QualitiesOf

Good Technical Writing

What is Good Technical Writing?

Technical writing is the process of conveying technical information through writing to a specific audience.

If the intended audience can perform an action or make a decision based on that information then that writing can be considered as Good Technical Writing.

Qualities of Good Technical Writing

PlanningClarityBrevitySimplicityWord ChoiceActive VoiceCommitting to

writing as a process

Planning: Before You Begin

Identify your audience and their expectationsKnow your purposeKnow your materialUnderstand the writing task at handOrganize your thoughts and materialsBudget adequate time to write, review, revise and

edit.

Clarity: Avoid Jargon

Jargon: a vocabulary particular to a place of work (abbreviations, slang)

Audience familiarity with the topic determines appropriate use of jargon

Clarity: Define the Unfamiliar

If you must abbreviate, define the term in its first occurrence, and put abbreviations in parentheses.

Italicize first occurrenceof unfamiliar terms and define them right away.

Brevity:

Use Words Efficiently.Less Is More.Most Important First.Remove Redundancy.

Simplicity: Use Details Wisely

Specific details are desirable, but be careful to balance detail with audience needs for clarity—significance is more important.

Many engineers want to provide as much specific detail as possible, but this can come at the expense of readers understandingand their main point.

Word Choice:

Word Choice:

Avoid too many “to be” verbs“is” “was” “were” “has been” “have been”.

Avoid excess words, which slow comprehension of the main point.

Active Voice:

Technical writers want to communicate as efficiently as possible, and active voice is more straight forward and is stronger than passive voice.

When in doubt, read passages out loud to determine the natural sound.

Writing Is a Process

Good writing doesn’t happen overnight; it requires planning, drafting, rereading, revising, and editing.

Learning and improvement requires self-review, peer-review, subject-matter expert feedback, and practice.

Examples

Non-Technical

Poem: Suicide

An underlying sense of counting down: Rhythmic, deep enteric thuds -

Each another year to fret and frownAbout, wading in the claggy mudThat constitutes a blackened life.

Poem: Suicide

A glint of blade had caught a baggy eyeTo spark a thought to jump the fence.Could I grasp the handle – was I shyOf what I had to do and hence remainEnshrined in overwhelming strife?

Poem: SuicideThe metal glimmered once again

To beg the possibilityOf halting once and all the pain

To relish an eternity

Of rested shoulders, Peace of mind,

So here, my wrist; Now quick and kind.

Technical Writing

&Good Technical

Writing

ComparisonGood

TechnicalA student of

JINNAH UNIVERSITY allegedly committed suicide on Monday in his hostel room over poor results. The police said the young man hanged himself.

TechnicalA student of Jinnah

University allegedly committed suicide on Monday in his hostel room over poor results. The police said the young man hanged himself.

ComparisonGood

TechnicalAli of Faisalabad was

doing graduation with CALCULUS as major subject at the Jinnah University. He, in the last year of his education, could not achieve passing numbers in the last term examinations and failed to maintain the grade. According to the university officials, the university administration separated him from his courses due to which he was disheartened for the last five days.

TechnicalAli of Faisalabad was

doing graduation with calculus as major subject at the Jinnah University. He, in the last year of his education, could not achieve passing numbers in the last three term examinations and failed to maintain the grade. According to the university officials, the university administration separated him from his courses due to which he was disheartened for the last five days.

ComparisonGood

TechnicalOn Monday, Ali’s mother called him on his cell phone but he did not attend the call after which she rang up her younger son Ahmed, a third year student at the same university. Ahmed reached his brother’s room and on finding no response broke opened the door and found Ali hanging with the ceiling fan. “ FORMAL LANUAGE”

TechnicalOn Monday, Ali’s mother called him on his cell phone but he did not attend the call after which she rang up her younger son Ahmed, a third year student at the same university. Ahmed reached his brother’s room and on finding no response broke opened the door and found Ali hanged with the ceiling fan.

ComparisonGood

TechnicalThe police, after being

informed, reached the scene and started investigating the matter. According to another student, Ali seemed normal during the breakfast; however he was not present in the campus that day. “NO CHOPPY SENTENCES ”

TechnicalThe police, after being

informed, reached the scene and started investigating the matter. According to another student Ali seemed normal during the breakfast; however he was not present in the campus that day.

ComparisonGood

TechnicalInitial investigation revealed that Ali was disturbed over his continuous failure in the exams and finally got dejected after his parents received a letter from the university administration about his poor performance.

A report from a newspaper says “About 200 disciples (students) commit suicide every year because of increasing tensions regarding studies.” “FACTS”

TechnicalInitial investigation revealed that Ali was disturbed over his continuous failure in the exams and finally got dejected after his parents received a letter from the university administration about his poor performance.

Conclusion

Plan your project beforeyou begin drafting.Understand basic qualities of good technical

writing; use the examples presented to guide you in your writing and revising process.

Good writing is a habit that takes time to develop; practice makes perfect.

Thank you very much….!!

Writing is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to those who have none.