Technical Writing

Today’s generation, proper communication through writing is essential to every business. Whether you are an engineer, scientist, teacher or an office staff must involve themselves into the world of technical writing which most of them are not prepared. They must have adequate knowledge of how to perform the basic work activities such as conceptualization, planning, analysis, evaluation and interpretation of the data gathered. These data gathered must be accurate, readable, concise, and helpful to its anticipated readers.

Technical writing is presentation of data or information into simple language enables a specific user or reader to perform specific task. To present appropriate content, writers must understand the audience and purpose.

Technical Writing falls into two categories

• Direct Communications. Example: technical reports, proposals, letters, directives, and among others
• Mass Communications. Example: magazines, books, articles published in special journals

Basic Principles of Technical Writing

• Know your reader. The reader must understand the information presented by the writer. If reader fails to understand what he reads, the writer fails its mission
• Purpose of each article or report. Maybe the purpose will be to analyze and solve the problem, to offer service or describe something. The report must accomplish its purpose
• Be familiar with the subject matter. The writer must be well-versed with the subject he is to write about
  
• Organize Writings. Report must be written properly by having the main topics, sub-topics, sub-sub topics, etc. The writer outline what he is to build
  
• Writing objectively. The writer must not be biased about the report he is presented
• Correct format. Report must be presentable in the reader. Using correct format such as proper heading or style of the report
• Formal English. The writer as much as possible must use formal English in writing his report
• Adopting ethical standards. A good technical writer must acknowledges the help he receives from others, and cites resources of reference materials
  

Functions of Technical Writings

- Provide as basis for management decisions.
- Deliver needed information
- Present instructions
- Document what has been done
- Obtain business through proposals
- Use as bases for public relations
- Give report to stockholders of companies

Qualities of Good Report

- Functional
- Informative
- Factual
- Efficient
- Correctly designed (margin, indention, etc)

Kinds of Technical Articles

- Reviews
- Documentary
- Tutorial articles
- Descriptive articles