Technical writing planning

Introduction to technical writing

Introduction to technical writing
Usual or professional communication

Introduction to technical writing
Usual or professional communication
Oral or written form

Introduction to technical writing
Usual or professional communication
Oral or written form
Communication about technical topics is called technical communication

Introduction to technical writing
Usual or professional communication
Oral or written form
Communication about technical topics is called technical communication
Technical communication in written form is called technical writing

Introduction to technical writing
Usual or professional communication
Oral or written form
Communication about technical topics is called technical communication
Technical communication in written form is called technical writing
Technical communication in oral form is called a presentation

Definition
ISO 5966 “Documentation – Presentation of scientific and technical reports” defines, that a scientific or Technical Report describes
a research process or
research and development results or
the current state-of the-art in a certain field of science or technology

Novel vs technical report
What is the difference between writing a novel and writing a technical report?

Technical writing standards
General standards
Corporate design standards
Logical rules
Practical experience

Technical report timeline phases

Technical report timeline phases
Planning

Technical report timeline phases
Planning
Creating

Technical report timeline phases
Planning
Creating
Finishing and presenting

Technical report timeline phases
Planning
Creating
Finishing and presenting
(Main themes of this course)

Planning the technical report
Accepting and analysing the task
Checking or creating the title
The structure (backbone) of the technical report

Technical report timeline phases
Planning
Creating (writing)
Finishing and presenting
(Main themes of this course)

Creating the technical report
Parts of the report
Collecting and ordering the material
Creating tables
Instructional figures
Literature citation
Text
Completion

Technical report timeline phases
Planning
Creating (writing)
Finishing and presenting
(Main themes of this course)

Presenting the technical report
What benefit?
Planning the presentation
Creating the presentation (slides)
Giving the presentation

Technical report checklist

Technical report checklist

How to write in English
Verb tense and number
Word order in a sentence
Use of articles
Punctuation
Useful words and expression
Possessive case (explaining the owner)
Dividing the text into paragraphs, sentences and clauses

Technical report checklist

Accepting and analysing the task

Accepting and analysing the task

Technical report checklist

Creating the title
First thing a reader will notice
Should create interest and curiosity
Main topic, keywords
Short, precise and true!
Must not create undesired associations or wrong expectations
(Title checklist)

Examples of titles
• Design of a drilling rig
• Outline of a sprayer shredding rig
• Analysis of component combinations for sales optimization
• Equipment of a meeting room with radio technology
Other variants??

Example
We are looking for the title of a doctorate thesis.
In the doctorate project a computer program has been developed, that allows the selection of the materials of designed parts depending on the stress on the part, abrasion requirements etc.
The designer enters the requirements which the material must fulfill and the system provides the materials, which are stored in its database and
match the given requirements. It has been quite early in the project that the developer of the system, the doctorate candidate, has defined the term “CAMS” = Computer Aided Material Selection to describe the purpose of the program.
The doctorate candidate starts to create a title for his thesis as described above.
He starts to write down the keywords that shall be contained in the title.

Keywords
– material selection
– design
– education
– CAMS
– with computer

Keywords combination to get different title
Contribution to computer-aided material selection
Computer-aided material selection in design
Computer-aided material selection in design education
Computer Aided Material Selection = CAMS
CAMS in design education
Help to select materials by the computer
Computer application for material selection
CAMS in design
Design with CAMS
Computer support in design education
Material selection with the computer

Title
Computer Aided Material Selection – CAMS in Design Education

How to find a good title for your technical report
Use the following work steps to create the title:
• write down the task
• write down the keywords which characterize the report
• combine the keywords to a title
• find new titles by varying the usage of these keywords
• read possible titles aloud to optimize the speech melody
• select the “best” title

Next lecture: Structure

Technical report timeline phases
Planning
Creating
Finishing and presenting
(Main themes of this course)

Phase I planning

Keywords combination to get different titles
Contribution to computer-aided material selection
Computer-aided material selection in design
Computer-aided material selection in design education
Computer Aided Material Selection = CAMS
CAMS in design education
Help to select materials by the computer
Computer application for material selection
CAMS in design
Design with CAMS
Computer support in design education
Material selection with the computer

Designing the structure of the technical report
Designing the structure is the main step of planning the technical report
The structure is an intermediate result that contains the logic of the technical report
The table of contents ToC is a final result that allows searching

Information about structure and ToC
Structure and ToC are the front entrance door
The structure allows to get a quick overview
To find a way into the contents
To get help from supervisor
To evaluate/grade your technical report

Information about structure and ToC

Document part heading

Document part heading
A document has nine chapters
Chapter two is subdivided into subchapters 2.1 and 2.2.
Subchapter 2.1 is subdivided into sections 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3
ISO 2154 Documentation –Numbering of Division and Subdivisions in written texts recommendations:
The number of document part levels should be limited to three, if possible. (1 Chapters, 2 subchapters and 3 sections)
The number of equal document parts on the same level should not exceed nine.

Different document part headings on the same level of hierarchy must be equally important and consistent
Example
Document part heading

Different document part headings on the same level of hierarchy must be equally important and consistent
Example
Document part heading
Not logical! Part heading subdivided only once!
Logical

Another example
Document part heading

Each document part heading shall be complete in itself
It shall represent the contents of the document part properly
It shall be short, clear and accurate as the title of the whole technical report
Document part headings that consist of one word only can often be improved.
Exceptions from this rule are generally-used single words like Introduction, References, Appendices etc.
Document part heading

Work steps to create a structure

Example 1 creating a structure

Example 1 creating a structure

Example 2 creating structure

Example 2 creating structure

Example 2 creating structure

Example 2 creating structure

Example 2 creating structure

Example 3 creating structure

Example 3 creating structure

Example 3 creating structure

Example 3 creating structure

Example 3 creating structure

Example 3 creating structure

Creating structure checklist

Creating structure checklist

Creating structure checklist

Creating structure checklist
4th step Further subdivision of extensive main items
Creating a structure for each chapter in the same manner of structuring the whole report

Creating structure of an experimental work

Creating structure for manuals

Creating structure for manuals