Basic Principles of Good Technical writing

Mills and Waiter (1988) pointed out important principles to be considered in

technical writing:
1. The writer of a report must have a specific reader or group of readers in mind.
2. He must decide what the specific purpose of his report is and make sure that
every part of his report contributes to that purpose.
3. He must use specific, single, concrete word and familiar language that cannot
be misinterpreted.
4. The writer must check every part of his report to see whether he has followed
the principles of: first, “telling the reader what he is going to tell them; second,
telling them; and third, telling them what he told them.
5. He must take his report very presentable in format. The layout must conform
with the standard forms of writing.
 History of Technical Writing
Technical writing has been around for a few centuries. It is a field that demands a specific 
set of skills for technical communicators to have. Throughout the centuries, technical writers
served as mediators between people, who created technology and people who used technology.
But where does technical writing come from? How old is it?

Antiquity
It all started in classical antiquity. The earliest examples of technical writing belong to Aristotle
(384–322 BC). Archaeologists managed to retrieve short examples of his technical writings,
including a dictionary of philosophic terms and a summary of the “Doctrines of Pythagoras”.
Aristotle’s works are considered the earliest forms of technical writing.
Middle Ages
The first example of a technical document published in English was created by Geoffrey Chaucer
(1343–1400). It was a scientific treatise on the astrolabe — a device used for measuring the
distances of stars, planets etc. and for calculating the position of a ship. That work brought him
fame during his lifetime as an author, philosopher and astronomer.
 Renaissance
During the Renaissance, the theoretical knowledge of the Antiquity had been
applied practically. Many inventions, including that of the mechanical printing
press in the 15th century, created a need to chronicle new technologies. Famous
inventors and scientists like Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) and Isaac Newton
(1642–1727) compiled documents with their inventions and findings. Those
documents played a crucial role in developing modern forms of technical writing
and communication.
Age of Reason
More complex inventions had been made during the Industrial Revolution.
However, at that time, only the inventors themselves knew how to use their new
machines. The innovations waited to be tested and implemented into the daily
life, but in order to do that people needed to learn how to use them. Unlike the
past, when skills were handed down through oral traditions, the writers who could
document these devices were desired.
 The purpose and subject of Technical Writing
Writing is a form of communication, for it to become effective, the technical writer must consider its
purpose and subject matter.
Subject matter refers to the objective information that the writer wants to convey, whereas, purpose
refers to the goals that the writer wants to achieve for himself and his readers in presenting his output.

PURPOSE
1. Provides concepts and information that point to the completion of a specific task and decision.
2. Gives analysis on events and its implications.
3. Convinces, persuades, and influences the readers.

Subject Matter
4. Presents objective information.
5. Tells readers what to do, how to do it, and under what conditions to do it.
6. Records data in fields like Criminology, business, education, etc.
 The Technical Communication
For communication to be effective, it requires quality content, language, and format. The
most important aspect of communication is to disseminate information, and this is where the
written form comes in. Technical communication is the process of conveying technical
information through writing, speech, and other medium to a specific audience. Technical
communications are created and distributed by most employees in service organizations today.

The Technical Communicator

A technical communicator is a person whose job involves technical communication. Technical
communicators write, design, and edit proposals. They also write manuals, create web pages,
prepare lab reports, write newsletter, and publish many other kinds of professional documents. In
addition, they are responsible for writing the texts that are accurate, readable, acceptable, and
helpful to its intended audience.
 Characteristics of a Good Technical Communicator
A technical communicator:
Knows his/her audience well
• A writer who knows his/her audience well is in the position to suggest and implement solutions
to problems that nobody else identifies.
Serves as a “go-between”
• Whenever one group of people has specialized knowledge that other groups does not share, the
technical writer bridges the gap.
A Generator of truth
• A technical writer chooses what is written, with the full knowledge that later readers will depend
on the accuracy of what has been written.
A Good teacher
• He/she excels at explaining difficult concepts for readers who will have no time to read twice
Has an excellent eye for details
• He/she knows punctuations, syntax, and style, and can explain the rules governing them.
Knows how to coordinate
• Though he/she works on her own much of the time, he/she also knows how to
coordinate with the collaborative work or graphic artists, programmers, printers, and
various subject matter experts.
Has enough expertise
• He/she is an expert in understanding the audience’s background and needs.
Knows how to gather information
• He/she has a nose for information from existing documents and from subject matter
experts.
Is respected and credible
• Readers will not trust the information from an author if they do not believe that the
author is a valuable source of information.
Has a strong language skill
• He/she understands the highly evolved conventions of modern technical
communication.
Technical Documentation

Technical communicators often work collaboratively to create products or deliverables.

These deliverables are technical documents that contain technical information.

Included to these are police reports, police correspondence and issuances, corporate
disclaimers, policies and procedures, business proposals and procedure manuals.

A technical documentation is useful if the readers can understand and act on them
without having to decode wordy and ambiguous words.

Technical documentation services comprise for all activities, means and system that
provide information to its specialized fields. Effective technical documentation written by any
technical writing service will take some time and effort, but in the end, it is worth it.
 Technical writing

Definition:

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, academic writing or business writing.
 Uses for Technical Writing
Technical writing is straightforward, easy to understand explanations and/or instructions dealing with a
particular subject. It is an efficient and clear way of explaining something and how it works.

The subject of technical writing can either be:

Tangible - Something that can be seen or touched, such as a computer or software program, or
information on how to assemble a piece of furniture.
Abstract - Something that involved a series of steps that aren't related to a tangible object. One
example of this might be steps required to complete an office process.
Some examples of technical writing include:

Instruction manuals
Policy manuals
Process manuals
User manuals
Reports of analysis
Instructions for assembling a product
A summarization of a long report that highlights and shortens the most important elements
 Tips for Good Technical Writing
Regardless of the type of document which is written, technical writing requires the
writer to follow the properties of knowing their audience, writing in a clear, non-
personal style and doing extensive research on the topic. By including these
properties, the writer can create clear instructions and explanations for the
reader.
 Know your audience. An expert in the field will understand certain
abbreviations, acronyms, and lingo that directly applies to such a field. The
novice will not understand in the same manner and, therefore, every detail
must be explained and spelled out for them.
 Use an impersonal style. Write from a third person perspective, like a teacher
instructing a student. Any opinions should be omitted.
 The writing should be straightforward, to the point, and as simple as possible
to make sure the reader understands the process or instruction. This at times
may appear as simply a list of steps to take to achieve the desired goal or may
be a short or lengthy explanation of a concept or abstract idea.
 Know how to research. Gather information from a number of
sources, understand the information gathered so that it can be
analyzed thoroughly, and then put the information into an easy to
understand format to instruct those who read it. The more
inexperienced your audience, the more information you will need to
gather and explain.
 Be thorough in description and provide enough detail to make your
points; but, you also have to consider that you need to use an
economy of words so that you do not bore your reader with
gratuitous details.
•A good technical writer can make a difficult task easy and can
quickly explain a complex piece of information.
 What is an example of technical writing?
•The most common examples of technical writing are: User manuals; software
installation guides; Standard Operating Procedures (SOP); Service Level
Agreements (SLA); Request for Proposal (RFP); legal disclaimers; company
documents; annual reports; and Help file

What is the purpose of technical writing?

•The purpose of technical writing is to provide material that explains a process or
make a complex concept easier to understand for a particular audience
 
What is the meaning of technical writer?
•A technical writer is a professional information communicator whose task is to
transfer information (knowledge) between two or more parties, through any medium
that best facilitates the transfer and comprehension of the information.

Technical writing is sometimes defined as simplifying the complex

 What is the meaning of technical?
•1a : having special and usually practical knowledge especially of a mechanical or scientific subject
a technical consultant. b : marked by or characteristic of specialization technical language. 2a : of or
relating to a particular subject.

What is the best definition of 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, academic writing or business writing.
 

What skills do technical writers need?

A good technical writer requires five important skills or characteristics:
 Facility with technology. You must have the potential to grasp technology. ...
 Ability to write clearly. ...
 Talent in showing ideas graphically. ...
 Patience in problem-solving/troubleshooting. ...
 Ability to interact with SMEs (Subject Matter Experts)
 The Most Common Technical Writing Mistakes
Looking to hone your skills? The Center For Technical
Communication identifies these as the most the common 
technical writing mistakes:
1.      Poorly defined topic
2.      Lengthy sentences and big words
3.      Scattered page layout
4.      Inadequate content
5.      Inconsistent tone
 10 Key Attributes Of Technical Writing
Being able to explain characteristics of technical writing is important, especially since the industry is all
about explaining topics to others. Keeping these key technical writing attributes in mind will make your
writing coherent and consistent:
  1. Stick to a technical subject
2.  Have a purpose
3. Maintain an objective
  4. Convey solid information/facts/data
5. Be impersonal
6. Stay concise
7. Maintain direction
8. Keep style and format consistent
9. Content is archival
10.Properly cite contributions
 FUNDAMENTALS OF REPORT WRITING
The Nature of Report Writing
A report is an objective statement of the findings of the investigators. This
is an official record of the information that is relevant to an investigation. The
personality of an effective investigator is reflected in the kind of reports he or
she writes.
Reports are helpful and may influence the career of the investigator
because recognition and promotion are mostly based on the quality of his or
her reports. Well written reports show a favorable impression not only on the
competence of the writer but also his credibility as well. In contrast,
erroneous reports can damage the investigator’s career, as it nay also destroy
the image of the law enforcement.
 Point to Consider in Writing Reports

1. Use the Best Language. The best language in report is one that could be
easily understood, which include the following characteristics: concise, clear,
organized, thorough, accurate, and adequate.
2. Avoid the errors of form. Faulty report is unimpressive and ambiguous,
avoid errors in spelling, typographical forms, file number and report format.
3. Avoid the errors of substance. These are seriously considered because it
can affect the lives of people and the organization, avoid the following: delay
in investigation and reporting, failure to include essential facts, misstatement
of facts, failure to cover obvious leads, and inadequate interviews.
 Qualities of a GOOD REPORT
1. Clarity. An effective writer must use correct English, and must point
directly to the written communication to save readers from reading
unnecessary words. Below are some examples of inflated words and their
simple counterparts:
Inflated Simple
magnitude size
maximize develop
fully accumulate gather
acquaint tell
approximately about
ameliorate improve
commence begin
2. Accuracy. Information whether favorable or not to the suspects should be
included, and these are verified by statement of witnesses, and by reference to
official records of reliable sources. The report is a true reflection and
representation of the facts to the best of the investigator’s knowledge.

3. Completeness. The elements of the crime should be established and the

additional facts should prove those elements. Documentation of the report
should base from important statement and letters, findings of other agencies and
laboratory reports. This should also answer the 5w’s and 1 H questions.
4. Brevity. Omit materials or information that is useless and irrelevant to the
whole report. Avoid wordiness and redundancies. Below are some examples of
wordy redundant and expressions that should be avoided:
Wordy Redundant Expressions
Completely eliminated Protest against
Controversial issue Qualified experts
definite decision

Future plans
General consensus
Joined together Strangled to death
New recruit Totally destroyed
Past experience whether or not
5. Fairness. Always base the report on facts. And if there are
theories, these should be verified first and be consistent with
facts.
6. Specificity. A good writer must be precise and specific in
writing his or her report, and should avoid ideas that could
mislead the readers.
7. Form and Style. Form refers to proper adherence to
grammar and mechanics, and a good report should follow the
style and arrangement of standard report writing.
 Strategies in Preparing a Good Report
The following are strategies that a police writer must adhere to in
preparing a report:
1. Before writing, check whether the notes on gathered facts are complete
and organized.
2. Using the chronological order of presenting ideas, make an outline of the
report basing from the gathered facts.
3. The outline should answer the 5 w’s and 1h.
4. Depending on its type, prepare a report that could either be simple, brief,
complex, or in memorandum form.
 Types of Report Writers
According to the PNP Investigative Manual, there are three types of
report writers:

1. Those who write without thinking.

2. Those who write and think at the same time.
3. Those who think first and write afterwards.