INTRODUCTION

TO THE COURSE
Course: Technical and Business Writing
Course code: HU-212

Lecture Prepared By:

Ms. Hina Yousaf
Objective:
 The main objective of this course is to equip the
students with skills that will enable them to
communicate clearly and concisely in diverse
business situations.

 The students will learn the importance of

planning and organizing effective written
messages.
Technical writing is a specialized form of communication that
conveys complex and technical information to a specific audience in a
clear and concise manner. It is an essential skill for professionals in
various fields, such as engineering, science, technology, and business.
Technical writing serves as a bridge between technical experts and
non-experts, helping readers understand complex concepts and
procedures.

Technical writing involves creating documents that communicate

technical information to a specific audience. These documents can
include manuals, reports, user guides, proposals, and technical
specifications.
Importance of Business & Technical
Communication
Learning ‘Business & Technical Communication’ helps a person to identify
different roles at workplace.

• As a Specialist
you need to generate ideas which will be potentially useful.

• To share results
share the results of your ideas with co-workers, customers, etc. as a
communicator
• Writing is critical to your success.

As a university graduate, you will need to spend an average of 20

percent of your time at work writing. That comes out to one out of
every five-day work week.

• Besides enabling you to do your job, writing well can bring you
many personal benefits as well:

 Recognition in the form of praise

 Raises
 Promotion
 Communication with the upper management
 Memos, reports, and other writings may be the only evidence of
your good written work as either a specialist or a communicator.
 Writing at work differs from writing at school
• develop new writing skills
• As a student, you communicate for educational purposes,
• As an employee, you communicate for instrumental purposes, to
help your employer achieve practical business objectives.
• At school, your aim is to show how much you know.
• At work, your communications should only include the
information your readers need.
• At school your interaction is only with one person, the instructor.
• At work, you will often address a wide variety of people with
different backgrounds.
Types of Technical Writing
Different genres of technical writing, include

• Instruction manuals
Instructional writing provides step-by-step instructions to perform specific
tasks or operations. Examples include user guides, assembly manuals, and
operating procedures.
Links to sample instruction manuals and other examples of types of
technical writing from an online writing textbook.
Online Technical Writing: Examples, Cases & Models
https://mcmassociates.io/textbook/examples/instruxx5b.pdf

• Proposals
A technical proposal is a type of document that outlines the precise details of
a proposed product or service.
This document may contain any of the following: Technical requirements.
Design considerations. Functional specifications.

https
://learning.candid.org/resources/sample-documents/?tab=tab-fullproposals
Share Samples

• Reports
Report writing involves presenting findings, analysis, and conclusions
based on research or investigations. Technical reports are commonly used
in scientific and engineering fields.
(Can include progress, problem-solving, feasibility, laboratory,
research, and recommendation reports.)
https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/c.php?g=284553&p=1948068
• Posters and Visual communication
https://betterposters.blogspot.com/search/label/critiques
• Technical descriptions
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP894?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
• Product recalls
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls
https://www.recalls.gov/recent.html
• White papers
A white paper is a research-based report which offers a focused description of a
complex topic and presents the point of view of the author or body represented
by the author. The purpose of a white paper is to give readers understanding of
an issue, which in turn helps them solve a problem or make a decision. Mostly
used for marketing and promotion.
https://www.egain.com/knowledge-management-white-papers/
Mechanics of Technical Writing
The mechanics of technical writing encompass the essential elements and
practices that contribute to effective communication in technical
documents. These mechanics ensure clarity, accuracy, and readability in
conveying complex information. Key aspects of the mechanics of
technical writing include:

 Grammar and Syntax: Correct usage of grammar rules and sentence

structures to convey ideas accurately and coherently.

 Punctuation: Proper placement of punctuation marks to enhance

readability and convey precise meaning.
 Spelling and Vocabulary: Ensuring accurate spelling and using
appropriate technical terms to maintain consistency and clarity.

 Formatting: Organizing content with headings, bullet points,

numbering, and visual aids to improve readability and comprehension.

 Citation and Referencing: Properly citing sources and referencing

external materials to support claims and avoid plagiarism.

 Clarity and Conciseness: Using clear, concise language to convey

information without ambiguity or unnecessary complexity.

 Consistency: Maintaining uniformity in style, terminology, and

formatting throughout the document.
 Visual Elements: Incorporating relevant diagrams, charts, graphs, and
images to enhance understanding and illustrate concepts.

 Proofreading and Editing: Careful review and revision to eliminate errors,

improve readability, and refine content.
Characteristics of Technical Writing
Technical writing has several characteristics.

It has strict conventions.

It has a purpose.
It covers complex information.
It is reader-focused, and
It is typically objective.

Let's examine each of these characteristics by looking at a few

examples.
 1. STRICT CONVENTIONS

Technical communication is meant to transmit information as

quickly and clearly as possible. To do this, technical
communicators use standardized conventions, called genres
that follow an expected and familiar form.

Technical readers prefer writing that conforms to genre

conventions because they can understand more information on
the first read and avoid slogging through an unfamiliar format.
 Genre in Technical Communication
 Genre in technical communication is a kind of language.

 It is the mark of a professional to learn how to communicate

in the genre of the community you're trying to inform or
persuade.

 Genre and audience are critical elements to consider when

creating a piece of technical communication.
 Knowing what your audience expects and communicating
according to those expectations requires problem-solving and
critical thinking.

 It requires studying multiple examples of the genre and lots of

practice.

 But when you can successfully master the conventions of a

genre and the needs of your audience, your success with a
particular piece of writing increases exponentially.
2&3 PURPOSE AND COMPLEXITY
Technical communication transmits detailed and complex
information; both variables must be involved for a document to
be considered technical writing.

A telephone book, for example, has: a lot of detail but little

complexity. On the other hand, an equation for atomic fission
may take up less than a page, but its complexity would make it
highly technical. Your purpose in technical writing is to transmit
information-highly complex and detailed information-in a
format that readers can understand.
4&5 READER-FOCUSED AND OBJECTIVITY
Technical communication is designed to meet readers' technical
needs. You must know who your readers are and why they
need the information.

You may address any number of audiences in your career,

including people with more, less, or similar expertise than you
have; people with expertise in a different field; or clients,
colleagues, competitors, and legal professionals. You must be
prepared to adjust your communication to meet varying needs.
When learning to write for a new audience, it is useful to read
examples of the genre in which they communicate and imitate
the examples until you feel comfortable writing in that genre.
(This includes using the right jargon and conventions of the
genre.)
Objectivity is required in most instances of technical writing
because the information is what's important, not the opinion of
the writer. Being objective signals that the focus is on facts, not
feelings.

Objectivity can assist in presenting a message clearly, without

imposing barriers that opinion or bias can create, such as
emotion-based disagreements or responses.
 Principles of Good Writing

 Managers and leaders must express their ideas clearly, concisely,

and completely when speaking and writing.

 If your written messages aren't clear or lack important details,

people will be confused and will not know how to respond.

 In addition, if your written messages are too lengthy, people

simply don't read them. Practicing the following 16 principles
will help you be a more effective writer.
 1. Know your objective

Think before you write.

What's your goal?

Make sure you fully understand the assignment.

Are you writing a one-paragraph executive summary or a five-

page report? Try answering this question: What specifically do
I want the reader to know, think, or do?
 2. Make a list

Write down the ideas or points you want to cover. This helps
you get started in identifying the key ideas you want to discuss.

If you have trouble getting started, try discussing your ideas

with someone else. "Kicking an idea around" often helps you
clarify your objective and fine-tune what you are trying to
accomplish.
 3. Organize your ideas

Just as it's difficult to find what you want in a messy, disorganized

desk drawer, it's hard to find important ideas in a poorly organized
message.

Here are a few ways you can organize your ideas:

 Importance
Begin with the most important piece of information and then move
on to the next most important.
 Chronological order
Describe what happened first, second, third.

 Problem-Solution
Define the problem, then describe possible alternatives or the
solution you recommend.

 Question-Answer
State a question and then provide your answer. Organize your
ideas so the reader can easily follow your argument or the
point you are trying to get across.
 4. Back it up

Have an opinion but back it up - support with data.

There are a number of ways you can support your ideas, including
explanations, examples, facts, personal experiences, stories,
statistics, and quotations.

It's best to use a combination of approaches to develop and support

your ideas.
 5. Separate main ideas

Each paragraph should have one main point or idea captured in

a topic sentence.

The topic sentence is normally the first sentence in the

paragraph.

Each paragraph should be started by an indentation or by

skipping a line.
 6. Use bullets or numbers

If you are listing or discussing a number of items, use bullets or

number. Here's an example of using bullets.

Join the Business Club to:

• Increase sales
• Gain new marketing ideas
• Make new friends
• Give back to your profession
 7. Write complete sentences

A sentence is about someone doing something - taking action.

The someone may be a manager, employee, customer, etc.
The "doing something - taking action" can include mental
processes such as thinking, evaluating, and deciding, or
physical actions such as writing and talking.

A good rule to practice is to have subjects closely followed by

their verbs.
 8. Use short sentences

Sentences should be a maximum of 12 to 15 words in length.

According to the American Press Institute, sentences with 15 or

fewer words are understood 90% of the time.

Sentences with eight or fewer words are understood 100% of the

time.
 9. Be precise and accurate

Words like "large," "small," "as soon as possible," "they,"

"people," "teamwork," and "customer focus" are vague and
imprecise.

The reader may interpret these words to mean something

different than what you intended. Reduce communication
breakdowns by being specific and precise.

Define terms as needed. The reader may not understand certain

acronyms and abbreviations.
 10. Use commas appropriately

Use a comma to separate the elements in a series of three or more

items:
His favorite colors are red, white, and blue.

Use a comma to set off introductory elements:

After coffee and donuts, the meeting will begin.

Use a comma to separate adjectives:

That tall, distinguished, good-looking professor teaches
history.
 11. Use the correct word

Here are several words that cause confusion.

• You’re is a contraction for "you are" Your means possession,

such as "your coat."

• It's is a contraction for "it is." Its indicates possession.

• Their means possession/ownership-"their house." There means

location. They're is a contraction for "they are."
 12. Avoid Redundancies

It is a redundancy to use multiple words that mean or say the

same thing. For example, consider the following:

• Redundant - My personal beliefs… Beliefs are personal, so just

state, My beliefs...

• Redundant - I decided to paint the machine gray in color. Gray

is a color, so just state, I decided to paint the machine gray.
 13. Numbers

When using numbers in the body of your paper, spell out numbers
one through nine, such as "Three men decided…"

When using numbers 10 or above it's proper to write the number,

such as "The report indicated 68 customers…"
 14. Have a Conclusion

Would you really enjoy watching a movie or sporting event

that had no conclusion?

The conclusion ties your points together. The reader wants to

know the final score - the bottom line message.
 15. Edit Your Work

Read what you have written several times.

• On your first read, focus on organization and sentence

structure. Shorten long sentences. Cross out unnecessary words
and phrases. Reorganize material as needed.

• Read it again and make sure commas are used appropriately

and that there is punctuation mark at the end of every sentence.
• Read it a third time and focus on word choice. Are there
certain words that are vague or unclear? Replace them with
specific words.

• Read what you have written aloud to yourself or to a friend

to see if he or she (and you) can understand it and improve it
in any way.

A significant part of good writing involves editing. Very few

people can sit down and write a perfect paragraph on their
first try. It requires multiple rewrites.
 16. Get help

There are several web sites that can help you improve your
writing.

These websites can help you with spelling and making sure you're
using the word correctly, and also has links to lots of other
resources.
 Summary

You don't have to be a great writer to be successful

manager/leader.

However you must be able to clearly and briefly explain your

thoughts and ideas in writing.

Try to be simple, clear, and brief. Like any skill, "good writing"
requires practice, feedback, and ongoing improvement.