THE BASIC PRINCIPLES

OF
TECHNICAL WRITING

SUBMITTED TO:
Ms. Catherine Mercado

SUBMITTED BY:
Agnas, Shaira Mae
Anyayahan, Angela Joy
Bandula, Froilan
Diaz, Emilyn Ann
Dugay, Karl Justine
Tanggo, Hanady
Vinluan, Denmark
 Technical Writing

Technical Writing is basically simplifying complex instructions that can be

understood by the variety of users. In which, writers ensure that the provided instructions
are paralleled with the subject, factual and defined. They eliminate excessive use of
jargons and vague information, but instead provide simple instructions that can be easily
understood and followed in layman’s term. Technical writing is commonly used in
manuals, reports, guides and others. It can also be considered as the conduit between
the creators and users.

Principles of Technical Writing

To ensure that the ideas are organized and presented in a manner that the
audience will easily understand, these are the following principles that should be delivered
in technical writing:

a. Content
The writer should fully understand the material that is to be communicated.
He should have knowledge with the manuscript, concept and application, in order
for him to explain well the instruction. With his familiarity with the subject, the writer
will be able to deliver the information and instruction effectively. They can able to
clarify complicated concepts in simple manner.
There are basic questions that should consider in planning for the content
of the technical writing: who, why, what, how and when. For example, the technical
writer has to prepare a manuals for the new appliance. These are the following
questions for him to be guided:
1. Who will read the manual?
2. Why do need to create the manual?
3. What is this manual going to offer in its intended user?
 4. How is the manual going to be delivered?
5. When does the manual have to be ready?

b. Audience and Purpose

Primarily, the technical writer consider the user or respondent and purpose
of his writing. He needs to be aware to his respondent’s knowledge or level of
understanding about the subject material, so then he will able to determine the
content and focus of his document. Moreover, he will able to deliver the information
effectively to his intended respondent.
These are the following questions to consider in technical writing with
regards to the respondents:
1. Who will read the document?
2. What are their biases?
3. What are technical writer’s ethical responsibilities when communication
this to their audiences?

In example, more of the manuals and product guides provided when you
purchased an appliances or devices are written in various languages. The writer
included foreign languages in the manuals, since the product is also available
worldwide.

With regards to the purpose, the writer primarily determine the motive of the
document. He may be able to convey and establish the following objectives: to
inform, request, instruct, suggest, order, report, reply, analyze or critique and
compare.

c. Style Guide
The writer should also consider the ideal structure and style of presentation
of his document. It is the essential part of development of documentation as it
established the disposition of the entire writing.
 Preferably, writers construct a storyboard as organizational pattern in
presenting the information. They need to expound the information on step by step
in logical sequence or continuity manner so the respondents will able to
understand the instruction. They also include illustrations, graphs, charts, tables
and images to balance to further explain complex information.

d. Writing Style

The writer’s style in constructing a technical writing should be based on its

respondents and purpose of the documentation. And there are some strategies in
making an effective writing style of technical writing that makes it contents easily
understand by its respondents.

 The technical writing can be formal or informal depends to whom the

document should be delivered. When writing a formal document, it should
be objective, no emotions attached by the writer and uses third-person
pronoun while informal writing can be just casual and subjective, usually
uses first-person pronoun as it directly addresses the reader.

 Information in technical writing should be explained briefly and concisely.

As much as possible make the details short and direct to the point. Long
sentences can be replace for short phrases or phrases can be replace with
just one word. Writer should determine the level of detail necessary
presented for the document. In this way, reader would easily digest what
was implied in the document.

 It is effective to use positive statements in constructing the technical

information. Writers should established the mood of his information
positively by limiting the use of negative tone: refrain from using harsh and
DON’T’s statements. In this, readers would not roughly misunderstood the
intended information.
  Technical document preferably use active voice in providing information. In
which, it is written directly to the point, formal and focused on the subject.
The reader are able to follow and understand well since the subject
information are determined and clear. The wordiness and misleading the
subject of passive voice contributes to the ambiguity of information. Thus,
readers pay closer attention to shorter than the longer sentences and
paragraphs.

e. Accessing the Information

Technical writing should conveys easy access to the information for
the users. Providing table of contents, headers, footers, page numbers,
headings and sub headings help make the document more accessible for
the intended users. This will easily make the users find their desired
information. Moreover, illustrations, graphs and figures will help the readers
to better understand the information that the writer wanted to impart.

f. Grammar

The writer must have a comprehensive knowledge in the English

grammar. Simple mistake of misplacing punctuations, misused words and
incorrect format will add to the confusion and ambiguity of the subject
information. It is also advisable to the writers to proofread the document
before presenting it to the users. It is unnecessary for the writer to use
technical terms in providing information, he should level his writing to the
knowledge understood by the users.

Poor writing skill of the writer depicts poor attention to the details and
inadequate critical thinking. Overlook mistakes compromise the intended
meaning and degrade the over-all quality of information.
 Technical writing is a hard work, writers should think and strategize their
document in a manner that readers will easily adapt, absorb and understand the
information they needed in the document. Learn also from other writings, getting their
ideas on how they make their technical writings will enhance your knowledge on how you
will make your writings simple yet knowledgeable and understandable for your readers.
Following these principles in technical writing, writers not only will become a better writer
but also their technical writings will be appreciated by their readers and also co-writers.

References:

https://mooreti.com/the-principles-of-technical-writing.html

https://cypressmedia.net/articles/article/26/six_principles_of_technical_writing

https://www.hurleywrite.com/blog/61499/simple-positive-language-in-technical-
writing

https://www.datacenterjournal.com

https://techwhirl.com/what-is-technical-writing/

https://www.ross.ws/content/principles-effective-technical-writing

https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/RaissaGuldam/technical-writing-14880642