organize your narrative chronologically. Use paragraph breaks at logical points to make it easier to read your report.
To give a report of an incident is to recount how it happened. Therefore giving a narration from the start of the incident instead of trying to “fit in the pieces” would help in solving such situation or cases on time and better.
It's important not to make the minutes a "play by play" of conversations, and especially don't get bogged down in the details. Just make sure to take down the main points
While the minutes of a meeting is a note-taking of agenda given or excluded in a meeting and should be detailed, it must be clear and concise. Only important information should be in writing, either by summarizing or a paraphrase.
You don't want to submit perfect progress reports and then suddenly your supervisor finds out the project is behind schedule!
A progress report should only carry details of the ongoing success in the concerned project. It should only gives facts and not promises of work to be done but actual details of work in progression.
As memos or emails, you will want to start by putting the documents in the correct format.
It is important to write memos or email in the right format so that you don’t lose the interest or focus of the recipient.
heading design consistently throughout your document.
Consistency in design and style of the heading throughout the document/work.
house" style
What is the house style of writing?
Well-designed headings can help not only readers but also writers understand the organization of a document
The alignment of the text and it’s content is not only easily visible to the writer but also the reader, enabling easy access.
Instead, visualize the headings before you start the rough draft, and plug them in as you write
For the writer, starting with the headings in a rough work isn’t mandatory. You can figure out the headings along the line and fix it in the right spot.
One of the most useful characteristics of technical writing is the use of headings
They help readers find exactly what it is that they’re looking for and locate necessary information in a text.
Headings are very important features of technical writing that alerts readers of upcoming topics/ subtopics, helps readers find their way through texts so they can focus on the essentials they need and skip through the ones they don’t.
austere and spartan way
What is the austere and spartan way?
As a good writer, the accuracy of information you’re producing and using the right communication statement for a documentation you’re creating must be your priorities.
boilerplate
What does a boiler plate mean?
As a writer, you must make sure that you are using the right version (and, in finding out which is correct
Accuracy and reliability
footnote
What is a footnote?
Always point out the relevance of graphics to enable the reader understand the point to it and how it correlates with everything they’ve come across previously.
Make sure your graphics are appropriate to your audience, subject matter, and purpose—
The right graphics for the right audience. Not too much, not below.
discuss graphics in nearby text preceding the graphic
Explain the graphics to make it more understandable to the reader. As they view it, they understand it.
Use graphics whenever they would normally be necessary—don't wimp out because it seems like too much trouble! But at the same time, don't get hung up about creating perfect graphics (scans and photocopies work just fine for our purposes as long as you cite your source). This course is a writing course, not a graphic-arts course.
Using graphics where they are necessary is advisable but also trying not to be stuck on wanting to create the perfect graphical design. Keep in mind that this is a writing course and not an art course. So long as your message is being passed along to your reader clearly, then it’s alright.
But you're obligated to cite your sources for graphics just as you are for the words you borrow
Citing sources for borrowed works and words is essential so as to not be accused of stealing someone else’s work.
you want illustrations to be at the right technical level for your readers.
How do I determine the right technical level for my readers?
You can use graphics to represent the following elements in your technical writing: Objects—If you're describing a fuel-injection system, you'll probably need a drawing or diagram of the thing. If you are explaining how to graft a fruit tree, you'll need some illustrations of how that task is done. Photographs, drawings, diagrams, and schematics are the types of graphics that show objects. Numbers—If you're discussing the rising cost of housing in Austin, you could use a table with the columns marking off fiveyear periods since 1970; the rows could be for different types of housing. You could show the same data in the form of bar charts, pie charts, or line graphs. Tables, bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs are some of the principal ways to show numerical data. Concepts—If you want to show how your company is organized, the relationships of the different departments and officials, you could set up an organization chart—boxes and circles connected with lines that show how everything is hierarchically arranged and related. A concept graphic shows nonphysical, conceptual things and their relationships. In the figure to the right, see how Apple Computer illustrated the difference between 32-bit processors and 64-bit processors (these days, these are called infographics).
Graphics can be used to represent so many things ranging from objects, descriptive photographs, diagrams, tables, charts, concepts and many more to make your technical writing even better and more detailed or explanatory.
Many professional technical writing contains graphics. Putting graphics in your work doesn’t require any professionalism in the graphics art line, the Internet has provided means to create professional looking graphics easily.
Make sure your tables, charts, and graphs are appropriate to your audience, subject matter, and purpose
Right information for the right audience. Wrong information will cause confusion.
Always discuss tables in preceding text.
Don’t leave your reader confused and destabilized due to an unexplained table or graph.
You get a better sense of the overall trend in the graph but not the precise dollar amount
Lack of precision.
A table has more preciseness and details than a graph or chart but the graph or chart has a more dramatic and interesting touch to it. You get a better sense of overall trend in the graph but not the preciseness.
Don't overwhelm readers with monster 11-column, 30-row tables
This might seem bulky and scare the reader away or even bore them causing them to skip through it and miss the important information in the table.
Explain the general significance of the data in the table
To make it easy and understandable for the reader, without them having to stress. The table should carry the details.
Tables allow fast and easy access and are also easily understandable because of its comparable features.
Graphs are really important in technical writing.
We learn more from a document when graphics are included (Gatlin, 1988)
A recent study found that readers learn faster and are better able to use the information they learn when the text includes graphics (Große,Jungmann, and Drechsler, 2015).
Type the word "DANGER" in all-caps. (Underline it, or use bold.)
To stress the urgency or the seriousness.
State what will happen if the reader does not heed the notice.
Most people tend to ignore notices till the possible outcome or consequences for their action is stated.
Don't use a danger notice when a warning is more appropriate (the same as "crying wolf")
Understanding the right special notice to use is very mandatory. Using the wrong notice would pass the message, there by confusing the reader and could expose them to unforeseen dangers or situations.
The four types of special notices: 1. Note 2. Warning 3. Caution 4. Danger
Notices alert readers to the possibility of error, damage, or injury. They can also provide extra emphasis."
Warns reader of possible problems in a very accentuated manner.
Special notices highlight the vital informations crucial to amplifying the readers knowledge and help them understand what’s being read and also keep them away from causing damages to themselves and others. It’s also another important feature of technical writing.
Column headings are optional, but if used, use sentence style capitalization for both columns.
Use asterisks or hyphens if you have no access to an actual bullet
In replacement of an actual bullet if it’s not accessible to you.
compact" list format
What is compact list format?
List should not carry too many items as it would seemed too clustered. Instead, it can be subdivided or centralized.
Do not mix up between numbers and bulleted lists. They pose different indications.
In-sentence lists provide only minimal emphasis; vertical lists provide much more.
Vertical lists are more detailed and carry more information than in-sentence lists, which only possess little information.
Using numbered list for items that should be in a particular order is better and advisable.
Lists emphasize important points and help readers follow a sequence
creating an understanding for the the reader in the right order.
Lists are essential features of proper technical writings.
Notice text must be succinct but not at the expense of clear writing.
Make notices more prominent and noticeable as they become more severe
to indicate severity or extremity.
Use numbered lists to show sequence, order, or hierarchy
to indicate
Avoid vague headings; they don’t specifically tell anyone anything about the heading.
which implies modest,
So relatively moderate, limited and small?
schematics
What are schematics and how does it pertain to page design?
Lists are useful for emphasizing important points, allowing the reader to scan through the texts fast and still be well informed.
Page design signifies different things to different people but in this reading it involves the use of typography and formatting as seen in professionally designed images. It’s focus is on technical documentation which involves functional design.
white space
What is white space?
Technical reports require specifications as most people like to read in a hurry to get to the information needed. So providing the necessary points like organization and design of graphics and many more are very essential. The label of any report is very important.
Arabic numerals?? I just realized that the numbers 0-9 are called Arabic numerals.
Duplication in reports are designed to make emphasis on important informations as readers or target audience tend to skim through reports.
graphic box
gutter
What does gutter mean in binding?
label for the cover
Reporting news related to life being at stake or a problem that requires urgent attention should be communicated clearly and not hidden or lost in the message.
Writing is an important skill not only limited to professionals only but extended to the public at large. Technical writing is properly carried out when it can: 1. Understand the reader or user of a document. 2. Identify the specific purpose and the target audience for a document. 3. It is coherent, concise and comprehensive.
Is the font large enough to be read by a variety of audiences?
What if some readers consider the fonts too large? How do I know the right font to use universally?
A business letter should possess directness, preciseness and carry details still.
paragraphs that are made up of only a single sentence are common and perfectly acceptable
but will it be as detailed or informative as it should be?
Technical writing focuses on a specific purpose and target audience with the aim to make complex information clearer and useful enabling the achievement of related goals/tasks.
The importance level of most of our day-to-day activities and our life relies mainly on strong written and oral communication skills.
A good writing must possess conciseness, accuracy and accessibility to help the reader understand and solve problems easily and efficiently.
Strive to make sure that you have expressed exactly what you mean, and have not left room for incorrect interpretations.
What if after giving a clear information and expressing exactly what i intended, a reader still misunderstands or misinterprets. Will it be a fault on my end?