TECHNICAL WRITING

technical writing differs from imaginative writing in its

"one-meaning-and-one-meaning-only" presentation

use ______ point serif font that mixes capital and lowercase letter

10-12

Most important quote in Technical writing

In technical writing, the needs of the reader dictate every decision the writer makes

knowledge level

add particular knowledge that your audience does not have. Leave out or quickly summarize knowledge your audience already has. Decide how much technical language to include. Use informal definitions or a glossary if necessary. Present complex information visually.

use ____ white space

adequate

accomodate

adjust to, make concessions for

Personality

adjust tone and medium to personality. Provide facts, order, and evidence for the analytically minded; a personal touch for facilitators; and ideas and the overall picture for creative thinkers

design elements

aid reader's comprehension and keep them interested

interests

appeal to known interests or try to create interest. Express agreement with and understanding of a point of view when possible. Provide evidence to help sway others to your point of view

target audience

audience message is written for, audience the writer is writing by using language this reader will understand

advantages of collaboration

brings together differ knowledge, brings together differ talents, allows differ perspectives and viewpoints, improves work relationships, is enjoyable, keeps one person from being responsible for entire project

disadvantages of collaboration

can be dreaded event, can lead to unequal workloads, can include conflict, can encourage groupthink, can take away personal motivation

What two things does the planning process include?

choosing a topic and shaping an idea

Examples of how to organize your outline topics

chronological order, spatial order, classifying, problem and solution, general to specific, simplest to most complex, background before new information, familiar to less familiar

technical communication

communication done in the workplace, involves a technical subject with specific purpose and audience, straightforward

audience for text messages, e-mails, memos, and letters all except the

communication to be brief, to target a specific reader or readers, to have a specific purpose, and follow standard format

double or multiple line graph

compare several trends and show how data is related

using positive work habits

complete your share of the work, come prepared to each meeting, be interested in project, be on time to meeting, do not take criticism personally

Communicate effectively and develop goodwill with

concise language, accuracy and completeness, professional appearance, conventional format, logical organization, standard english usage

expressive writing

convey personal observations or feelings

What re the final stages of the writing process?

copyediting and publishing

format

details of the document's arrangement

the audience's needs an wants should ________

dictate every decision a writer makes

organizing collaborative projects

different people write differ parts and use one editor, differ people submit data to a central person who compiles info, differ people write differ stages, groups divide research tasks and come together to write

writers use a ____ approach in good news messages

direct

The second process of the writing process is

drafting and revising

draft

early version of document that is subject to change, write 3-4

block letter style

easy to read, everything on the left margin

tone

emotional overtones, businesslike, objective

verbal table

explain an idea using words set up in rows and columns

scope

extent of treatment, activity, or influence that is what is and is not included

audience for letters

external audience

planning

first stage of writing process, thinking of ideas, prepares to develop and research it

special features

font size and style, numbered/ bulleted lists, columns, colors, graphs and tables, clip art, sidebars

What are the strategies that can help you choose a topic?

freewriting, mapping, and journaling

technical research is written to _____

fulfill a need

technical writing is ___________

great connector/ written link

modified block letter style

hard to read, only paragraphs on left margin

letter parts

heading, dateline, inside address, salutation, body, complimetary closing, signature, reference initials

role

his/her responsibility before you begin writing

writers us a _______ strategy for persuasive messages

hook, convince, motivate

medium

how information is conveyed

role (accommodations)

include knowledge the role requires. Write different sections for different roles. Be diplomatic with management, courteous yet straightforward with a peer, and respectful and direct with someone you supervise

writers use a ____ approach to buffer unpleasant news

indirect

tentative outline

informal, changeable plan for organizing topics and subtopics

demographics

information such as age, sex, income, and educational level of your group

audience for memos

internal audience

What makes up the rough draft?

introduction, body, and conclusion

use _____ justification with _____ edges

left, ragged-right

Analyzing knowledge level, roles, interests, cultural background, personality, and format are still important when communicating with a ______

multiple audience

open punctaution

no punctuation

possible medium choices are

paper media or electronic media

testimonials

personal stories or people's statements that a concept, product, or service worked for them

buffer

positive statement

technical writing relies on data presented with _____

precision and accuracy

organization

predictable, apparent

formal table

present numbers in easy to read rows and columns

informal table

present small amount of numerical data

organizational flowchart

present structure of an organization

technical writing differs from academic writing in its

presentation, approach to subject matter and audience

copyediting

proofreading a document for correctness in spelling, grammar, and mechanics

closed punctuation

proper punctuation

What will help me focus on my ideas and figuring out subtopics?

questioning, reading, mapping, and outlining

planning text messages and e-mails

read and respond to e-mail promptly, represent yourseld and others well and fairly, communicate as clearly and rationally as possible

revising

read your document and make changes to content. organization, and word choice

multiple audience

readers whose points of view differ

writing is _______, writing takes ______, writing is ______ for everyone

recursive, time, different

field research

research done in the field, especially through surveys and interviews

primary audience

responsible for first

secondary audience

responsible to after you met the needs of primary audience

publishing

sending your document to the person or people who need or requested it

in technical writing, often the need is to ______

share information or to have someone perform an action

specific audience

single person or a group whose point of view is the same

culture

special belief, customs, and values specific to a particular group of people or particular region

jargon

specialized language of a particular discipline or technical field

Knowledge level, roles, interests, cultural background, and personality affect communication with a ______

specific audience

purpose

specific end or outcome to be obtained, to inform and persuade

writing process

stages of writing a document, includes planning, drafting and revising, and copyediting

what is the characteristics of technical writing?

subject, audience, organization, tone, style, and special features

audience

targeted, carefully considered, must work hard to meet the reader's need

all careers rely on______ to get the job done

technical communication

what are the four types of brief correspondences that essential tools in the business world?

text messages, e-mails, memos, and letters

subject

the main purpose of the document you're writing

style

the way an author uses words and sentences, gives audience an idea of the type of document they are reading, concise, direct

bar graph or pictograph

to contrast data and focus on differences

double or multiple bar graph

to contrast several sets of data and focus on differences

line graph

to follow a trend over time

flowchart

to present a process

pie graph

to show how a whole is divided into parts that relate to the whole

decision flowchart

to tell how to make a decision

formatting memos

to, from, date, subject/not complete sentence

cultural background

understand how culture affects someone's beliefs and decisions. Learn about the cultural background of your audience and adhere to the cultural norms of that audience as much as possible

goodwill

value of doing things that create mutual admiration and repect

graphics

visual representations of info

shaping

what you do after choosing a topic and gives it a direction

types of design elements

white space, text, headings, graphics, medium

determine a ______ heading

workable

technical writing

writing done in the workplace, subject is technical, written carefully for a specific audience, organization is predictable, style is concise, tone is objective/ businesslike, special features are visual elements to enhance message

expository writing

writing to explain or inform

collaborative writing

writing with others in a group