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Technical Communication: Process and Product Seventh Edition Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Pearson Education, Inc.

Technical Communication: Process and Product Seventh Edition Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Chapter 3: Clarity, Conciseness, and Ethics in Technical Communication Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 3: Clarity, Conciseness, and Ethics in Technical Communication

This chapter discusses the following: • Clarity • Conciseness • Accuracy • Organization • Ethics

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Clarity

To achieve clarity, • Provide Specific Detail • Answer the Reporters’ Questions • Use Easily Understandable Words • Use Verbs in the Active Voice Versus the Passive Voice

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Clarity —Provide Specific Detail

BAD

: Vague word “Put enough air in your tires.” (How much air is “enough”?)

GOOD

: “Fill your tires to 32 pounds per square inch.” Specific detail

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Clarity —Answer Reporter’s Questions

Reporter’s Questions

and

how

who, what, when, where, why,

• • • • • •

BAD

: “We bought a new machine to solve the problem.” Who What is “we”? is the “new machine”? When was the purchase made? Where was the machine located? Why was the purchase made —what was the problem? How much did the machine cost?

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Clarity —Answer Reporter’s Questions (cont.)

GOOD

: “The marketing department bought a new AABco laser printer ($595) on June 10 for our production room.

This printer will produce double-side, color copies unlike our prior printer. ”

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Clarity —Use Easily Understandable Words

BAD

: “We are cognizant of your need for issuance of citations pursuant to code 18-B1 CPR violations.”

Technical Communication: Process and Product

, 7/e Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson 8 NOTE: Write to not to express , impress! Use words that are easy to understand.

Clarity —Use Easily Understandable Words (cont.)

GOOD

: “We know you need to send citations because of code 18-B1 Continuing Property Record violations. ”

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Clarity —Use Verbs in the Active Voice vs. the Passive Voice

Avoid Passive Voice

: “It has been determined that the machine was broken by John.”

Use Active Voice

: “John broke the machine. ” NOTE: Active voice sentences are less wordy and more direct than passive voice constructions.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Practice

• Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice writing clearly.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness

To achieve conciseness, • Write to “fit the box” • Limit paragraph length • Limit sentence length • Limit word length

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box”

• Technical communication often “fits in a box.” – An automobile’s user manual must fit in the glove compartment.

– Instructions for baking brownies must fit on the back of the brownie box.

• Due to technological advancements, the box is shrinking. Consider the monitor size of – Cell phones – PDAs – E-mail screens – PowerPoint slides Twitter messages are even smaller, allowing for only 140 characters per tweet!

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box” (cont.)

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box” (cont.)

The size of this e mail box limits the size of your correspondence.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box” (cont.)

Boxes within boxes within boxes

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limit Paragraph Length

• To write concisely, limit paragraph length to approximately – 4-6 lines of text – 50 words per paragraph

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limit Paragraph Length (cont.)

BAD

Please prepare to supply a readout of your findings and recommendations to the officer of the Southwest Group at the completion of your study period. As we discussed, the undertaking of this project implies no currently known incidences of impropriety in the Southwest Group, nor is it designed to find any. Rather, it is to assure ourselves of sufficient caution, control, and impartiality when dealing with an area laden with such potential vulnerability. I am confident that we will be better served as a company as a result of this effort. NOTE: Long paragraphs are hard to read.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limit Paragraph Length (cont.)

BETTER

NOTE: Please prepare to supply a readout of your findings and recommendations to the officer of the Southwest Group at the completion of your study period. Shorter paragraphs are easier to read.

As we discussed, the undertaking of this project implies no currently known incidences of impropriety in the Southwest Group, nor is it designed to find any. Rather, it is to assure ourselves of sufficient caution, control, and impartiality when dealing with an area laden with such potential vulnerability. I am confident that we will be better served as a company as a result of this effort. Spacing gives readers a chance to stop, breathe, and digest the information.

These paragraphs are still hard to read, due to the sentence and word length.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limit Sentence Length

• To write concisely, limit sentence length to – 10-15 words (average)

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limit Word Length

• To write concisely, limit word length to – 1-2 syllables (average) NOTE: All words cannot be 1-2 syllables! You cannot shorten words like “telecommunications,” “engineer,” “accountant,” or “trinitrolulene” (TNT).

Change the words you can; leave other words alone.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limiting Word and Sentence Length (cont.)

BAD

“During the month of July, I made a decision to positively NOTE: This sentence is 23 words long, and it uses five words over two syllables (underlined).

impact my writing inabilities by having a meeting with an instructional advisor .”

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Conciseness —Limiting Word and Sentence Length (cont.)

GOOD

“In July, I decided to improve my writing by meeting with a teacher.” NOTE: This sentence is 13 words long, and it uses one word over two syllables (underlined).

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Practice

• Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice writing concisely.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Accuracy

• Errors in your writing make you look unprofessional.

• Proofread to catch and correct errors.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Organization

• Use appropriate organizational modes to help readers understand your content: –

Spatial

(good for technical specifications) – –

Chronological

(good for instructions)

Importance

(good for focusing your reader’s attention on the key ideas in any type of writing) –

Comparison/Contrast

(good for showing alternatives in any type of writing) –

Problem/Solution

(good for proposals)

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Practice

• Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice different organizational modes.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Ethics

• After Enron, IMclone, and Adelphia, ethics in communication have never been more important.

• Effective technical communication must focus on – Legalities – Practicalities – Ethicalities

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Ethics (cont.)

• Follow the Society for Technical Communication’s (STC) six guidelines for writing ethically, as follows:

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Ethics (cont.)

1. Use language and visuals with precision. (Clarity) 2. Prefer simple, direct expressions of ideas. (Conciseness) 3.

Satisfy the audience’s need for information, not your own need for self expression. (Clarity and Conciseness)

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Ethics (cont.)

4. Hold yourself responsible for how well the audience understands the message. (Clarity) 5. Respect the work of colleagues. (Focusing on Confidentiality, Courtesy, and Copyright laws) 6. Strive continually to improve your professional competence. Promote a climate that encourages the exercise of professional judgment.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Strategies for Making Ethical Decisions

• • • • •

Define the problem.

Is the dilemma legal, practical, ethical, or a combination of all three? Determine your audience. Who will be affected by the problem (clients, coworkers, management)? Maximize values; minimize problems. S elect the option that promotes the greatest worth for all stakeholders involved. Consider the big picture. Don’t just focus on short-term benefits. Focus on long-term consequences.

Write your text.

Implement the decision by writing your memo, letter, proposal, manual, or report.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Practice

• Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice ethical considerations.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

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Transcript Insert Book Title Here

Chapter 3: Clarity, Conciseness, and Ethics in Technical Communication

Clarity

Clarity —Provide Specific Detail

Clarity —Answer Reporter’s Questions

Clarity —Answer Reporter’s Questions (cont.)

: “The marketing department bought a new AABco laser printer ($595) on June 10 for our production room.

This printer will produce double-side, color copies unlike our prior printer. ”

Clarity —Use Easily Understandable Words

Clarity —Use Easily Understandable Words (cont.)

Clarity —Use Verbs in the Active Voice vs. the Passive Voice

Practice

Conciseness

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box”

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box” (cont.)

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box” (cont.)

Conciseness —Write to “fit the box” (cont.)

Conciseness —Limit Paragraph Length

Conciseness —Limit Paragraph Length (cont.)

Conciseness —Limit Paragraph Length (cont.)

Conciseness —Limit Sentence Length

Conciseness —Limit Word Length

Conciseness —Limiting Word and Sentence Length (cont.)

Conciseness —Limiting Word and Sentence Length (cont.)

Practice

Accuracy

Organization

Practice

Ethics

Ethics (cont.)

Ethics (cont.)

Ethics (cont.)

Strategies for Making Ethical Decisions

Practice

Directory