technical communicationtechnical writing: –design reports/ technical reports –task plans/work...

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION200W OCTOBER 18TH, 2018

Technical Communication & Engineering.

ENGINEERING CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION OFFICE www.mun.ca

OVERVIEW

ENGINEERING CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION OFFICE

PART 1 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

PART 2 REFERENCING

PART 1TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

THE VALUE IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION


INFORMATION ≠ COMMUNICATION


Image credit: http://svenskeaktier.dk/2017/12/recyctec-the-effect-of-improving-communication/

WHAT ATTRIBUTES MATTER MOST TO

YOUR COMPANY?


SOURCE: TAKING ACTION FOR CANADA: JOBS AND SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY , AN

INITIATIVE OF THE CANADIAN COUNCIL OF CHIEF EXECUTIVES, JANUARY 2014

PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL-LEVELPER FIELD OF STUDY


WRITING SKILL-LEVELPER FIELD OF STUDY


WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?

User-centered communication that makes

complex technical information:

Accessible – Can the audience understand it?

Usable – Purposeful and easy to navigate.

Relevant – Does it accomplish the task it is designed for?


EXAMPLES OF TECHNICAL WRITING:

– Design Reports/ Technical Reports

– Task Plans/Work Packages

– Installation guides

– Memos

– Procedural documents

– Technical Queries, Requests for Information

– Meeting Minutes

– Work term Reports

A lot of Engineers spend a lot of time writing.

ENGINEERING CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION OFFICE www.mun.ca

Technical writing

Reports

Research articles

Instruction manuals

Expository writing

News reports

Magazine articles

Persuasive writing

Opinion pieces

Editorials

Expressive writing

Journal entries

Diary

Creative writing

Fictional works

Poems, short stories, plays, novels

WRITING STYLES

WHERE DOES TECHNICAL WRITING FIT?


Objective Subjective

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

SKILLS:

– Analyze your audience

– Vary your language/content based on audience

– Write concisely

– Incorporate graphics, tables, and figures into your reports and

presentations, where appropriate

– Create clear and organized documents

– Use proper citation and referencing technique


TARGET AUDIENCE

Communicator Audience

Grade 1 Math Teacher Grade 1 Students

Engineer Supervisors

Clients

Contractors

Government/Regulatory

The Public


AUDIENCE/LANGUAGE

How should you aim to address your audience?

Write to impress - “Using big words and lots of technical language will make me sound smart.

OR

Write to ensure I’m understood - “Writing in the simplest language possible will allow others to understand.”


THE POWER OF SIMPLE WORDS - TERIN IZIL

EXAMPLE OF AUDIENCE/LANGUAGE

“The project goal is to design a savoniusturbine array and conduct an experiment to testand optimize the design. ANSYS fluentsoftware will be used to run simulations.”


EXAMPLE OF AUDIENCE/LANGUAGE

“The project goal is to design a vertical axis windturbine array (see Fig.1) and conduct an experimentto test and optimize the design using simulationsoftware.”


Figure 1: Vertical axis wind turbine

WRITING CONCISELY


It is plainly demonstrated by the graphs presented in Figure 2

that...

Figure 2 shows …

It is significant to note the fact that the application of these

principles will facilitate the improvement of outcomes.”

Applying these principles will improve outcomes.

WRITING CONCISELY

In order to improve our design……

► To improve our design….

The end result was a 22% decrease in acidity following the

introduction of Agent X into the solution.

► Adding Agent X resulted in a 22% decrease in acidity.


WRITING CONCISELY

Any attempt to operate the engine in excess of 1500 rpm will

result in and be the cause of accelerated bearing failure.

► Operating the engine at more than 1500 rpm will cause

accelerated bearing failure.

Tip: Focus on what you are trying to say and remove the

excess words.


USE FIGURES/GRAPHICS


EXAMPLE

The following chemicals are used in pressure washing:

Oxygen bleach – functions by drawing in dirt and is 100% organic. Used to clean wood

surfaces

Citric acid – brightens and restores natural hues. Used to clean wood surfaces

Sodium hypochlorite – removes top layers of algae and dirt and kills moss. Used to clean

asphalt, word and concrete.

Trisodium phosphate – removes paints stains and rust. Used to clean asphalt, word and

concrete.

Oxalic acid – brightens wood and removes rust stains. Used to clean concrete.


EXAMPLE


[email protected]

EN3076A (ENGINEERING ONE HELP CENTER)

HTTP://WWW.ENGR.MUN.CA/~TECHCOMM/


SONYA RIDEOUTTECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.engr.mun.ca/~techcomm/

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS WEBSITE






PART 2:REFERENCING

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.


OVERVIEW:


STEP 1: COMPILE SOURCES

STEP 2: USE SOURCES

STEP 3: CREDIT SOURCESIN-TEXT CITATIONS

STEP 4: REFERENCE PAGE

STEP 1: REFERENCES


STEP 1: REFERENCES


Choose 1 STYLE:• IEEE• APA• MLA

STEP 2: ADD SOURCES


STEP 2: ADD SOURCES


CHOOSE TYPE OF SOURCE

COMPLETEDETAILS

STEP 2: ADD SOURCES


http://umb.libanswers.com/faq/146437

Don’t know

where to find

all this info??

http://umb.libanswers.com/faq/146437

STEP 2: ADD SOURCES


LIST OF SOURCES

STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS




ANY PARAPHRASED INFORMATION (I.E. NOT YOUR

OWN IDEAS) MUST BE PROPERLY REFERENCED

REMEMBER!!



Plagiarism is an Academic Offense! If found guilty of plagiarism,

WT grade could be FAIL and your transcript could read:

“On probation at the university for academic misconduct”

THIS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD TO POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS



INFORMATION

PARAPHRASE SUMMARIZEDIRECT QUOTE


When do I PARAPHRASE information?

Used frequently

When you want to include specific details of a text you have read into

your own work

When the info can be written using your own words without changing

the meaning of the text

Cutting and pasting text and adding a citation is plagiarism

Requires an in-text citation



When do I SUMMARIZE information?

Used Frequently

When you want to include overall message/findings of a text but using

less detail than when paraphrasing




When do I use DIRECT QUOTES?

Used Sparingly!

Used when info cannot be written in your own words and still Keep the

same meaning

Example: Famous quotes

“We cannot solve our Problems with the same thinking we used when

we created them” [1].




You need to reference if you are:

Explaining someone else’s idea(s)

Defining a term

Using an image

Compiling data into a chart

Presenting manufacturing data

Adding background information


Still other people’s

ideas



*note: references are listed in your reference page in the order that they appear in the report. i.e. the first reference you use in your report is [1].



MAKE SURE TO UPDATE YOUR REF. PAGE IF YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES

BONUS TIPS: ASK A LIBRARIAN

http://www.library.mun.ca/




BONUS TIPS: ASK A LIBRARIAN


BONUS TIPS: FIGURES


YOU CAN USE WORD TO INSERT CAPTIONS AND

COMPLETE YOUR TABLE OF FIGURES!

FIGURES MUST BE PROPERLY REFERENCED

FIGURE 1: ALBERT ENSTEIN [1].

RIGHT CLICK TO INSERT A CAPTION

BONUS TIPS: TABLE OF CONTENTS


YOU CAN ALSO USE WORD TO INSERT AN AUTO TABLE OF

CONTENTS

CLICK HERE FOR

MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT SECTION

HEADINGS & AUTO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

http://www.engr.mun.ca/~techcomm/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Instructions-for-formatting-numbererd-sections-within-reports_general.pdf

TAKE AWAY:


REFERENCING: NOT HARD

IN-TEXT CITATIONS: REQUIRED IN WORK TERM REPORTS

RESOURCES: AVAILABLE TO YOU – USE THEM

ENGINEERS: NEED TO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?! ASK THEM!

STUDENT RESOURCES:


• http://www.engr.mun.ca/~techcomm/

• www.mun.ca/library

• SONYA RIDEOUT [email protected]

• https://www.mun.ca/coop/programs/engineering/pd_engineering.php

• https://www.mun.ca/coop/programs/engineering/enghandbook.pdf


http://www.mun.ca/library

https://www.mun.ca/coop/programs/engineering/pd_engineering.php

https://www.mun.ca/coop/programs/engineering/enghandbook.pdf

THANK YOU!ANY QUESTIONS?

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