Technical Writing Basics - Electrical and Computer Engineering

Transcript Technical Writing Basics - Electrical and Computer Engineering

Technical Writing basics Technical Definitions Ethical considerations

Tech Writing/Definitions/Ethics

Technical Writing

  What is technical writing?

  Writing (communication) is an essential skill for all professionals Technical writing is the writing of those involved in the technical fields, i.e., science and engineering.

What is technical writing

 For some things it is easier to say what it is not.

 What type of writing is this?

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling, the shutters were banging against the house, the rain was beating down, and a dog howled in the distance. The ….. 9/24/11 - Technical Writing Copyright 2011 - Joanne DeGroat, ECE, OSU 4

What is technical writing

 For some things it is easier to say what it is not.

 What type of writing is this?

 It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling, the shutters were banging against the house, the rain was beating down, and a dog howled in the distance. The ….. Creative writing – It describes a storm, is descriptive, but also often evokes emotion.  Often creative writing is seen as imaginative and “fun”.

Technical versus creative

 Technical writing lacks the emotional impact  Technical writing avoids use of rich metaphors and figures of speech.

  Typically sentence structures are simple and direct.

The level of abstraction

    Technical writing describes items precisely, i.e., a low level of abstraction  A 33K ohm, one-watt carbon resistor This a low level of abstraction The level of abstraction can be varied    Resistor Circuit component Electrical Device As the level of abstraction increases the level of precision of detail decreases 9/24/11 - Technical Writing Copyright 2011 - Joanne DeGroat, ECE, OSU 7

Audience

   Always must consider your audience Quality of writing measure – two metrics  How well the reader understands, precisely, the intended meaning  How well the understanding fulfills the intended purpose “THERE IS ALWAYS A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT FOR WHAT IS BEING WRITTEN.” 9/24/11 - Technical Writing Copyright 2011 - Joanne DeGroat, ECE, OSU 8

Audience and Purpose

   Almost always known Typically know who the audience is Typically know why you are writing the document and what the required content is   Technical writing is usually very visual With today’s computer assisted writing, in line pictures/figures are expected.

Tech Writing/Definitions/Ethics

  What is technical writing

Technical Definitions

Technical Definitions

 “In technical writing,

definition

is the process by which one assigns a precise meaning to a term.”  Term = Classification + Differentation  Example:  A

stall

is a flight condition in which the lift produced becomes less than the weight of the airplane, and the airplane stops flying.

Differentiation

 Stall has meaning based on the context.

   In flying the definition was just given In driving, a stall is an operating condition in which a sudden and unexpected loss of power occurs.

In farming, a stall is a single, three-sided compartment that is designed to shelter and animal in a barn or stable.

The audience

  For technical definitions who the audience is matters Consider:   In water softening,

zeolite

is an exchange resin that releases sodium ions while gaining calcium and magnesium ions.

In water softening,

zeolite

is a special material that releases sodium into the water while absorbing calcium and magnesium from the water.

Technical Definition challenges

 Often need further definitions  To define one term introduce several others  Circular definition structurre  One term introduces another and so on until you are back at the original term 9/24/11 - Technical Writing Copyright 2011 - Joanne DeGroat, ECE, OSU 14

Technical definition checklist

   On Page 34 of the Text All questions here are important Two are common mistakes   Define term using the same term Define term using terms that also need definition  More information on Technical definitions is contained in the Technical Definition lecture.

Technical Writing Basics - Electrical and Computer Engineering

Transcript Technical Writing Basics - Electrical and Computer Engineering

Technical Writing basics Technical Definitions Ethical considerations

Tech Writing/Definitions/Ethics