Technical writing viết luận chuyên ngành

- The subject is usually technical, written carefully for a specific audience.. TECHNICAL WRITING IS ESSENTIAL - It allows readers to: + read and study at their convenience; + easily p

TECHNICAL WRITING

DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL WRITING

- Technical writing is writing done in the workplace

- The subject is usually technical, written carefully for a specific audience

- The organization is predictable and apparent

- The style is concise, the tone is objective and businesslike

- Special features may include visual elements to enhance the message

TECHNICAL WRITING IS ESSENTIAL

- It allows readers to:

+ read and study at their convenience;

+ easily pass along information to others;

+ keep a permanent record for future reference

- All careers rely on technical communication to get the job done

- Technical writing is a great connector-the written link-connecting:

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

1 Subject:

- Expressive writing

- Expository writing

- In technical writing, often the need is to share the information or

to have someone perform an action

- Technical writing may require library research, scientific

observation, or field research.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

2 Audience:

- In technical writing, the needs of reader dictate every decision

the writer makes;

- The technical writer not only:

+ expects the reader to understand the writing;

+ but also wants the reader to do something after reading.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

Technical writers use some of the following features to make their documents more effective for the audience:

- Font size and style;

- Numbered or bulleted lists;

- Columns;

- Color;

- Graphs and tables;

- Letterhead and logo-size;

- Photos and drawings;

- Sidebars;

- Clip art.

CHECKLIST

¥ Can you define technical writing?

Y Can you list the characteristics of technical writing?

¥ Can you give examples of technical wiring?

¥ Can you explain how technical writing differs from academic writing?

¥ Can you identify ways in which technical writing is similar to academic writing?

AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE

MEETING THE AUDIENCE’S NEEDS

Audience and reader are nearly interchangeable terms;

+ Sometimes the audience is not a reader, but a listener or

an observer;

+ In any case, technical writers must Know who the members

of their audience are and what their readers need or want to

+ the general public

- The relationship to your readers determines how you write your

- A person with skilled knowledge in an area who implements the ideas or

plans of the expert

3 Expert:

- An authority in a particular field who is highly skilled and professional,

perhaps with an advanced degree

4 Manager:

- A person who organizes personel and is responsible for the day-to-day

operations as well as long-range planning

MEETING THE NEEDS OF A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE

ANALYZE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

- Role or job title affects not only knowledge level, but also the

information your reader thinks is important

ANALYZE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

3 Interest:

- When readers are interested in your subject, they read

with greater enthusiasm;

- When you find common interest, take advantage of it;

- When there is none, try to create it;

- Accept those readers’ lack of interest and focus on giving

them the information they need

ANALYZE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

4 Cultural background

- Culture affects what an audience considers to be proper behavior

- Failing to consider someone’s cultural background, you risk offending

your reader and creating barriers in communication process

- Be aware of the differences in culture and belief when you write

Questions to analyze your audience

1 Knowledge level:

- What does my reader already know about the topic?

- Is my reader an expert, a technician, or a lay reader?

- What does my reader need to know?

- What does my reader want to know?

2 Interests:

- How strong is my reader’s interest in my topic?

- Are my reader’s priorities different from mine or the same as mine?

- Is my reader likely to agree with my point of view?

Questions to analyze your audience

3 Role:

- Is my reader’s role:

+ to make decisions or implement a plan?

+ to operate equipment, encode data, train others?

+ to create or design or invent?

- ls my communication going to management, to a peer, or toa

Supervisee:

4 Cultural background

- What is my reader’s cultural background?

- What are my reader’s belief?

- Are my reader’s beliefs different from mine or the same as mine?

Questions to analyze your audience

5 Personality

- What kind of personality does my reader have?

- Is my reader analytical, quiet, or outgoing?

- Does my reader prefer having details or seeing a big

picture?

Meeting the needs of a multiple audience

- Divide your audience into 2 groups:

+ primary audience

+ secondary audience

- Both audiences are important, but as a writer,

you must organize your task according to some of

priority

Meeting the needs of a multiple audience

(*) Criteria to determine who primary and secondary

audiences are:

1 Primary audience:

- Asked for or authorized the writing of document;

- Will make decisions based on the information in the

Meeting the needs of a multiple audience

2 Secondary audience:

- Will be affected by the document in some way;

- Is interested in the decisions made or the information in

Ethics

- Avoid biased language;

- Be aware of stereotypes;

- Strive to present everyone as being equal;

- Do not mention a person’s physical characteristics

if they are not relevant;

- If you are not sure whether you have used

Stereotypes in your writing, ask another person to

look over the document

INSTRUCTION

(*“)ANALYZE YOUR READERS

-What kind of readers? (Lay readers, technician readers -Their features, characteristics

(*)PLAN YOUR INSTRUCTION

-How many steps?

-The order of steps => double check (forward and bac

-Graphics (pictures, diagrams )

-Introduction (Purpose, intended audience )

-Materials/ Tools

-Notes

INSTRUCTION

(*) EXPLANATION

-What not to do and why?

-Why a step is important

-What happens when the reader does something wrong

-How to perform the action - more details

-What terms to define

-What questions will the readers have?

-Would the readers benefit from the explanation?

INSTRUCTION

FIELD TESTS:

(*) Valuable feedback => Perfect version

(*) Real users: your target readers

INSTRUCTION

CONCURRENT TESTING:

(*)Ask yourself:

-Were the subject able to follow the instruction?

-How long did it take?

-How many mistakes? What are they?

-The most difficult step(s), the least difficult one(s)

-Were the subjects confused/frustrated at any time?

- What did the subjects remember after the test?

INSTRUCTION

THINK OUT LOUD

- Ask the subjects to speak out what they are thinking

- It helps you to know much better what is happening

- You cannot see the subjects’ mind

- You can record

-You listen, take note but don’t explain

-Can ask follow up questions

-Can understand better

(*) Disadvantage:

-Subjects might forget some things

(*) Advice: Use both kinds of tests

INSTRUCTION

ASSIGNMENT 1

(*) Write an instruction using your topic

1.PARTS OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

INSTRUCTION

Introduction:

+ Background

+ Purpose:

+ Audience? (Target readers?): Features?

+ How to read the instruction?

INSTRUCTION

- Aseparate page of definitions if you have more

than 6 terms to define

- You do not need a page of definitions if your

number of terms is fewer than 6 The definition is

placed after the term when it is used for the first time in the document

INSTRUCTION

-YOUR INSTRUCTION (2-3 PAGES)

-WORKS CITED PAGE (REFERENCES)

INSTRUCTION

THE PLAN FOR FIELD TESTS

-what kind of tests?

-subjects?

+who?

+how many subjects?

+how many tests?

-Time, date of the tests?

INSTRUCTION

6 questions used for retrospective tests:

Multiple choice:

TECHNICAL RESEARCH

RESEARCHING AT WORK

Developing a new product;

Handling a production problem;

Purchasing equipment or services;

Establishing safety procedures;

Selecting employee benefits;

Planning an advertising campaign (*) Unlike writing for school, writing on the job provides

information to help the business operate effectively;

(*) Before you write at work, you may need to condu

research

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

1 Secondary sources:

- Secondary sources are indirect or secondhand reports of information

2 Primary sources:

- Primary sources are direct or firsthand reports of fact or observations

(*) Researchers generally start with secondary sources because they often

give general overviews and offer useful background information

(*) Secondary sources are usually easier and less expensive to consult

than primary sources

FINDING SECONDARY DATA

1 Correspondence and report archives

DOCUMENTING SECONDARY SOURCES

1 Documentation

- Asystem of giving credit to another person for his or her

work

2 Plagiarism

- The act of using another person’s words and/or ideas

without properly documenting or giving credit

3 Bibliography and works cited

4 Internal citations

4.Methods and resources

5 Depth and coverage

EVALUATING SOURCES

(*) Special considerations for electronic sources:

1 ls an author or sponsoring group listed?

2 What is the electronic address?

3 What are the references and/ or links?

4 ls there a balance and a clear purpose?

5 What do design and presentation suggest?

COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

1 Surveys:

Surveys gather facts, beliefs, attitudes, and opinions from people

A survey works only when you Know what you want to learn before you begin

When you choose an audience, you must select a sample broad enough

to represent that audience

Once you know your audience, decide how to administer the survey:

COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

Explain why you need the information and how it will be used;

“ Convince your audience to participate;

* Logically order questions beginning with easy-to-answer items;

« Ask only necessary questions

« Write clear and nonleading questions

“« Make the purpose of the question clear

*« Prefer facts to opinions;

* Stick to one topic per question;

* Plan for tabulation

COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

2 Interviews

Interviews like surveys, are an excellent source of primary data;

Interviews give you access to experts’ facts, opinions, and attitudes that you might not find any other way

COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

3 Observation

- Train observers in what to look for, what to record, and

how to record;

- Make systematic observations;

Observe only external actions;

Quantify findings whenever possible;

Support your observations

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

1 Validity:

- Valid data are data that provide an accurate

measurement of what an individual intends to

measure

2 Reliability:

- Reliable data that provides results that can be

duplicated under similar circumstances

CONDUCTING USABILITY TESTS

CONDUCTING USABILITY TEST

| The basic principles of usability test:

- Usability test permeates product development;

- Usability test involves studying real users as they use the product;

- Usability testing involves setting measurable goals and determining whether the product meets them.

CONDUCTING USABILITY TEST

2 Preparing for a usability test:

- Understand users’ needs;

- Determine the purpose of the test;

- Staff the test team;

- Set up the test environment

CONDUCTING USABILITY TEST

- Develop a test plan;

- Select participant;

+ Testers recruit participants who match the intended users

- Prepare the test materials;

- Conduct a pilot test:

+ A pilot test is a usability test for the usability test.

CONDUCTING USABILITY TEST

| Interacting with the test participant

- Applying “think-aloud technique’, in which the participant says aloud what he or she is

thinking

- While the test participant thinks aloud, a note taker records anything that is confusing

and any point at which the test participant is not sure what to do

- To ensure that the test stays on schedule and is completed on time, the test administrators should set a time limit for each task.

CONDUCTING USABILITY TEST

2 Debriefing the test participant:

- After the test, testers usually have questions about the test participant’s actions

- Debrief — interview the participant;

- Debriefing is critically important;

- The purpose in debriefing is to obtain as much information as possible about what

occurred during the test

- During the debriefing session, testers probe high-level concerns before getting to smaller details

CONDUCTING USABILITY TEST

3 Interpreting and reporting the data

- Tabulate the information

- Analyze the information;

- Report the information