1

TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING
TYPES of WRITING

1. PERSONAL

2. ACADEMIC

3. PROFESSIONAL
 3

PERSONAL WRITING
o Purpose/Objective:
to entertain
to inform

o Evaluation:
desired emotional response
informed
 4

PERSONAL WRITING
o Graphics:
emoticons
text-messaging lingo

o Formats:
e-mail
letters
journals
text messages
 5

PERSONAL WRITING
o Audience:
equal knowledge
friends
colleagues

o Informality
 6

TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING
 *AUDIENCES*
Specific Audiences General Audience
o boss o generic reader
o supervisor o teacher
o team o perhaps fellow
o committee students
o politicians
o bank officers
o general public

TC AW
 *AUDIENCES*
1 Document = Many Readers: 1 Document = 1 Reader:
(Many Readers = Many Needs) (1 Reader = 1 Need)

o food chain o teacher

o boss, supervisor
o team
o engineers
o workers
o politicians
o bank officers
o general public
TC AW
 PURPOSES
o Purpose =
o Writing Situation
o Objective
o Why was the document written?
 PURPOSES
Situation-Oriented Assignment-Oriented
o see a need o passive (vs. active)
o address a need o given a topic, test
o internal motivation o given an assignment
o professional o external motivation
motivation o scholastic
o outcome-oriented: motivation
to get something o grade-oriented
accomplished
grade, g.p.a., degree

TC AW
 EVALUATION CRITERIA
Success Success
o satisfaction of the o correct answer
needs of all readers o right information
o something was done o unity, coherence
o informed o support, detail
o persuaded o grammar

TC AW
 APPLICATIONS
Real-World Applications College Application
o case studies o academic writing
o illustrative o essays
scenarios o essay exams
o operations o for academics
management
o for grade
o for a job
o for degree
o for a raise or
o show what you
promotion
know
o for a bid
practical
demonstrative
TC AW
 DISCIPLINES
Across Disciplines Single Discipline
o interdisciplinary o discipline-specific
o computer sciences literary data for an
English paper
o psychology
historical information
o mixture of: on a history paper
history psychological ideas
math on a psychology test
science o rarely a mixture
technology

TC AW
 *PAGE DESIGN*
o Paragraphs o Paragraphs
6-10 lines Minimum of 3-5
vary lengths for visual sentences
o White Space No maximum length
o Columns o NO
o Headings White Space
Columns
o Lists
Headings
o Graphics Lists
o Varying Fonts Graphics
o Use of Color Varying Fonts
o Relative Spacing Use of Color
o Relative Margins o Double Spacing
o Relative Justification o Equal Margins
o Left Justification
TC AW
 COMPONENTS
Oral, Visual, Written Written
o produce documents o infrequent oral and
o present documents visual components
o write to be read o predominant written
o write to be seen component
o write to be heard o write to be read
by teacher
o write to be graded
o not to be seen or
heard
TC AW
 GRAPHICS
o tables o uncommon
o charts o photographs
o graphs
o diagrams
o photographs
o maps
o blue prints

TC AW
 FORMATS
o memos o essay questions
o e-mails o essays based on the
o letters rhetorical strategies
o cover letters Description
o resumes Narration
o proposals Illustration
o manuals Process-Analysis
o portfolio Division-Classification
o abstracts Comparison-Contrast
o reports Definition
formal Cause-Effect
Pro-Con Argument
informal
TC AW
 GRAMMAR
Grammar-less Grammar-full
o visual-oriented o written-oriented
o grammar = less o grammar = key
important
o sentence errors =
o fragments =
permissible avoided
o active voice o active voice
o descriptive writing o descriptive writing
o concise sentences o concise sentences
o spelling! o spelling!
o proofread! o proofread!
TC AW
 19

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
Practicality in the employment world
Real-World application

o Academic Writing:
Demonstration of knowledge
Limited to academia
 20

CONCLUSIONS
o 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
 21

CONCLUSIONS
o Technical Communication:
Read by many,
To satisfy the needs of many

o Academic Writing:
Read by one,
To appease the criteria of one
 22

CONCLUSIONS
o 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
 23

CONCLUSIONS
o 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
 24

DEFINITION
Technical Communication:

o Encompasses a wide range

o of writing and speaking responsibilities
o required to communicate your ideas
o on the job.
25
 26

SIMILARITIES
o Grammar:
active voice
descriptive writing
concise sentences
spelling!
proofread!
 27

SIMILARITIES
o Writing as a Process:
Planning
Drafting
Revising
 EDUCATIONAL
PHILOSOPHIES
writing: process & writing: product
product o prescriptive
o HEURISTIC: o teach from models
process
o rhetorical strategies
reader-focused
o writer-focused
how-to
analyze-and-
compose process
o PRESCRIPTIVE:
product
writer-focused
models/forms of
writing TC AW
 29

ACADEMIC WRITING
o Purpose/Objective: o Evaluation:
to demonstrate correct information
knowledge unity, coherence,
to show what you depth, clarity,
know grammar
o Audience: o Graphics:
superior knowledge limited
teachers, perhaps to explain or
peer editors persuade
 30

ACADEMIC WRITING
o Formats: (Rhetorical Strategies or
Writing Models)

Description Comparison-Contrast
Narration Definition
Illustration Cause-Effect
Process-Analysis Pro-Con
Division- Argument-
Classification Persuasion
 31

TECHNICAL WRITING
o Purpose/Objective: o Graphics:
to entertain emoticons
to inform text-messaging lingo
o Audience: o Formats:
equal knowledge e-mail
friends, colleagues letters
o Evaluation: journals
desired emotional text messages
response
informed