for many kinds of visual aids. Charts represent visually the organization
of something such as a process or corporation.

IV. Technical Editing

A. Clarity
The purpose of a technical document is to inform the reader of your conclusions and any
supporting evidence. Your document must convey the exact meaning to the reader; the text
must be exact, clear and understandable.

B. Completeness
When creating a technical document, it needs to be edited for completeness.
If instructions are involved, test them to make sure they are complete and a reader can
understand the simple instructions.

C. Conciseness
Technical documents should be concisely written, they should be brief but comprehensible. You
can help your readers by writing the document with the fewest possible words and illustrations.
Give enough information to help them understand clearly what you are describing and why you
are describing it. Include enough background information and details to make the context clear.
D. Correctness
Reports should tell a complete story as logically and interestingly as possible.
Choose the places where you refer to figures and tables carefully to limit distractions. Making
references to tables and illustrations at the beginning or end of the document is usually
preferable.

E. Sequence
Information presented in a logical sequence creates a readable document.
Certain sequence patterns, or methods of development, are useful when creating technical
documents.

F. Unity
Unity of a document refers to its single purpose and its presentation of information. Each
paragraph should focus on one idea and not stray from it.
Each paragraph should concentrate on a single concept. When editing a technical document, the
author must question if the document is achieving one purpose, and if all the ideas flow logically
together.

G. Tone
Readers do not want to be confused when reading a document. They must not feel uncertain or
confused with the information given to them, which is why the tone you set in your document is
important. The tone you set in the document, just as your speaking reflects an attitude, an
attitude to the reader and to the subject matter. When editing a technical document, make
sure the information conveyed is in an informative confidential tone.