TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES
DAYANANDA SAGAR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
KUMARASWAMY LAYOUT
BANGALORE
INTRODUCTION
Technical Communication is the process of transmission of scientific and
technical information from one individual or group to another. This exchange
of professional information may include simple definitions of tools, complex
descriptions of machines, process explanation and interpretation of scientific
principles.
In order to be an effective technical communicator, one needs to understand the
process of technical communication. It is the central factor in the emerging
knowledge society, where technocrats and professionals in different areas face new
communication challenges.
NATURE OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
Effective technical communication is a dynamic interchange that may involve a
systematic understanding of scientific and technical subjects.
The three important requirements of effective technical communication are :
• subject competence,
• linguistic competence, and
• organizational competence.
Subject Competence - As TC involves technical presentation, it involves one’s professional knowledge,
experiences, and abilities. It is the possession of appropriate knowledge of a particular technical subject
matter as well as the possession of highly sophisticated technical or professional skills.
NATURE OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION – CONT.
Linguistic competence – is the possession of appropriate language skills and the ability to
present scientific facts or information clearly and objectively. As TC involves presentation of
data in reports, proposals, research paper, technical bulletins, manuals and handbooks….etc., it
includes several functional skills. These skills include the ability to
•Analyze facts or information for clear presentation,
•Use appropriate rhetorical devices to present scientific data,
•Use graphs, charts, and diagrams systematically.
Organizational Competence – is the ability to organize technical information in a logical and
structured way. As, TC is a systematic and structured presentation of information , it involves a
process of logical and thematic organisation.
General and Technical Communication
Technical communication is the process of communicating a specific message
to specific audience with a specific purpose. It is the need based specific
characteristic of TC that makes it different from general communication.
General Communication Technical Communication
• General content - Technical content
• General vocabulary - Specialized vocabulary
• Both formal and informal in style - Always formal style
• May be factual, objective and subjective. - Always factual and objective.
• Not always structured - Logically organized and structured
•Not for specific audience - Specific audience
•No specific techniques - Complex exposition techniques
•May not involve graphics - Usually involves graphics
ORGANISATION IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
Technical Communication is always purposeful, and all technical compositions and
presentations are organised and logically structured.
Organisation in TC refers to the process of arranging information logically. Unlike general
communication, TC follows a linear logical pattern to organise information. To write; a
technical report, make an oral presentation, an email message, or take part in a professional
discussion, one has to consider what kind of organisation is to be used. One needs to organise
the information that one presents in a systematic way.
There are seven basic patterns of logically organising information in technical communication;
Spatial, chronological, general to specific, specific to general, increasing order of importance,
decreasing order of importance, and emphatic organisation.
ORGANISATION IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
1. Spatial Organisation - is the logical division of a subject or topic on the basis of how they
are arranged in space. T his pattern can make a complex or difficult subject easy to
understand by categorising its various elements spatially.
2. Chronological Organisation - refers to the narration of events in the order in which they
occur in time.
3. General to Specific Organisation or deductive logical order - this logical pattern involves
the process of moving from a general statement, principle, or law to specific details.
4. Specific to General Organisation or inductive logical order - in this logical organisation ,
specific details, examples , and illustrations come first, then followed by the general
statement.
5. Order of Increasing Importance - organising thoughts and ideas in the order of increasing
importance.
6. Order of Decreasing Importance - in the logical order of decreasing importance.
Important details are followed by unimportant details.
7. Emphatic Organisation- ideas are presented in the order of increasing importance with an
abstract or summary in the beginning
STYLE IN TECHNICAL COMMNUNICATION
Style in technical communication is the way one speaks or writes to convey technical
information. It refers to the way something is said rather than what is said. Style is
the distinctive mode or manner of expressing ideas in language.
The distinctive manner may refer to the process of choosing appropriate :
• words and phrases ( formal, informal, technical …)
• sentence structure (simple, complex, compound, mixed, …)
• sentence type ( affirmative, negative, questions, question tags …)
• rhetorical devices or discourse writing techniques ( description, narration, explanation, comparison and
contrast…) , and
• effective logical structure and organisation.
Style in communication largely depends on:
• the audience - for Ex. , the same message when addressed to a superior is expressed more diplomatically
and tactfully, but to subordinates it is more direct and forceful.
• the communicative context - conveying, requesting, persuading
• the purpose - the way one conveys different emotions.
Thus, style in technical communication is the way one speaks or writes when one deals with a technical or
scientific subjects.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
The most important elements of technical communication are:
• Accuracy- It includes accuracy of information before communicating , as well as accuracy
of expression such as errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation or usage.
• Precision- Techniques of precision include using - similar and familiar words, exact words
and phrases, and avoiding excessive use of jargons.
• Brevity - It is the quality of being brief and concise by avoiding word phrases,
exaggeration and repetition
• Clarity - It involves both clarity of thought and clarity of expression, by using direct
language and specific words and expressions.
• Objectivity - Objectivity in communication can be achieved by using factual words,
impersonal language, passive voice, and factual expressions.
• Formal language - It refers to the use of formal words, scientific vocabulary, specialized
terminology, formal phrases and expressions, and avoiding colloquial , informal words
and expressions and conversational tone.
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