Technical and Bussiness Writing

Chapter.1

1.1 What is Technical Writing?

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 or academic writing.

Technical Writing is written communication in any field whose primary aim is to convey a particular piece of information for a particular purpose to a particular reader.
It is objective, clear and accurate, concise and unemotional in its presentation of facts.

The Society for Technical Communication (STC) offers this definition of technical writing: "the process of gathering information from experts and presenting it to an audience in a clear, easily understandable form." In an influential article published in 1965, Webster Earl Britton concluded that the essential characteristic of technical writing is "the effort of the author to convey one meaning and only one meaning in what he says." Computer science professor Raymond Greenlaw notes that the "writing style in technical writing is more prescriptive than in creative writing.

In technical writing we are not so much concerned about entertaining the audience as we are about conveying specific information to our readers in a concise and precise manner. Technical writing transfers information about a situation, product, service, or concept, by written, or visual means, to audiences of varying levels of technical knowledge, so that each member of the audience clearly understands the message. Technical writing…

• Transfers information, utilitarian or occupational, employing appropriate vocabularies and styles
• Is related to the workplace
• Seeks to produce action/reaction in or for a clearly defined audience
• Seeks to approach a single meaning
• Is practical writing done in response to a request, an invitation, or a need, for a specific named audience
• Has optimal readability and special packaging
• Uses effective language to encourage productive relationships between technologies and their users
• Presents information within the world of work for a specific audience, purpose, and application.        

1.2 What do technical writers do?

A technical writer is a professional writer who engages in technical writing and produces technical documentation that helps people understand and use a product or service. This documentation includes online help, manuals (system, end-user, training), white papers, design specifications, project plans, test plans, business correspondence, etc. With the rise of e-learning, technical writers are also charged with creating online training for their audience of learners. Technical writers explain technologies, processes, and products in many formats, including print, online, and other electronic means.

Kurt Vonnegut described technical writers as:

"..trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writing. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other ink-stained wretches in that world reveal a lot about themselves to the reader."

As a technical writer, you are expected to be able to:

1. Determine the needs of the audience
2. Organize the structure of technical documents
3. Write information that meets the needs of the audience
4. Write so that users can easily find and understand information
5. Use page elements such as tables, lists, and headings appropriately
6. Edit and proofread to produce documents without grammar or typographical errors

A proficient technical writer has the ability to create, assimilate, and convey technical material in a concise and effective manner. They may specialize in a particular area but must have a good understanding of the products they describe. Technical writers gather information from many sources. Their information sources are usually scattered throughout an organization, which can range from developers to marketing departments.

Technical writing is not limited to user manuals only. Technical writers may be called on to produce different types of technical documents. Technical writing can be anything from a short memo in an office to a researched grant proposal for a major firm. Technical writers produce documents that include:

1. Sales Catalogs
2. User manuals
3. Quick reference guides
4. Proposals
5. Annual or quarterly reports
6. Newsletters
7. Feasibility and planning studies
8. Marketing documents
9. Websites
10. Training materials
11. Online help
12. User assistance (FAQs)
13. Journal or research articles
14. Lab reports
15. Standard operating procedures
16. Financial reports
17. Business letters

1.3 Purpose of Technical Writing

Technical writing is a specialized, structured way of writing, where information is presented in a format and manner that best suits the psychological needs of the readers, so that they can respond to a document as its author intended and achieve the purpose related to that document. The process of gathering information from experts and presenting it to an audience in a clear, easily understandable form is called technical writing.

Technical writing has two basic purposes:

1. To inform
2. To persuade

Technical writing may be done for the physical description of a new machine, the steps in a particular process, or the results of an experiment. For example; A writer not only describes two sites for a factory but also persuades readers to accept one of them as the best i.e. to prove your point. The documentation that achieves these purposes is called technical writing.

1.4 Importance of Technical Writing

Accurate information presented in effective and appealing manner is the key to success. With increased awareness, people have started paying attention not only to the information content but also to the way information is presented to them. As an aim to discipline the field of technical writing, different writing styles and rules have been devised, and there is a need to follow these rules to become successful as a professional.  Regardless of the career you choose, you will write in the workplace. Conservative estimates suggest that you will spend at least 20% of your time writing in a technical or business occupation. If you plan to move up, your chances of promotion will most assuredly depend on how well you communicate. One chief engineer said competent engineers could be “hired by the dozen, but there’s a shortage of those who can put their ideas on paper clearly.” In a series of interviews with business and technical managers, all agreed that clear and effective writing “is a skill crucial to achievement in the corporate world.”