DEVC50 SECOND LONG EXAM

• Technical writing


  A specialized form of exposition separate from literary writing that reports factual information in an objective manner for an intended audience
• Levels of technical writing

  • Scientific writing
  • Technical report writing
  • Popular writing
• Scientific writing


  • Purpose is knowledge generation
  • Basic form is original research article
  • Nature of treatment is specialist
  • Audience is scientists, researchers
  • Goal is scientific progress
• Technical report writing


  • Purpose is information exchange
  • Basic form is technical literature
  • Nature of treatment is semi-specialist
  • Audience is engineers, technicians
  • Goal is technical progress via applied technologies
• Popular writing


  • Purpose is information utilization
  • Basic form is popular publication
  • Nature of treatment is non-specialist
  • Audience is general public, farmers, other end-users
  • Goal is practical science literacy (awareness and use)
• Communication of research results is a domain of science communication concerned with improving the communication of S&T results to various publics
• As science communicators, you need to learn the different levels of technical writing and how to present scientific information for a particular set of audience
• Aside from writing, you will also take on the tasks of a technical editor and publication specialist
• Course objectives


  • Define technical writing
  • Cite the different levels of technical writing
  • Identify the common errors in the communication of science
  • Discuss how scientific data should be presented
  • Discuss the basic principles of technical editing
• Because of the nature of technical writing, many people find it as too tedious to write and too difficult to read
• The communication of potentially useful information and carefully gathered data is, more often than not, inefficient
• Though the communicator essentially plays a more major role in science popularization, he/she also can help at the other two levels as editor and publication specialist or as information specialist
• Elements of an efficient technical document

  • Content that make the document worth reading
  • Organization that reveals the line of thinking and provides emphasis
  • Style that is economical and clear
  • Visuals (graphs, diagrams) that depict concepts and relationships
  • Format (layout, typeface) that is accessible and appealing
• Technical writing is reader-oriented and efficient. It suits or conforms to the audience's needs, interests and abilities
• Common errors in technical writing

  • More or less than needed information is given to readers
  • Information is irrelevant or uninterpreted
  • There is no discernible organization or information is presented in forms hard to follow
  • More than needed words are included
  • Most technical documents have an uninviting appearance or confusing layout
  • No visual aids are used when readers need them
• Editing


  Revising or rewriting an article or copy to make it clearer, more concise, more presentable, and more alive
• Levels of editing


  • Mechanical editing
  • Substantive editing
• Mechanical editing


  Checking consistency of capitalization, spelling, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and other mechanics of style according to the provisions of the particular stylebook being followed
• Substantive editing


  Rewriting, reorganizing, or looking at other ways to present the material so that it can communicate the message more effectively
• The basic role of the technical editor is to help the scientist-author communicate his/her message effectively
• Tasks of an editor

  • Checking all errors of fact
  • Clarifying whether or not the meaning is unclear
  • Condensing or doing away with unnecessary elements
• Questions the editor must ask

  • Will the reader understand this word? this sentence? this idea?
  • Will this interest the reader?
  • Is this what the readers need to know?
  • Is there more the reader should be told?
  • How can this be published most effectively for this particular reader?
• The editor must be concerned that the words are supported when necessary by illustrations (e.g., photos, diagrams, graphs) and the appearance of the publication supports the message (design)
• Style


  A convention with respect to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, typographical arrangement, and display followed in writing or printing
• Different organizations have different styles which are usually formalized in a book called a style guide
• Aspects addressed by style guides

  • Names and terms
  • Numbers
  • Foreign languages in type
  • Quotations
  • Illustrations
  • Captions and legends
  • Tables
  • Mathematics in type
• Additional guidelines provided by some style guides

  • Bookmaking (e.g., discussion on the parts of a book, manuscript preparation and copyediting, proofs, and rights and permissions)
  • Documentation (e.g., notes, bibliographies, and other forms of citations)
• It's important to choose words carefully and write accurate, clear, concise, and forceful sentences
• If a sentence doesn't say what you intended, misunderstandings can occur
• The ability to write well reflects positively on you and your organization
• If you write well, you sound like a professional; you sound like someone worth reading
• Structuring Effective Sentences


  1. Keep your sentences short

  2. Use active verbs

  3. Keep related words together

  4. Avoid nominalizations

  5. Put statements in positive form

  6. Use words that are appropriate for the reader

  7. Be specific

  8. Use modifiers effectively
• KISS


  Keep It Short and Simple
• Technical communication


  Broad field that includes any form of communication that: communicates about technical or specialized topics, is a specialized form of exposition separate from literary writing, reports factual information in an objective manner for a specific audience
• Role of development communicators

  • Interpret research and development content
  • Technical writing and editing
  • Designing effective technical materials and preparing
• Technical writing process


  1. Address reader's desire for information

  2. Save reader's time and energy
• Mechanical editing


  Checking consistency of capitalization, spelling, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and other mechanics
• Substantive editing


  Rewriting, reorganizing or looking at other ways to present the material so that it can communicate the message more effectively
• Editors exist to help authors communicate with readers. A good editor always remembers the reader.
• While good editors remember the readers, they NEVER forget that the manuscript belongs to the author. The editor's JOB is to make the message CLEAR, but not to change it.