Technical Writing (Advanced) - BWR301

Learn to write successfully in your specialist area. Developskills to write technical information for avariety of different purposes. Students taking this course should have a basic understanding of technical writing including referencing procedures. If the subject is totally new, you may need to undertake some additional reading, before progressing beyond the first lesson.COURSE STRUCTURE

There are nine lessons in this module as follows:

1. Scope and Nature of Technical Writing
2. Presentation
3. Matching style and content to the audience
4. Planning: Developing a Logical Structure or Format
5. Collaborative Writing
6. Writing Technical Periodicals
7. Writing Manuals and Procedures
8. Writing Project Proposals
9. Writing Project Reports.

AIMS

• Identify a broad range of situations where technical writing is used and where you might gainfully apply those skills;
• Present technical documentation for a variety of situations;
• Determine how to write appropriately for a defined audience;
• Develop formats for different documents that follow a logical appropriate structure;
• Explain how to effectively collaborate with one or more people in the production of a technical writing assignment;
• Write items of technical writing that are appropriate for publication in different types of periodicals including: popular magazines, industry magazines, scientific journals, newspapers and e-zines;
• Write easy to follow, technically accurate instructions for a variety of processes, using a variety of equipment;
• Write a formal proposal for a project;
• Write in an effective and appropriate style of report, during, or on conclusion of a project.

• What Do you Actually Do in this Course?

  Here are some examples of the sort of tasks you undertake, and assignment questions you confront:

  SET TASKS

  1. Politically correct writing today is an important aspect of writing. Consider your work environment and its various departments. Are titles gender-neutral? Look at some of your technical writing literature. Is reference made to a particular gender, ie. he, she, him or her, salesman, tradesman, foreman?

  2. Select two documents used in your workplace or the workplace of a family member, and discuss whether and how they meet the needs of intended readers. If they do not seem to meet readers¢‚¨‚ needs, or to have considered the intended readers in terms of style, content or any other factor, say so, and explain your reasoning.

  ASSIGNMENT

  1. Proof read the following passage then edit if for clarity and flow of ideas. .

  Too transfer a call to another station - While you you are speaking to the caller you will notice that the phone screen has options displayed onto it, to transfer the call to another person¢‚¨‚s station press the Button beside the internal transfer option to put the caller on hold another screen will come up which shows all the stations available to transfer too, press the button next to the station/person that you want to send the call to, stay on line¢‚¨¶

  announce the call to they person and then hang up, this will send the call threw to that station, if there is no answers, press the button beside the cancel option to bring the call back to you.

  2. Write instructions for a simple procedure like making a cup of coffee or cleaning your teeth, assuming your audience is unfamiliar with the procedure and the products used!

  3. Plan a document describing a procedure or a piece of equipment that you think would be helpful to others in your workplace. (If you are not in a working environment ask a friend or relative to describe their colleagues).

  (a) To help you plan the document, answer the following questions:

  • What are your colleagues¢‚¨‚ needs, attitudes and knowledge that you need to consider.
  • How will you format the document to ensure all staff can benefit from it?
  • How will you ensure maximum reader understanding?

  (b) Write out a simply plan of the document. Your plan should include the main headings and subheadings in the order they will appear, and a list of images needed (if relevant).

  (c) Write out one section of the planned document, proof read it and edit it for readability, then submit it.

  4. You are asked to write a brochure on ¢‚¨ÀúThe Environmental Impact of Industry¢‚¨‚ for high school students. What will you need to consider before you start writing, and how will you obtain this information?

  5. How can you determine how successful your technical writing is? List some ways you can measure its success.

  6. Rewrite the following instructions, each in a short and simple sentence:

  a) The automobile may require occasional attention as the automated windows are a notorious weakness.

  b) Highlight the grammatical misrepresentations.

  c) It is a new company policy that all current staff must adequately perform a minimum of 20 contact hours at each new task before they can be categorised as competent and receive a certificate of completion and be acceptable for a promotion.

  7. Explain in your own words the term passive voice. Give two examples.

  8. Explain in your own words the term active voice. Give two examples.

  This course develops the student\'s ability to write on technical matters, for both academic and general audiences. The course aims to improve your ability to write for a wide range of media including: articles for the print media (magazines, newspapers and technical journals); technical reports; proposals; instructional manuals and even marketing material. Attention is paid to different styles of writing, problems (eg. technical jargon, focus, conciseness, etc) and different ways of working (eg. Contract, in house, collaborative). On completing this course a student should have a greater capacity to write useable and marketable material, and be better able to adapt their work to a greater variety of situations.

  Technical Writing may cover any of the following; and more!

  • Presentations
  • Business letters
  • Newsletters
  • Fact sheets and brochures
  • Forms
  • Questionnaires
  • Briefing materials to support oral presentations
  • Feasibility studies
  • Policy statements
  • Academic theses
  • Resumes
  • Reference and text books
  • Instruction manuals and handbooks
  • Workplace/technical procedures
  • Technical specifications (specs)
  • Business proposals
  • Reports
  • Memos
  • Agendas
  • Meeting minutes
  • Technical articles inperiodicals
  • Journal articles
  • Web-based documentation
  • Contractual documents