technical writing vs. academic writing
DESCRIPTION
TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING. TYPES of WRITING. PERSONAL ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL. PERSONAL WRITING. Purpose/Objective : to entertain to inform Evaluation : desired emotional response informed. PERSONAL WRITING. Graphics : emoticons text-messaging lingo Formats : e-mail - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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TECHNICAL WRITING
vs.
ACADEMIC WRITING
TYPES of WRITING
1. PERSONAL
2. ACADEMIC
3. PROFESSIONAL
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PERSONAL WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:
to entertain to inform
o Evaluation: desired emotional response informed
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PERSONAL WRITINGo Graphics:
emoticons text-messaging lingo
o Formats: e-mail letters journals text messages
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PERSONAL WRITINGo Audience:
equal knowledge friends colleagues
o Informality
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TECHNICAL WRITING
vs.
ACADEMIC WRITING
*AUDIENCES*Specific Audiences
o bosso supervisor o teamo committeeo politicianso bank officerso general public
General Audienceo generic readero teachero perhaps fellow
students
AWTC
*AUDIENCES*1 Document = Many Readers:
(Many Readers = Many Needs)o “food chain”o boss, supervisor o teamo engineerso workerso politicians o bank officerso general public
1 Document = 1 Reader:(1 Reader = 1 Need)
o teacher
TC AW
PURPOSESo Purpose =o Writing Situationo Objectiveo Why was the document written?
PURPOSESSituation-Oriented
o see a need — o address a needo internal motivationo professional
motivationo outcome-oriented:
to get something accomplished
Assignment-Orientedo passive (vs. active)o given a topic, testo given an
assignmento external motivationo scholastic
motivationo grade-oriented
grade, g.p.a., degree
TC AW
EVALUATION CRITERIASuccess
o satisfaction of the needs of all readers
o something was done
o informedo persuaded
Successo correct answero right informationo unity, coherenceo support, detailo grammar
AWTC
APPLICATIONSReal-World Applicationso case studieso illustrative
scenarioso operations
managemento for a jobo for a raise or
promotiono for a bid practical
College Applicationo “academic” writingo essayso essay examso for academicso for gradeo for degreeo “show what you
know”
demonstrativeTC AW
DISCIPLINESAcross Disciplines
o “interdisciplinary”o computer scienceso psychologyo mixture of:
history math science technology
Single Disciplineo “discipline-specific”
literary data for an English paper
historical information on a history paper
psychological ideas on a psychology test
o rarely a mixture
TC AW
*PAGE DESIGN*o Paragraphs
6-10 lines vary lengths for visual
o White Spaceo Columnso Headingso Listso Graphicso Varying Fontso Use of Coloro Relative Spacingo Relative Marginso Relative Justification
o Paragraphs Minimum of 3-5
sentences No maximum length
o NO White Space Columns Headings Lists Graphics Varying Fonts Use of Color
o Double Spacingo Equal Marginso Left Justification
TC AW
COMPONENTSOral, Visual, Written
o produce documentso present documentso write to be read o write to be seen o write to be heard
Written o infrequent oral and
visual componentso predominant
written componento write to be read
by teachero write to be gradedo not to be seen or
heardTC AW
GRAPHICSo tableso chartso graphso diagramso photographso mapso blue prints
o uncommon o photographs
TC AW
FORMATSo memoso e-mailso letterso cover letters o resumes o proposalso manuals o portfolioo abstractso reports
formal informal
o essay questionso essays based on the
rhetorical strategies Description Narration Illustration Process-Analysis Division-Classification Comparison-Contrast Definition Cause-Effect Pro-Con Argument
TC AW
GRAMMARGrammar-less
o visual-orientedo grammar = less
importanto fragments =
permissibleo active voiceo descriptive writingo concise sentenceso spelling!o proofread!
Grammar-fullo written-orientedo grammar = keyo sentence errors =
avoidedo active voiceo descriptive writingo concise sentenceso spelling!o proofread!
TC AW
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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:
Practicality in the employment world Real-World application
o Academic Writing: Demonstration of knowledge Limited to academia
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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:
By an informed writer Conveying necessary information Both visually & verbally To a lesser-informed reader
(writer = teacher)
o Academic Writing: By a student-learner for an expert reader
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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:
Read by many, To satisfy the needs of many
o Academic Writing: Read by one, To appease the criteria of one
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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:
“Information Retrieval” organization & format = designed to help readers quickly & easily locate
information
o Academic Writing: “Information Retrieval”
little concern beyond a logical organization
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CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:
Public Speaking component — formal conference speeches informal meeting speeches
o Academic Writing: Limited Public Speaking opportunities
conferences or rare class projects Public Speaking courses
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DEFINITIONTechnical Communication:
o Encompasses a wide range o of writing and speaking
responsibilitieso required to communicate your ideaso on the job.
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SIMILARITIESo Grammar:
active voice descriptive writing concise sentences spelling! proofread!
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SIMILARITIESo Writing as a Process:
Planning Drafting Revising
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES
writing: process & product
o HEURISTIC: process reader-focused how-to analyze-and-compose
processo PRESCRIPTIVE:
product writer-focused models/forms of
writing
writing: producto prescriptiveo teach from modelso rhetorical strategieso writer-focused
TC AW
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ACADEMIC WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:
to demonstrate knowledge
to “show what you know”
o Audience: superior knowledge teachers, perhaps
peer editors
o Evaluation: correct information unity, coherence, depth, clarity,
grammar o Graphics:
limited to explain or
persuade
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ACADEMIC WRITINGo Formats:
Description Narration Illustration Process-Analysis Division-
Classification
(Rhetorical Strategies or Writing Models)
Comparison-Contrast Definition Cause-Effect Pro-Con Argument-
Persuasion
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TECHNICAL WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:
to entertain to inform
o Audience: equal knowledge friends, colleagues
o Evaluation: desired emotional
response informed
o Graphics: emoticons text-messaging lingo
o Formats: e-mail letters journals text messages