Lesson Plan One

Preamble:
We discussed in the previous lesson:
 Stages of Writing
Learning Outcomes:
 Understanding and utilization of the technical writing and its characteristics.
Are you ready?
 What makes a document technical in your view?
 Does technical writing implies that it will be difficult than simple writing skills?
Topic of the day:
Technical Writing
Technical writing is intended to communicate with the specified audience for a specific
purpose. Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a
particular subject that requires direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has
a very different purpose and different characteristics than other writing styles such as
creative writing, academic writing or business writing.
Technical writing is used in a large variety of fields such as engineering, computer hardware
and software, chemistry, and biotechnology. You can also find everyday examples of
technical writing in owner's manuals, employee handbooks, and in articles on the web.
Technical writing covers a wide range of genres and technologies. The following list
provides with just a few examples of documents that are considered forms of technical
writing.
 Press releases
 Manuals for instructions and procedures
 Circulars
 Memos
 Reports
 Business Proposals
 Journals
 Datasheets
 Product descriptions and specifications
 Résumés
 Job Applications
 Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes

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 Definition of a Technical Report

 Technical Reports are written to provide readers with information, instructions, and
analysis on tasks. Reports come in many forms. For example, a technical writer might
evaluate a building that is for sale and produce a trip report that highlights his or her findings
and whether or not he or she believes the building should be purchased. Another writer who
works for a non-profit company may publish an evaluation report that shows the findings of
the company's research into air pollution.
 Technical Reports are also not only used for business growth but also in educational
institutions.
Some examples of Technical Reports include project and business status reports, legal case
reviews, and personnel activity reports, meeting minutes, progress reports, just to name a few
Characteristics of technical writing
The aim of technical writing is to translate scientific and technical information in a way that is
clear and easy to understand. The specific information conveyed should be helpful to the reader.
Technical writing is a form of writing that is extensively used to prepare manuals, description of
new electronic products, instructions on how to operate a particular machine, etc. A technical
writer is often asked to create documentation for a technology. The documentation must clearly
explain how to install and use that technology.
Technical writing is different from usual essay writing. People often confuse technical writing
with essay and creative writing. However, these are totally different styles of writing. Use of
flowery words, double meaning innuendos and explaining the same thing in a different way is
often found in essays. On the other hand, technical write ups are precise and essentially focus on
the subject, which is explained in the most convincing manner. Yet the data is concise and the
language used is straightforward.
This profession, as many think, is not about writing a bunch of technical words. Nowadays,
technical writing is used in diverse fields including robotics, chemistry, software and others. An
educational textbook on subjects like physics or biology is also a form of technical writing. In
order to become a successful technical writer, one must know the characteristics of technical
writing. They are as follows:
1. Accuracy / Correctness
One of the most important characteristics of any technical document is accuracy. A slight
mistake can have grave consequences. For instance, if you forget to mention some important
features of a new mobile phone, the customers may think that there is nothing special in that
phone and will not prefer to buy it. Effective communication requires quality content and
language that is accurate and readable.
Similarly the grammatical structure of your technical document should be correct and free from
any kind of ambiguities. The intended meaning will not be communicated to the reader if the
document has ambiguous sentences. The reader is sure to get annoyed, if your document is
replete with misspellings and incorrect construction of sentences. Hence, apart from providing
correct technical information, ensure that the data is grammatically correct.

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Technical writing must be CORRECT and TRUE, period. If tech writing is not correct,
you can throw it directly into the trash basket since nothing else matters as much.
2. Appropriate for Intended Audience
Tech writing must be appropriate for its intended audience. This audience can be a
general audience, business people, or a specialized group of engineers and scientists.  

If the writing style and vocabulary does not fit the audience, tech writing will either be
met with criticism (because it is too easy for the audience), or will fly off over the
heads of a puzzled audience (because it is too hard to understand).
Use language the reader will understand. The writer must consider who will be reading and using
the material before they start composing it.
3. Concise
Technical writing must be as brief as possible. If the writer can express something in 2
words, he should not use 3 words instead. Moreover a ll kinds of editorial asides or
anthropomorphic similes and metaphors should be avoided.
4. Logical and Sequential
Technical writing information cannot contradict itself. All information, all steps need to
make sense with respect to one another. 

If you need to open a lid in order to reach a button, you need to tell the reader to open
the lid first and then to press the button. In the above case, do not instruct the user to
press the button and then open the lid.
5. Clarity
Using a lot of technical jargon or buzzwords the reader will find hard to follow is not the best
way to write a technical piece. If a technical writer decides to use this type of language, he or she
should explain the term in the text so that the reader can follow the instructions or understand the
idea the writer is trying to get across.
6. Action Oriented
You are writing a document to help users take action. Therefore, use action verbs
whenever possible, especially in the beginning of procedural steps. ORIGINAL: "Cable
A and Cable Z need to be connected now." BETTER: "Connect Cable A to Cable Z."
7. Organized
Technical documents are organized in the ideal "tree view" fashion. The material is
organized in layers, from general to the specific. The document starts with the general
aspects of a system and drills down to more specific details later on.  

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If you are writing instructions for how to do something, they need to follow a logical order.
Otherwise, the reader won't be able to get the result they are looking for. Instead of skipping over
something because the reader should already be aware of that particular fact, the technical writer
needs to include it in the text anyway. Being able to think logically and present the information
in a step-by-step manner is one of the important characteristics of technical writing.
The individual chapters and sections should have a logical parent-child-sibling
relationship to one another. For example, if you are explaining how to start an engine
in Chapter 1, you should also explain how to shut it off within the same chapter since
they are conceptually related procedures.
8. Format
The way you present your technical data is also very important from the user's point of view. For
instance, suppose you have explained complex technical data in the simplest manner, yet it won't
hold the attention of the user if it is presented as one big paragraph. The point is, you need to be
creative when it comes to formatting your technical data. Your technical data must be divided
into sub heads. If it is an instruction manual, then instead of sub heading go for bulleted format.
However, if the sequence of instructions holds priority, one should go for numbered list. Key
points pertaining to precautions or warnings may be emphasized using bullets. A document
presented in a well-organized manner is very easy to read and the important data that the user is
looking for is available at a glance. To make data easily accessible, one can give technical
specification of any product in a tabular form. You also need to complement your descriptive
technical data with a graphic image of the product in focus. This is visually appealing and will
definitely arrest the attention of the most casual viewer.
9. Don't Forget the Details
The technical writer who is working on a piece has an advantage over the reader. He or she
knows the idea they want to convey or the steps involved in the process they are trying to
describe. Including lots of details in the text is important. This step helps the reader to follow
along with the instructions being given. The technical writer must keep in mind that the person
reading the finished piece must be given all the information they need in written form. They
aren't in the room or on the phone where they can ask questions if they get stuck. The technical
writer needs to take care to give the person they are writing enough details, such as a description
of a particular part or where to find a key or command when trying to use a software product.

Interactive Session:
 Ask the students about their personal views how to become a good technical writer?
 Ask them how do they plan to bring technical qualities to a document?
Challenging Exercise:
Instruct the class to work in group of three people and construct today’s class report
keeping in view all the technical qualities in mind.
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What did you learn?
Asking short questions from the students to assess their level of understanding of the concepts
 What do you understand by technical writing?
 Where it will be needed?
 What is the significance of the qualities for an effective technical document?
Home assignment:
Write a circular for upcoming trip for your classfellows while keeping in mind all the technical
formalities.
Next lesson preview:
Steps of Technical Writing