What is the purpose of technical writing?

1. What is the purpose of technical writing? • To inform • To instruct • To propose • To recommend • To persuade

2. Audience • Importance of understanding who will read your report.

3. Provide accurate information • Technical reports are based on facts; falsifying any information is unethical. • Do not give your own opinions. • You are required to focus on facts.

4. Organization of technical writing Introduction Provide background/contextual information for the topic/problem/issue being presented.

5. Organization of technical writing Body Information is explained and technical details are given.

6. Organization of technical writing Conclusion The summarization of the report/paper.

7. Technical writers present important conclusions at the beginning, followed by evidence supporting these conclusions.

8. Do we have any mail today? • Two possible answers (out of the millions of possibilities) No 1 “I got up out of my chair and sauntered out to the mailbox. I looked up before opening the box and saw the mailman going down the street past our house. When I opened the mailbox there was nothing in it, so I don’t think we’ll have any mail today”

9. Answer number 2 “No, we did not get any mail today. The mailbox is empty and the mailman has passed our house.”

10. Write using the Third person The third person is used when writing technical reports.

11. Use either the passive or active voice When the subject of the sentence is performing the action, the sentence is in active voice.

12. Examples of active voice • Alec must have eaten all ten candies. • The man kicked the chair. • Crazy dogs barked all night.

13. Passive voice When the subject of the sentence is acted upon, the sentence is in passive voice.

14. Examples of passive voice • All ten candies must have been eaten by Alec. • The chair was kicked by the man.

15. In order to change a sentence from active to passive voice, the sentence must have a direct object.

16. What is “third” person?

17. Tense Past and perfect tenses are appropriate in writing reports that documents something that is completed.

18. Past tense Add –d or –ed to the infinitive verb. The boy kicked the ball.

19. What is meant by perfect tense? The perfect tense is formed by the appropriate form of the verb to have + the past participle of the verb. This tense is used to express an action that has been completed.

20. Examples of the perfect tense • You have seen that movie many times. • We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance. • You will have perfected report writing before the exam.

21. Dear Mr. Black, Please find enclosed my CV in application for the post advertised in the Guardian on 30 November. The nature of my degree course has prepared me for this position. It involved a great deal of independent research, requiring initiative, self-motivation and a wide range of skills. For one course, [insert course], an understanding of the [insert sector] industry was essential. I found this subject very stimulating.

22. I am a fast and accurate writer, with a keen eye for detail and I should be very grateful for the opportunity to progress to market reporting. I have not only the ability to take on the responsibility of this position immediately, but also the enthusiasm and determination to ensure that I make a success of it. Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Yours Sincerely,

23. Dear Mr. Brown, • I am writing to enquire if you have any vacancies in your company. I enclose my CV for your information. • As you can see, I have had extensive vacation work experience in office environments, the retail sector and service industries, giving me varied skills and the ability to work with many different types of people. I believe I could fit easily into your team.

24. I am a conscientious person who works hard and pays attention to detail. I'm flexible, quick to pick up new skills and eager to learn from others. I also have lots of ideas and enthusiasm. I'm keen to work for a company with a great reputation and high profile like [insert company name].

25. I have excellent references and would be delighted to discuss any possible vacancy with you at your convenience. In case you do not have any suitable openings at the moment, I would be grateful if you would keep my CV on file for any future possibilities. Yours Sincerely,

26. What are the differences between these two letters of application? • Are these effective letters of application? What makes them effective?

27. Memos have a twofold purpose • Memos are used to inform the recipient of new information like policy changes, price increases. • Persuade the recipient to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a current production procedure.

28. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader.

29. Heading Segment • TO: (readers' names and job titles) • FROM: (your name and job title) • DATE: (complete and current date)

30. Subject • Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example, "Clothes" as a subject line could mean anything from a dress code update to a production issue. Instead use something like, "Fall Clothes Line Promotion."

31. Opening Segment • The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraph and includes: the purpose of the memo, the context and problem, and the specific assignment or task. Before indulging the reader with details and the context, give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be about..

32. Choosing how specific your introduction will be depends on your memo plan style. The more direct the memo plan, the more explicit the introduction should be. Including the purpose of the memo will help clarify the reason the audience should read this document. The introduction should be brief, and should be approximately the length of a short paragraph

33. Context • The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you are solving. You may use a paragraph or a few sentences to establish the background and state the problem. Oftentimes it is sufficient to use the opening of a sentence to completely explain the context, such as, • "Through market research and analysis..."

34. Task Segment One essential portion of a memo is the task statement where you should describe what you are doing to help solve the problem. If the action was requested, your task may be indicated by a sentence opening like, • "You asked that I look at...."

35. If you want to explain your intentions, you might say, • "To determine the best method of promoting the new fall line, I will...."

36. Include only as much information as is needed by the decision-makers in the context, but be convincing that a real problem exists. Do not ramble on with insignificant details.

37. If you are having trouble putting the task into words, consider whether you have clarified the situation. You may need to do more planning before you're ready to write your memo. Make sure your purpose-statement forecast divides your subject into the most important topics that the decision-maker needs.

38. Summary Segment • If your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include a separate summary segment. However, this section not necessary for short memos and should not take up a significant amount of space.

39. This segment provides a brief statement of the key recommendations you have reached. These will help your reader understand the key points of the memo immediately. This segment may also include references to methods and sources you have used in your research.

40. Discussion Segments • The discussion segments are the longest portions of the memo, and are the parts in which you include all the details that support your ideas. Begin with the information that is most important. This may mean that you will start with key findings or recommendations.

41. Start with your most general information and move to your specific or supporting facts. (Be sure to use the same format when including details: strongest to weakest.)

42. The discussion segments include the supporting ideas, facts, and research that back up your argument in the memo. Include strong points and evidence to persuade the reader to follow your recommended actions. If this section is inadequate, the memo will not be as effective as it could be.

43. Closing Segment • After the reader has absorbed all of your information, you want to close with a courteous ending that states what action you want your reader to take. Make sure you consider how the reader will benefit from the desired actions and how you can make those actions easier. For example, you might say, • "I will be glad to discuss this recommendation with you during our Tuesday trip to the spa and follow through on any decisions you make."

44. Necessary Attachments • Make sure you document your findings or provide detailed information whenever necessary. You can do this by attaching lists, graphs, tables, etc. at the end of your memo. Be sure to refer to your attachments in your memo and add a notation about what is attached below your closing, like this: • Attached: Focus Group Results, January- May 2007

45. TO: Kelly Anderson, Marketing Executive • FROM: Jonathon Fitzgerald, Market Research Assistant • DATE: June 14, 2007 • SUBJECT: Fall Clothes Line Promotion

46. Market research and analysis show that the proposed advertising media for the new fall lines need to be reprioritized and changed. Findings from focus groups and surveys have made it apparent that we need to update our advertising efforts to align them with the styles and trends of young adults today.

47. No longer are young adults interested in sitcoms as they watch reality televisions shows. Also, it is has become increasingly important to use the internet as a tool to communicate with our target audience to show our dominance in the clothing industry.

48. Internet Advertising • XYZ Company needs to focus advertising on internet sites that appeal to young people. According to surveys, 72% of our target market uses the internet for five hours or more per week. The following list shows in order of popularity the most frequented sites: • •Google • •Facebook • •Myspace • •EBay • •iTunes

49. Shifting our efforts from our other media sources such as radio and magazine to these popular internet sites will more effectively promote our product sales. Young adults are spending more and more time on the internet downloading music, communicating and researching for homework and less and less time reading paper magazines and listening to the radio. As the trend for cultural icons to go digital, so must our marketing plans.

50. Television Advertising It used to be common to advertise for our products on shows like Friends and Seinfeld for our target audience, but even the face of television is changing. Young adults are tuning into reality television shows for their entertainment. Results from the focus group show that our target audience is most interested in shows like American Idol,The Apprentice, and America's Next Top Model.