Essentials of

Technical Communication

Chapter 1Characteristics of Writing at Work

National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Reading Study

• http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/trnr.html

Why Is Workplace Writing Important to You?

• “Poorly written applications are likely to doom candidates’ chances for employment.”

• Writing remediation costs American businesses as much as $3.1 billion annually.

• 50 percent of private employers and 60 percent of state government employers say writing skills impact promotion decisions.

http://www.all4ed.org/files/WritingNext.pdf

Why Is Workplace Writing Important to You?

• The lesson?– Getting a job, doing well at that job, and being

promoted are dependent on your ability to write well.

The federal government considers enhanced writing skills so critical that it sponsors four-day writing

seminars that cost the agency that sends its employees an average of

$3,000 per attendee. Yes, $3,000

Writing at Work Writing at School

• Requires acute awareness of the need for strict security procedures

• Poses legal liability for both the writer and the organization

• May be read by readers unknown to the writer, inside or outside the organization, for an infinite time

• Achieves job goals• Addresses a variety of readers who

have different perspectives from those of the writer

• Requires a variety of written documents

• Security is limited to confidentiality of student records.

• Primary liability, plagiarism, is limited to the writer.

• Assignments are returned at the end of the semester.

• Demonstrates knowledge gained• Addresses professor who has

detailed knowledge of subject/topic area

• Limited variety of written documents

“The most fundamental characteristic of technical writing

rests in the legal liability associated with workplace information.”

Care should be taken to protect:• Information about customers, clients, and

patients • Intellectual property produced by the

company• The knowledge companies produce for clients

Possible Security Breaches

• Text messages• E-mail• Blogs• Internet sites• Social media• Personal webpage

The Foundations of Effective Writing at Work

1. Planning the document

2. Determining content

3. Arranging ideas

4. Drafting

5. Revising

6. Editing

The Qualities of Good Technical Writing 1. Clarity

2. Conciseness

3. Readability

4. Usability

5. Organization

6. Correctness

“On the job, keep in mind that no one wants to read anything you write” means your writing

should:• Make an immediate good impression: neat, readable, well-organized, and

inviting• Be formatted for selective reading• Show a plan that reveals the purpose and value of the document• Make sense: Ideas appear in a logical sequence evident from document

design.• Use visuals when necessary • Convey an impression of authority, thoroughness, soundness, and honest

work• Make sense to people who were not part of the initial readership• Make a positive statement about the writer and the organization• Enable people who need to use your writing to perform a task to do so

Elizabeth Tebeaux and Sam DraggaEssentials of Technical Communication

Oxford University Press