Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd
Upload
121 views

HS 201 Technical Writing: Dr. Alya Badawi Department of Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Alexandria University

This document outlines the HS 201 Technical Writing course taught by Dr. Alya Badawi at Alexandria University. The course introduces students to technical writing and its importance for engineers. Key topics covered include technical definitions, descriptions, reports, proposals, and assessments. Characteristics of effective technical writing are clarity, comprehensiveness, conciseness, and correctness.

Uploaded by

Hassan Mehriz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
121 views

HS 201 Technical Writing: Dr. Alya Badawi Department of Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Alexandria University

This document outlines the HS 201 Technical Writing course taught by Dr. Alya Badawi at Alexandria University. The course introduces students to technical writing and its importance for engineers. Key topics covered include technical definitions, descriptions, reports, proposals, and assessments. Characteristics of effective technical writing are clarity, comprehensiveness, conciseness, and correctness.

Uploaded by

Hassan Mehriz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 32

HS 201 Technical

Writing
Dr. Alya Badawi
Department of Nuclear and Radiation
Engineering
Alexandria University

Why study technical


writing
If you plan to work as an engineer, you will

use technical writing in your life:


Write reports as a student
Write graduation project
Write your CV and cover letter to apply for a job
Write memos to interact with your colleagues
Write work emails
Write progress report, proposals, feasibility

studies,
Write different letters to your boss, colleagues,
clients,

Course outline
Wee Topic
k

Wee
k

Topic

Introduction

Proposals

Ethical
considerations

Progress reports

Technical definition

10

Feasibility and
recommendation
reports

Description of
mechanism

11

Midterm 2

Description of a
process

12

Laboratory and project


reports

Midterm 1

13

Instructions and
manuals

Proposals

14

Open discussion

Assessment
Midterm 1
Midterm2
Attendance
Homework
Final exam

Week

Percentage

6
11

16%
16%
12%
16%
40%

15

Course information
Lectures
Textbook: Pocket

Book of Technical
Writing for Engineers
and Scientists, Leo
Finkelstein, Jr, 3rd ed,
McGraw-Hill
International edition,
Singapore, 2008

Introduction
What is technical writing:

It is communication writing for and about


business and industry. It focuses on
products and services.
All scientists and engineers use technical
writing.
It is also used by many people other than
engineers.
Technical writing is precise, objective,
direct, and clearly defined.

Difference between technical and


creative writing
Technical
Content

Audience
Purpose

Factual, straight
forward

Specific
Inform, instruct,
persuade
Style
Standard
Vocabulary Specialized
Organizatio Systematic
n

Creative
Imaginative,
metaphoric or
symbolic
General
Entertain, provoke,
captivate
Artistic
General
Arbitrary, artistic

Some characteristics of technical


writing
1. Everybody hates to write it,
2. Everybody hates to read it,
3. Almost nobody does read it(except if

you do a bad job at it),


4. It takes a HUGE amount of time to write,
5. It are absolutely CRUCIAL to YOUR
success in engineering!

Report writing
Report writing is basically technical report writing
Technical reports are reports on technical subjects
Types of technical reports:
Progress Report
Annual Report
Recommendation Report
Feasibility Study
Damage Report
Project Report
Proposal

Abstraction
In technical writing we want to:
use a low level of abstraction.
be as specific as possible
But dont be too specific you lose the

meaning in details
This man is having an unpleasant feeling that
is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons.
This feeling is a result of tissue damage and
is from pain-sensing neurons are called
nociceptors, and virtually every surface and
organ of the body is wired with them.

I am
in
pain!

Abstraction Ladder
Mechanical device
Business/academic office supplies
Paper-fastening device
Stapler
Swingline Collectors Edition 747
Rio Red Business Stapler

Example: Batman's Grappling Gun

Batman's Grappling
Gun: Abstraction
Ladder
abstract

Climbing device
Superhero tools/devices
Batman's utility belt items
Batman's Grappling Gun

specific

The writing process


The writing process approach to writing
requires the following sequence:
Prewrite
Write
Rewrite
Prewriting

Writing

Rewriting

Prewriting
Prewriting is the first stage of the process.

It allows you to plan your communication.


The objectives of prewriting are:
Examine your purposes and goals
Consider your audience
Gather your data
Determine how the content will be provided

Audience and purpose


How well you write a technical document

can be measured by:


How well the reader understands, precisely,

your intended meaning


How well the understanding fulfills the purpose
of the need at hand

Technical writing must be geared directly

towards audience and purpose

Consider your audience


What you say and how you say it is greatly

determined by your audience.


You have to consider the readers

knowledge, skill level, and specialization.


You must provide different information to

different audience.

Examine your purposes


and goals
Set the reasons for communications:
Persuading an audience to accept your
point of view.
Informing an audience of facts, concerns,
or questions you might have.
Build relations between teams.

Characteristics of
technical writing
Deals with technical information
Relies heavily on visuals
Uses numerical data to precisely describe

quantity and direction


Is accurate and well documented
Is grammatically and stylistically correct

Deals with technical information


Example

A computer is a machine which can take


instructions and perform computations based on
those instructions.
Example X

Oh, how could this be?!


Never thought it would happen to me!
My life has been smashed ...
this dang computer crashed!

Relies heavily on visuals


A visual is any pictorial representation that is

used by the writer to clarify, explain, and


support an idea.
They include:
Pictures
Graphs
Charts
Diagrams
Illustrations
Tables

Uses numerical data to precisely


describe quantity and direction
Example

The pressure of steam in a nuclear power


plant can reach 155 bar. The temperature is
about 320C
Example X

The pressure and temperature in a nuclear


power plant is very high, much higher than
that of air.

Is accurate and well documented


Conclusions and judgments must be based

on evidence or established expertise.


References, facts, laws and theories are

used and mentioned to support the


document.

Is grammatically and stylistically


correct
Avoid grammar mistake.
By style we mean:
Using words efficiently
Do not use more words than you have to
Remove redundancies
Do not go overboard with details
Do not use complex words
Avoid ambiguity

Effective Technical
Writing
The four Cs:
Clarity -- it is easily understood by your

intended audience
Comprehensiveness -- all of the
necessary information is present
Conciseness -- it is clear without excess
verbiage
Correctness -- it is grammatical and
follows conventions

Clarity and Conciseness

1. Provide specific details

Use Instead of
A 5 gm sample was used a small sample was
used We want three computers we want
computers
Last Thursday
recently, before

2. Answer reporter questions


Make sure you answer all the relevant questions:
who, what, where, why, when.

Clarity and Conciseness (2)


3. Use easy understandable words
Avoid obscure words (e.g., later instead of
subsequently)
Do not use unknown abbreviations

4. Limit paragraph length


A paragraph in a technical document should
consist of:
(a) no more than 4 6 typed lines, or
(b) no more than 50 words

Clarity and Conciseness (3)


5. Limit word and sentence length
Limit words to about 15 - 20 words per
sentence

6. Omit redundancies
During the year of 2007
In the month of June
The results so far achieved are
Needless to say

Comprehensiveness
All the information should be provided,
Background must be described
Clear description of any process, or

method of carrying out a specific work.


Include results, conclusions and
recommendations.

Correctness
No grammatical errors,
No punctuation mistakes
Appropriate format standard.
If a report contains grammatical errors, the reader

will doubt the accuracy of the information in the


report.
Example:
The three persons: person 1, person 2 and person 3

attended a session
The three persons, person 1, person 2 and person 3
attended a session

Question ?

You might also like