Technical WritingEnglish 212

Mary Shields Talalay, MS, MPH

Fall 2007

What is Technical Communication?

• According to the author of our text, “Technical communication is the process of creating, shaping, and communicating technical information so that people can use it safely, effectively, and efficiently.” (Markel, 2007)

WHOA!

• More than 80% of Fortune 400 companies have identified writing skills as their organization’s greatest weakness.

Technical writing is business writing.

• Technical writing may encompass the following documents:– Email– Memorandums (memoranda)– Website content– User Manuals– White papers– Presentations– What else?

What is a Technical Document?

• When you create technical documents you are writing, designing, and transmitting technical information so that people can understand it easily and use it safely, effectively, and efficiently.

Who Produces Technical Communication?

• Insert enthusiastic response from students here.

• Technical professionals

• Technical communicators

• It is created by technical professionals (engineers, scientists, businesspeople) and by technical communicators (full-time writers, editors, document-production people).

Technical Communication Is Essential

• Technical communication is essential in business and industry because virtually every action taken has to be communicated to subordinates or supervisors, or both, and has to be documented to provide a record for future reference.

Characteristics of Technical Communication

• Addresses Particular Readers

• Helps readers solve problems

• Reflects an organization’s goals and culture

• Produced collaboratively

• Uses design to increase readability

• Consists of words or graphics or both

Measures of excellence in technical communication

• Honesty• Clarity• Accuracy• Comprehensiveness• Accessibility• Conciseness• Professional Appearance• Correctness

Summary

• Technical communication is the process of creating, shaping, and communicating technical information so that people can use it safely, effectively, and efficiently.

ENG 212 Syllabus

Office Hours

• Available for conferences before class upon request. I am generally on campus one hour before class starts in the cafeteria.

• Without exception, I am not available for conferences after class due to family obligations. Please plan accordingly.

Course Objectives

• This course is your opportunity to hone your nonverbal and verbal communication skills by creating, critiquing, and presenting many types of business communication documents.

Course Objectives

• The course is designed to improve your ability to communicate in a business setting.

• Fifty percent of the assignments will be geared toward universal business communication (used by any professional at any time such as business letters, emails, presentations, website copy, and instructions.)

• The remaining 50% will be assignments which you help design to accommodate your major.

Course Objectives

• To write clear, objective prose for a specific audience and a practical purpose

• To tailor communications to the target audience• To understand and apply industry-accepted

standards in creating documents• To learn how to write collaboratively• To incorporate design and graphic elements to

create compelling written and computer-based products.

What You Will Need For The Course

• A copy of the course text book: Technical Communication, 8th Edition, Mike Markel

• A copy of The Little Brown Compact Handbook, Fifth Edition, Jane E. Aaron

Assignment Details

• I will give you more information on these assignments as they occur. The information will include templates, criteria by which I will judge your work (usually scored separately on content and style), resources, and other information that might help you complete these assignments. If the dates and schedule change significantly, I will reissue the syllabus.

Expectations:Yes

• Coffee (and other NA beverages) are encouraged• Tape recorders• Print outs for class (I put copies of my slides on

Blackboard for lectures prior to class but you must download and print them.)

• Show up every class and turn in assignments on time. • You can not get an A if you miss classes and hand in

assignments late, regardless of your writing ability. • A missed deadline in the workplace can be grounds for

firing and gives you the reputation of being an undependable team member.

Expectations:Yes

• Focus, pay attention, and really try to improve your writing. If you work hard, you will be rewarded.

• You may ask to discuss your grade on an assignment and you may appeal the grade. Appeals must take the form of a business memorandum (maximum 2 pages) stating a reasonable case (with data or other supporting information) to re-evaluate your grade. I do not consider grade revisions without this memorandum unless it is strictly a mathematical error on my part. I will entertain no more than 2 appeals in a semester.

ExpectationsNO

• Cell phones (if you must be reached during class time, put your phone on vibrate or mute)

• Laptops (except for group or lab work)• If any electronic device is used as a distraction

to the class at hand (blackberry, blue tooth, ipod, etc…), don’t use it.

• Catered feasts (please use your judgment – a granola bar is fine, but a huge messy sandwich is not). You are expected to clean up after yourself.

ExpectationsNO

• Leaving early unless pre-arranged. You never know what will transpire in the last 5 minutes of class. I assure you that if leaving early becomes a problem, I will use those last minutes for quizzes which count toward your grade.

• Whining. I have a toddler who can out-whine everyone so please don’t bother. I also will not speak to your parents on your cell phone or read emails from them on your behalf. If we must resolve an issue, it is between student and professor and I am bound by a confidentiality agreement to keep it that way. No exceptions.

Attendance

• Every class period, something is due! Readings assigned, discussions on the readings, group work, peer review and instructor feedback on assignments. New assignments are explained. There is no good day to miss class so plan to attend every session.

• In general, I return your assignments within one week.• I observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There is

one class period (9/13) where I will not hold class, nor will I assign any readings or work.

• Participation and attendance are expected/mandatory and therefore not given a point value.

Absences and Emergencies

• If you are absent > 2 times without written documentation in a semester, your final grade will be lowered by one letter grade. You will not be able to get an A or an A- if you miss more than 2 classes – no exceptions.

• I understand that problems arise but you must plan for emergencies and have a contingency.

• Please provide documentation for all of your absences prior to the absence via email or before class.

• Please consult your classmates regarding what you missed. I am happy to help all students however I do not repeat lectures for students who miss them.

There are no more snow days.

• Remember the days when you prayed for snow so you could miss school and just build snow people.

• Those days are, sadly, gone.• In case of inclement weather, VJC

announces class closings. If an assignment is due and the school is closed, please turn in your assignment via email.

Handing in Assignments

I require 2 copies of your assignment – one printed version and one emailed (with word doc attached).

• No late work without prior approval. Legitimate documented excuses will accepted if provided prior to due date.

• I have planned the flow of this course based on assignment due dates. If you choose to hand in an assignment late, it will unfortunately cause a delay in grading that assignment.

Handing in Assignments

• No more than 1 assignment will be accepted late regardless of the excuse, so please choose wisely.

• Please remember that you may not revise late assignments to improve the grade.

• I am happy to discuss your paper and my comments, although I am unable to do so immediately after class. Please email or call me to arrange for an appointment.

Get Out of Jail Free Card

• You may choose one assignment (of a value < 15%) which you can revise and resubmit. You have one week to complete the revision and return it to the instructor (attach the original copy) to improve your grade as much as one letter. You may not revise a paper which was handed in late to improve the grade.

• (Image is from The Monopoly Game, although it was accessed at wbur.org on7/19/07)

Academic Honesty

• I check papers for plagiarism and cheating. • Please refer to the College’s “Standards of Academic

Honesty.” • If you use someone else’s material, you must

acknowledge that you have done so. Plagiarism and cheating include intentional and unintentional use of other’s work so be vigilant, keep a copy of your sources (especially if you are citing a website), and cite your sources accurately. Self-plagiarism is use of work for another purpose which is recycled into a new assignment for my class. You must seek permission from me and the assigning professor to recycle your work.

Academic Honesty

• First offense will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment.

• Second offense will result in a failing grade for the course.

• I am obligated to report all offenses to the Department Chair

Evaluating Your Work

• I will grade your work according to this scale: A     93-100A-    90-92B+    87-89 B      83-86B-     80-82C+ 77-79 C      73-76C-     70-72D+    67-69D      60-66F      0-59

Your First Assignment – Due Thursday

• Resume and cover letter

• Assignment: Write a resume and cover letter in response to a tech comm. job posting (provided)

• Product: Word document

• Audience: Company who posted job

• Due August 31

Reading Assigned

• Chapters 1, 15

Chapter 1 Summary

• When you create technical documents you are writing, designing, and transmitting technical information so that people can understand it easily and use it safely, effectively, and efficiently.

Who produces technical communication?

• Technical professionals

• Technical communicators

• It is created by technical professionals (engineers, scientists, businesspeople) and by technical communicators (full-time writers, editors, document-production people).

• Tech comm is essential in business and industry because virtually every action taken has to be communicated to subordinates or supervisors, or both, and has to be documented to provide a record for future reference.

Characteristics of Technical Communication

• Addresses Particular Readers

• Helps readers solve problems

• Reflects an organization’s goals and culture

• Produced collaboratively

• Uses design to increase readability

• Consists of words or graphics or both

Measures of excellence in technical communication

• Honesty• Clarity• Accuracy• Comprehensiveness• Accessibility• Conciseness• Professional Appearance• Correctness

Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Many ethicists approach ethical dilemmas using four standards:

• Rights (concerning the basic needs and welfare of particular individuals)

• Justice (concerning how the positive and negative effects of an action or policy should be distributed fairly among a group)

• Utility (concerning the positive and negative effects of an action or policy on the general public)

• Care (concerning our responsibilities to people in our family, workplace, and community).

Areas of Law

• Technical communicators should know the basics of four areas of law: – Copyright– Trademark– Contract– Liability

Copyright law

• Copyright law, which covers the protection of the rights of the author, is often deliberately vague.

Trademarks

• Trademarks are different from registered trademarks, which provide substantial federal protection.

• Expressing trademarks correctly in communications can help protect them.

Warranties

• Companies are responsible for abiding by their express (explicit) warranties and implied warranties.

• What does that mean?

Injuries

• Companies can reduce the incidence of injuries that can lead to liability claims by:

– Understanding the users of the product– Writing safety messages that follow the

principles of effective tech comm– Testing the instructions effectively and often

Unethical

• Employees should be aware of their right to resist an employer's request or demand that they participate in an unethical action or that they look the other way while others participate.

• If the employee has exhausted all efforts to prevent or solve the unethical practice, he or she is entitled to blow the whistle.

Technical communicators and technical professionals should:

• Abide by relevant laws and appropriate corporate and professional codes of conduct

• Tell the truth

• Avoid misleading readers

• Be clear

• Avoid discriminatory language

• Acknowledge assistance from others

Your Assignment

• Write a memo (max 2 pages) to me summarizing Villa Julie College’s academic honesty policy

• Audience is your classmates in ENG 212

• Use examples and graphics

Chapter 3:Understanding the Writing Process

Adapted from Mike Markel, Technical Communication 8th ed.

Planning

• Analyze your audience

• Analyze your purpose

• Generate ideas about your topic

• Research additional information– Be careful not to over-research your topic

• Organize and outline your document

• Devise a schedule and a budget

Drafting

• Get comfortable

• Write quickly without stopping to get more information

Revising

• Reconsider your audience

• Reconsider your purpose

• Reconsider your organization and development

Editing

• Let the document sit, overnight if possible

• Edit the document carefully– Grammar– Punctuation – Spelling– Style– Give it the read-aloud test

Editing and Proofreading

• Format the document carefully

• Check for consistency in style and formatting

• Proofread it and then have someone else proofread it– Do not rely on spelling or grammar checker– Never use universal search and replace

Using Resources for Revision

• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)– Make it a habit to check with the expert on the

subject

• Preview the document to people most like the target audience

• Measure twice, cut once

Templates

• Drafting is the same process in tech comm as in comp.

• However, many technical documents are created using templates.

• Templates have advantages in saving writers time and helping them achieve an attractive document, but they can unconsciously encourage writers to organize and develop the document in a way that is inappropriate for the subject.

Your Own Techniques

• Writers must develop their own techniques for revising technical documents.

Strategies for Revision

• The chapter presents three strategies for revising. – Study the document using a checklist– Seek help from someone else. – Usability-test the document. Usability testing

is the process of conducting controlled experiments to determine how users interact with and work from a document.

Your Own Techniques

• Planning

• Analyzing your audience

• Analyze your purpose