Assignment # 4: Technical Definition and Description

Technical professionals are often required to define or describe a technical object, concept, or process to someone who has little knowledge or experience with the subject at hand !or example, an engineering firm might write a proposal to bid on a contract to de"elop a helicopter for the Defense Department# one section of the proposal would be a detailed description of the product the compan$ proposes to de"elop Technical descriptions are used before products and processes are de"eloped %as part of proposals and planning documents&, during de"elopment %in progress reports, for instance&, and afterwards %as part of marketing and promotional literature and technical support documents& This assignment asks $ou to select a product or process and write a description of it 't(s a good idea to select something with which $ou are alread$ familiar, so $ou can focus on learning how to write the description rather than focusing on both learning how to write the description and learning about the product or process There are two different kinds of technical descriptions to consider )hoose whiche"er one is appropriate, depending on $our topic A product description explains the features of a specific de"ice, like a scientific instrument or computer program *ossible topics include de"ices that are specific to $our field, or de"ices $ou use in e"er$da$ life: + ,anual grass clippers + !uel cell + -atter$ + )atal$tic con"erter + ,anual can opener + A computer or "ideo game + A specific car model A process description explains how a complex e"ent occurs, including a mechanical process %i e how donuts are made& or natural e"ent %i e how lightning is produced& .ou can choose a process that is specific to $our field, or one that people ma$ be curious about: + /ow a specific drug works + /ow steel is made + /ow fuel cells work + /ow a computer compiles and executes a program + /ow a microwa"e works + /ow food products are irradiated It is important to note that a product or process description is not an instruction set. An instruction set pro"ides steps a user would take in order to complete a task %for example, steps to change oil in a car& 'n contrast, product and process descriptions describe how something works %for example, how oil functions to cool an engine& The contrast is between how to use something and how that thing works %e g how to use a microwa"e "ersus how the microwa"e heats food& For this assignment, you should focus on how things work, not how to use them.

The next assignment will ask $ou to focus on instructions Audience and Purpose 0elect an audience that would be interested in learning about the process or product $ou explain !or example, $ou could assume an audience of students reading about $our topic in a textbook .ou could write a marketing document to persuade people to bu$ a product 1r, $ou could write a description that would be part of a proposal being sent to a potential client 'n the assignment $ou should assume that the description is crucial to the work of $our audience Gathering Information Take time to learn about the product or process $ou select This might require $ou to read background information or otherwise inform $ourself about the topic Contents !or product descriptions, start with a sentence definition of the product and its "arious parts This could become an extended definition if $ou think $our audience needs more introductor$ information 2ext, describe each part of the product in more detail, including its dimensions, materials, function, and relation to other parts )onclude with a description of one complete operating c$cle for the product !or process descriptions, start with a definition of the process and the different steps it in"ol"es Again, this could become an extended definition if $ou think $our audience needs more introductor$ information 2ext, describe each step in more detail )onclude with a summar$ of one complete c$cle in the process 'n either case, though, remember to choose contents based on the audience3s le"el of interest, experience, and knowledge about the topic Format 'nclude design features to help the reader locate information and understand the product or process better: diagrams, headers, bulleted lists and other technical communication con"entions $ou("e learned about The final paper should be at least 4555 words and should be single6spaced Visuals .ou ha"e two options here !irst, $ou can de"elop $our own "isuals %a rough sketch is fine if $ou don3t know how to prepare one with a computer program& 0econd, $ou can use a 7reference "isual,7 which is a cop$ of a published image 'f $ou use a published image, be sure to cite the source and discuss an$ modification that image needs to fit $our context %!or example, if $ou(re describing how a snowblower engine works, $ou might use an image from the manufacturer(s website rather than drawing $our own And if $ou can(t find the exact image $ou need, $ou could use a similar image and discuss how $our ideal image might be different &

Evaluation criteria I will evaluate the technical definition and description according to these expectations: content format and organization style audience adaptation mechanics The document is complete (includes all the necessary information to describe the product or process, including a sentence or extended definition). The introduction effectively sets up the description. The document uses an organizational pattern appropriate to the product or process (functional, spatial, or chronological). The conclusion includes appropriate information. The document uses the present tense unless it covers a topic from the historical past. The document uses technical writing conventions. The document uses visuals when necessary to help the designated audience understand how the product or process works. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct.