Technical writing is

done in the workplace

and centers around
technical topics.
Technical writing has
unique characteristics
and has specific
audiences.
 Why the Differences?
 Time management
 Variety of Readers

 Reading for different

reasons
“Differences”

Business leaders don’t have the

time in their day to sift through
many pages, searching for the
information they need to know
and
“Differences”

Technical writing will have many

different readers, reading different parts
of the work.
- a project manager, financial officer, CEO, and
supervisor might all read parts that pertain to their
jobs, then discuss as a team the merits of the proposal.
 This PowerPoint will:

•Explore the differences

between academic and
technical writing

•Explain the components and

style of technical writing
Technical
vs.
Academic
Writing
Technical versus Academic
 Knowledge  Knowledge
•You are •You are
the expert still a
learner
 Technical versus Academic
 Audience  Audience
•Technical •Wide range
background, of academics
professional and general
s in the field audiences
 Technical versus Academic
 Criteria for  Criteria for
Evaluation Evaluation
•Clear and
simple •Depth,
organizatio logic,
n, clarity,
•Visually unity and
appealing grammar
and easy to
follow.
 Technical versus Academic
 Graphics, Graphics,
charts, and charts, and
numbers numbers are
are used sometimes
used to help
very explain and
frequently demonstrate
to support knowledge
conclusions
 Characteristics of Technical
Writing
 Clear, Concise and simply
organized.
 Repetitive in nature.
 Highly defined
structure/format.
•Examples: Lab reports,
memos, business letters,
technical reports, and
proposals
 Compare These Statements:
 Looking into  The sun set
the azure blue sky in the west.
one could see the
golden orb of sun
slip gently beneath
the western sky.
 The left-side description of
the sun setting is an example
of academic writing and the
right-side description is an
example of technical writing.
Notice that the technical
description is clear,
concise, and coherent.
These three C’s are
trademarks of technical
writing.
 Assignment:
 Find an article out of a Popular
Mechanics magazine. Compare the
first two or three paragraphs of that
article with a passage from one of
your favorite novels using the
following categories:
• Content, Organization, Layout, Intended
Audience, Purpose, Tone.
• You should notice a distinct difference in
each of the categories, leading to how
each is distinct in its clarity, coherence,
and conciseness.
 Style in Technical Writing
 Writers have unique characteristics.
• Sentence structure, word length word
choice, and word order; these are choices
we make without being conscious of it.
These decisions shape the way we
express ourselves

 Style is personal choice, there is no

right or wrong here
 Tone-
Expression of an underlying
attitude that can be:
• Casual • Enthusiastic
• Objective • Serious
• Persuasive • Authoritative
• Friendly

**Always present your material in a positive

light. Never let the negative be presented.
The following tips lend themselves
to better clarity and cohesion in
technical writing.
 Sentence Tips
 Place the main point at
the beginning of the
sentence

**Don’t make the

reader work to
find it.
 Sentence Tips
 Use one main clause
in each sentence

**more becomes
Confusing.
 Sentence Tips
 Examine your copy to
make sure you vary the
sentence length –but aim
for 15-20 words per
sentence. If you use the
same length sentences, the
text becomes tedious to
read
 Conciseness Tips
 Avoid the repeated use of
pronouns, this confuses the
reader. Only use a pronoun
immediately following the noun
it represents. Try to use specific
nouns such as the person’s
name, or the specific piece of
equipment, etc. In place of
abstract nouns
Abstract Nouns
 Assessment of-

 Classification of-

 Computation of-

 Development of-

 Elimination of-

 Requirement of-
 Conciseness Tips
Focus on
strong verbs!
 Assess  Develop
 Classify  Eliminate

 Compute  Require
 Conciseness Tips
 Shorten wordy phrases
 Replace long words with

short ones
 Leave out clichés

 Cut out extra words that

are redundant
 Language Use Tips
 Distinguish facts from opinions

 Include supportive statements

when necessary

 Choose your words carefully

 Avoid using words like “always”

and “never”—these box the
writer in and create finality
 Active Voice
 Active voice—emphasizes the
doer or the subject
“Joe delivered the pizza within the
specified time frame.”

Active voice uses one verb “delivered”

compared to passive voice which uses a
form of the verb “to be” + the verb---
”was delivered”

Almost all technical writing should be

done in the active voice, except lab
reports.
 Active Voice helps:
•Create less wordy
sentences

•Places emphasis on the

subject—e.g. company or
person’s name
 Passive Voice
 Passive voice—emphasizes the
recipient of the action
•Verbs with the “to be” form
•Emphasize the receiver of
the action
•Avoid repetitious use of “I”
and names

Is it the roses or the receiver of the

roses that is important to the giver?
Examples of editing
for
conciseness
• “the passage of the levy was
accomplished through long
and hard negotiations, and
door to door canvassing.”

Revised:
• “The levy pass through long
and hard work.”
 “Confirmation of the voting
results occurred yesterday.”

Revised
 “The voting results were
confirmed yesterday.”
 Technical Writing
 Provides clear
communication in the
workplace

 Has unique formats and a

specific style of writing

 Creates clarity, conciseness

and coherency in writing
 Closure
Welcome to a new style of
writing. Hopefully the handouts
that accompany these
Presentations will help you take
your first steps to become a
Technical Writer.