While technical writing has only been recognized as a profession since World War II,[6]:2 its roots can be

traced to classical antiquity.[7]:233 Critics cite the works of writers like Aristotle as the earliest forms of
technical writing.[7]:234 Geoffrey Chaucer's work, Treatise on the Astrolabe, is an early example of a
technical document and is considered to be the first technical document published in English.[8]

With the invention of the mechanical printing press, the onset of the Renaissance and the rise of the Age
of Reason, documenting findings became a necessity, and inventors and scientists like Isaac Newton and
Leonardo da Vinci prepared documents that chronicled their inventions and findings.[6]:1 While never
called technical documents during their period of publication, these documents played a crucial role in
developing modern forms of technical communication and writing.[6]

The field of technical communication grew during the Industrial Revolution.[9]:3 This increased the need
to instruct people how to use the more and more complex machines that were being invented and used.
[9]:8 However, unlike the past, where skills were handed down through oral traditions, no one besides
the inventors knew how to use these new devices. Writing thus became the fastest and most effective
way to disseminate information, and writers who could document these devices were desired.[9]

During the 20th century, the need for technical writing skyrocketed, and the profession finally became
officially recognized. The events of World War I and World War II led to advances in medicine, military
hardware, computer technology, and aerospace technologies.[6]:2 This rapid growth, coupled with the
urgency of war, created an immediate need for well-designed and written documents that chronicled the
use of these technologies. Technical writing was in high demand during this time, and became an official
job title during World War II.[6]:1

Following World War II, technological advances led to an increase in consumer goods and standards of
living.[6]:3 During the post-war boom, public services like libraries and universities, as well as transport
systems like buses and highways saw massive amounts of growth, and the need for writers to chronicle
these processes increased.[6]:1 It was also during this period that computers started being used in large
businesses and universities. Notably, in 1949, Joseph D. Chapline authored the first computational
technical document, an instruction manual for the BINAC computer.[10]

The discovery of the transistor in 1947 allowed computers to be produced more cheaply than ever
before.[6]:3 These cheaper prices meant that computers could now be purchased by individuals and
small businesses.[6]:3 And as a result of the computer's growing prominence, the need for writers who
could explain and document these devices grew.[6]:3 The profession of technical writing saw further
expansion during the 1970s and 1980s as consumer electronics found their way into the homes of more
and more people.[6]

In recent years, the prominence of computers in society has led to many advances in the field of digital
communications, leading to many changes in the tools technical writers use.[6]:3 Hypertext, word
processors, graphics editing programs, and page layout software have made the creation of technical
documents faster and easier than ever before, and technical writers of today must be proficient in these
programs.

Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that requires
direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has a very different purpose and different
characteristics than other writing styles such as creative writing, academic writing or business writing.

Uses for Technical Writing

Technical writing is straightforward, easy to understand explanations and/or instructions dealing with a
particular subject. It is an efficient and clear way of explaining something and how it works.The subject
of technical writing can either be:

Tangible - Something that can be seen or touched, such as a computer or software program, or
information on how to assemble a piece of furniture.

Abstract - Something that involved a series of steps that aren't related to a tangible object. One example
of this might be steps required to complete an office process.

Some examples of technical writing include:

Instruction manuals

Policy manuals

A summarization of a long report that highlights and shortens the most important elements

Technical writing in English serves as an essential tool in communicating or conveying one's ideas, views,
observations, instructions, and suggestions in a more logical and technical manner. ... Technical writing in
English is used for a specific purpose, and hence it needs to be precise, relevant, and without
redundancy
Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that requires
direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has a very different purpose and different
characteristics than other writing styles such as creative writing, academic writing or business writing.

The subject of technical writing can either be:

Technical Writing is straightforward, easy to understand explanation and or instructions dealing with
particular subject. It is an efficient clearway of explaining something and how it works.

Tangible - Something that can be seen or touched, such as a computer or software program, or
information on how to assemble a piece of furniture.

Abstract - Something that involved a series of steps that aren't related to a tangible object. One example
of this might be steps required to complete an office process.

WritingIntroduction

Technical-writing introduce you to some of the most important aspects of writing in the world of
science, technology, andbusiness²in other words, the kind of writing that scientists, nurses, doctors,
computer specialists, government officials,engineers, and other such people do as a part of their regular
work.To learn how to write effectively for the world of work, you'll study common types of reports,
special format items such aslists and headings, simple techniques for putting graphics into reports, and
some techniques for producing professional-looking final copy.However, the focus for technical-writing is
not necessarily career as a technical writer but an introduction to the kinds of writing skills you need in
practically any technically oriented professional job. No matter what sort of professional work youdo,
you're likely to do lots of writing²and much of it technical in nature. The more you know about some
basic technical-writing skills, which are covered in this guide and in technical-writing courses, the better
job of writing you're likely to do. And that will be good for the projects you work on, for the
organizations you work in, and²most of all²good for you andyour career.

Characteristics of Technical Writing

Technical writing presents and explains a subject matter in a clear, objective, accurate, concise, and
unemotional manner.Technical writing uses a relatively high concentration of certain complex and
important writing techniques particularlydescription of a mechanism, description of process,
clarification, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, analogy andinterpretation.Technical writing
highly utilizes technical vocabulary. It utilizes tables, graphs and figures to clarify and support
textualdiscussion. It uses the conventional report forms.

Purpose of Technical Writing

The following are the primary purposes of technical writing.

1. To inform

It is written to make another person understand or to do something. It is designed to fulfill a need to tell
and a need toknow.

. To analyze events and their implications

It will explain how certain systems failed. This system may include education, socioeconomic, political
and the neededchange.

. To persuade and influence decisions

It will show how a business or an industry succeeds.Technical writing is ideally characterized by the
maintenance of impartiality and objectivity, by extreme care to conveyinformation accurately and
concisely and by the absence of any attempt to arouse emotions.

unctions of Technical Writing

 1. To serve as a basis for management decision2. To furnish needed information.3. To give instructions4.
To explain techniques5. To report achievements6. To analyze problem areas7. To determine design and
system requirements8. To serve as a basis for public relation9. To provide report to stockholders of
companies10. To develop a product11. To provide service12. To record business through proposals13. To
procure business through proposals

Basic Principles of Good Technical Writing

1. Understanding the reader 2. Knowing the purpose of each article or report3. Knowing the subject
matter 4. Writing objectively5. Using correct format6. Adopting ethical standards

Understanding the Reader

A basic consideration in technical writing is to know the target audience. The technical writer should
know how to adapthis writings and terminologies of the type of the intended audience or readers.
Difficult technical terms used must becarefully defined so that the reader will easily understand the
information being presented. If the reader fails to understandwhat he reads, the writer fails in his
mission. The technical writers should know how important his readers are. The targetreaders help the
writer to know what to write about and how to write it.

Knowing the Purpose of Each Technical Report

The technical paper must be organized around a central theme. The reader should understand the main
purpose after reading the paper. The purpose maybe is to describe a thing, to report on a specific
problem or project, or to analyze andsolve a problem.

Knowing the Subject Matter

A technical writer must have a thorough knowledge of the subject he is to write about. If the report is
on the result of atechnical experiment, the writer who writes the report should explain what the
problem is all about, what causes theproblem and how the problem is solved.

Writing Objectively

A good technical writer must emphasize the facts and the data. The impersonal style is basic to an
effective technicalwriter. He represents facts, figures and statistics skillfully woven around the subject
matter or central theme and written inan impersonal manner.

orts and project proposals and feasibility studies. The current trends require that such communication
be computerizedor typed.

Adopting Ethical Standards

A technical writer should undertake comprehensive research work; accumulate the required data
through interviews,surveys, referrals and related publications. He must have to present facts and figures
as gathered and required, usingonly those that are pertinent to the report. A good technical writer also
acknowledges the help he receives from others andcities sources of reference materials.

Styles in Technical Writing

Style is the writer¶s way of writing, a manner in which he expresses his thoughts and feelings in a
language. Below areguidelines for clear technical writing.1. Be selective, focus on the essential
information and the significant details.2. Develop a clean, direct style; avoid inflated language and
scrambling sentences.3. Use examples and comparisons to clarify descriptions and explanations.4.
Repeat words and phrases for clarify or emphasis or to ease transitions, but avoid needless repetitions.5.
Delete unnecessary words and phrases, but avoid short cuts that sacrifice meaning.

Sentence Structure and Length

Technical writing should use the natural word order, simple sentence structure and good short
sentences. Since technicalsubject matter requires the use of complex, technical vocabulary and the
expression of complex ideas, the use of shorter words and sentences, simple in structures, will help a lot
in the readability of difficulty material.

Paragraph Structure and Length

In technical writing, the topic sentence should come first in the paragraph or at the very latest part after
whatever transitional sentences appear. Sometimes the writer does the opposite by giving the details at
the beginning and thenconcludes by stating the main idea. The use of one or more very short paragraphs
achieves an especially forceful effect.

Scientific Attitude

Judicious weighing of evidence is very important in a technical report. The best evidence is one which is
the most ample,the most pertinent and the simplest in explaining the facts with the least additional
evidence and most in harmony with therest of the available evidence. The conclusion or
recommendation should include all evidences in which the judgement ismade.The technical writer must
know when he would say enough, and not overwrite. As a writer of his materials, he shouldknow what
to present, what to amplify, what to rewrite and what to emphasize.

Generalization

When the technical writer makes generalizations, he is giving probable conclusions derived from the
observation of factors. Since the report is based on generalizations, it is necessary to describe the
circumstances surrounding the report.Provide enough evidence, data and samples to enable the reader
to evaluate the generalizations for himself.To be certain that you have followed ground rules and not
³Jumping to conclusions´, test the validity of your data andsamples. Here is the suggested checklist (Nem
Singh and Calixihan 1994)1. Can I prove its accuracy?2. Can I show the direct bond between the facts and
generalizations?3. Is it fact and not opinion?4. Do I have all the facts?5. Are they up to date?6. Is the
generalization verifiable? Would I get the same result it I do it again?7. Is it significant?The principles to
be observed in organizing the material as cited by Alvarez (1980) are as follows:1. To organize the
material of a subject, first break it down into the component aspects.2. To organize a report or paper,
choose a suitable approach and make an outline that implements it.3. The basic unit of organization is
the paragraph.4. Use these paragraphs to present related data, graphs to show trends and visual to
clarify description.5. Plan a report or paper thoroughly before starting to write it.6. Gather the necessary
data through basic library research and primary services.7. Write a first draft.8. Revise and rewrite as
often as necessary9. Write a final draft10. Place footnotes to acknowledge references and include a
bibliography at the end of a report or paper.

Other attributes of good technical report writing are:

1. appropriateness2. functional3. informative4. factual5. efficient6. correct

The Technical Writer The Role of the Technical Writer

A good technical writer possesses insights, perceptiveness, quick to determine probabilities and the
ability to adapt torequirements. He can identify developments that may affect his project.The technical
writer must understand the nature of his work. He should be able to help his principals attain the
targetobjectives. He must not only possess the technical writing ability and technical expertise, he must
also have the capabilityto grasp, analyze and interpret unexpected events and situations that occurred
during the writing of the technical report.The technical writer should have the ability to state facts
clearly and accurately to organize a variety of elements into aunified structure, and to describe logical
generalizations.

Hallmarks of an Effective Technical Writer

The hallmarks of an effective technical writer is represented by this acronym

REPORTER

(Mosura and Tenorio, 1999)

R-R

esourceful

E-E

nergetic

atient
O

bservant

esponsible

rustworthy

valuative

R- responsive

esponsive

Guide To Effective Technical WritingGuide to Effective Technical Writing

For effective technical writing, the ABC¶s of report writing given by (Zall 1980) can be considered in-
depth.
Accuracy

A report writer must be tactful in the recording of data, statement or calculating mathematical figures.
He must checkevery statement in its final form. An error committed and an illogical statement written
can create confusion as well asdoubts over the whole text. A writer should always aim to be understood.

Brevity

Being brief is a courtesy to the reader. The reader should find it easy to group the main idea of the
report. In the samemanner, accuracy of the statements can easily be maintained. The reader can get the
essence of your thinking in acompressed form.

Confidence

A good report writer must have the quality of self-confidence. He cannot only communicate but he has
to be also decisiveor sure of what he is writing about. After finishing the last page of his report, he is an
authority.

Dignity

Dignity is courtesy to your readers as professionals. This is an ethical standard. The writer must be
certain that allgrammatical constructions are correct. In report writing, you need to be formal with
words and how these words are used.You should be sure that the ideas or information are well
organized, simplified, summarized and expressed instraightforward manner.

acility

This refers to the devices used by the writer, to make his report easy to read and understand. In most
cases, report writingdepends more on pacing, sequence, arrangement and continuity of ideas as well as
information. A grammatical correctionis important. He should make his writing straightforward, logical
and clear. The thought from one part to another should beclearly established, illustrated or stated.

Emphasis

The writer has to feel what is important to the reader and should never expect how the reader finds it
out for himself. Hehas to lead him from point to point, clearly marking every step, directs the reader to
the right way and gives him thereason for stopping at a particular portion.

Honesty

Honesty is expected in a report. When a writer has borrowed some statements, ideas or quotations, he
has toacknowledge them either in footnotes, endnotes or cite the source or author of the borrowed
ideas or statements withinthe running text.

Illustration
Illustration materials such as charts, graphs, diagram and photos are always helpful. The writer should
use them to clarifyand support the text. They can be used to show situations or trend or movement.

Judgment

The writer should qualify the date and information gathered by judicious weighing. This can be done by
the following thesecriteria:1. Most ample2. Most pertinent or relevant3. The simplest in explaining the
facts with the least additional evidence4. Most harmonious with the rest of the data and information.In
every case, the evidence used as a basis of judgement (as in conclusions and recommendations) should
be included inthe report.

Knowledge

The communication of knowledge is the primary objective of the report, but knowledge is not only a
collection of data or information. It involves interpretation and information of conclusions. With out
sound interpretation, the data will becomeuseless.

Logic

Logic is chiefly a process or classification. It is putting things in their proper places. It shows the relations
among groups of things and classes of groups. By thinking logically, one can avoid the following trouble
areas:1. Statements must not contradict each other.2. Words must be used in consistent sense3.
Statements must move in one direction whether space, time or relation.4. Statements must make
sense.5. Judgments must not be based on few data.6. Cause and effect should be clearly distinguished
from simple sequence.7. Conclusions should not be inferred if they have no connections with the data.8.
An authority should not be accepted if he is biased or he is not an expert in the particular field.

Mechanical Neatness

This is the general appearance of the report. It must be neatly encoded or typed, properly margined,
free fromtypographical errors, erasures crossing-outs and smudges.Headings and subheadings and
indentions are mechanical devices, which help make the organization of the contentclear.

Normal Procedure

The report is easier to understand if it conforms to the standards practices. The writer must follow the
acceptablearrangement of the different parts of a report. If the writer deviates from the normal
procedure, he should inform hisreaders by explaining his reasons for doing it.

Objectivity

In technical writing, the writer should consider himself as another person, uninterested observer or an
innocent bystander.In this instance, the third person point of view is preferred. The writer should treat
his subject matter the way he sees or observes it. Technical reports avoid the use of the first person (I,
me, my).
Planning

This is primary in all activities. This gives the purpose and directions to what the technical writer has to
write. This involvesthinking ahead of what one has to do, when to do it and who is to do it. This will be
reflected in a well-organized report.

Qualification

The technical writer should select only those statements that have direct relationship with the topic
being discussed. Thewriter should evaluate the ideas or statements he will include in the writing of the
report.

Revision