A MORE IN DEPTH APPROACH

Technical Writing

Today’s Agenda

Technical Writing as a FieldHelping Readers ReadEthical Technical WritingThe Final Project: Step 1Assignment Q & A

Technical Writing Is…

Professional writing for a technical field

A Technical Writer

Dabbler in many fields, master of noneSocial ActsReader-Centered

Window Model

Information passes through the tech writerTech Writer should be as transparent as

possible

Your Thoughts

Is this possible?Is this a good model for technical writing?

Translation Models

Technical Writer as a translator“Translates” information from its source

Your Thoughts

Is this possible?Is this a good model for technical writing?

A Reader Centered Approach

Write for your readerTo the point; short.UsabilityPersuasion

Professional Ethics

Professional organizationsCompanies

Ethical Technical Writing

The Ethic of Expediency

What is the Ethic of Expediency?

What’s more important?

You

How far are you willing to go?What are you willing to sacrifice?

Scenario 1

Your company is currently suffering a series of layoffs. You are asked to compile a report of the technical strengths and weaknesses of your coworkers’ work groups for a purpose unexplained to you. What rubric do you set to determine the strengths and weaknesses and how do you compile this report? What consequences might come out of your report?

Evaluation sheet to determine differences between one coworker and another Grade people more specifically, rate their skills. Give high points and their low

points. Consequence: weaker people will be laid off People could be promoted Workshops could be developed to get everyone on the same page People are going to get mad once they find out what you wrote about

them. Without strict rules, you could create the rules in this report –

checking the performance of the employees Compile in the indirect approach, we’re happy but unfortunately…do

the same with the consequences of the report – which won’t get people mad

Will have to explain how production will be redistributed Could be done based on strengths and weaknesses

Scenario 2

Your company has been in the news for a series of environmental disasters in South America that it caused. You are asked to develop a report explaining the environmental good and charities your company has donated to in the last year in the United States. What sort of information do you include in this report? What consequences might this report have on the general public?

The types of charities that were donated toIf you have your own workforce on the issueWhat they were offering to othersSomeone’s getting firedGood publicityRock and a hard placeProfits of the company might go downHandling issues with the environment is always difficultProduce vs reduce – producing goods, reducing

emissions vs what other companies are doingIt’ll blow over eventually. People can only boycott for so

long then something else will happen.

Scenario 3

Your company’s product has caused several injuries and deaths over the course of the last year. Half of the users were injured. Your company is being sued for several million dollars, which could put it out of business. You are asked to compile a report defending your company’s safety record and showing that the users of your product were using it improperly. Upon researching the data, it is not clear whether the product was used improperly or not. How would you continue about your work?

Get a lawyerIt is a tough decision if your job is on the lineShow everything great about your companyCall for a recallChange the directions on the productState the facts about the incidentsTry to blame the user instead of the companyFurther test your productsSay you’re doing an investigation yourselvesMost folks are quitting.

Objectivity

The “Big T” TruthYour position is irrelevantKnowledge as it exists

Subjectivity

Your position vs. the position of othersYour knowledge vs. the knowledge of others“Big T” Truth vs. “Little t” truth

Bias in Technical Writing

Tech writing comes from a biased standpointInformation will be translated or submitted

based upon the writer’s subjectivity

Writing Assignment

Explain your ethics. How far are you willing to go to defend the ethics of your company? What ethics are you willing to bend in order to save your job?

Is it possible to remain completely objective in writing technical reports?

Final Project

Take 20 minutes. Write about ten subjects that matter to you in your daily life.

Choose the subject that you feel most compelled to write about. Write an email to me about that subject.