Ten Fundamentals of Technical Writing
In Two Approaches to Improving Technical Writing, we listed the ten fundamentals of technical writing presented by Blake and Bly in The Elements of Technical Writing. Here are their suggestions:
- Technical accuracy
- Usefulness
- Conciseness
- Completeness
- Clarity
- Consistency
- Correctness in Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar
- Targeted
- Well Organized
- Interesting
We would like to discuss the ten suggestions in some detail here. However, our explanation may be somewhat different from that of Blake and Bly.
- Technical accuracy
Accuracy is essential in technical writing. Without complete accuracy, technical writing may become useless at the least and harmful at the most. If, for example, we go back to the days of automotive mechanics when people could still work on their cars themselves, auto manuals often referred to the amount of pressure when tightening engine parts. Such measurements were essential. If engine parts were not tight enough, they could become loose and the engine could crack. If parts were too tight, the engine could also crack. We find similar numbers today, and they must be accurate for computer users to know what they can and cannot do. If a manual says that 256 MB is necessary to run a software program when the actual requirement need is 512 MB, users who have only 256 MB are headed for disaster. Users need to know that 512 MB is the actual requirement or the software will not run.
- Usefulness
Technical writing has to be useful. A text has to tell us what we need to know. If we check computer manuals at a nearby bookstore, we’ll probably not see many manuals for Mac OS 7.6 or Windows 95. Neither is useful today. We need manuals for Mac OS 10.4 and Windows XP as we write in 2005. Unlike reading for pleasure, useful technical writing is done in a writing style that puts usefulness as the most important objective. Novelists may want well-expressed sentences with fresh, creative prose, but technical writers want to create easy to understand texts. Doing so makes written materials useful.
- Conciseness
Technical writing has a specific goal. It is to enable us to do or understand something. Most of us do not read technical writing for pleasure. While pleasure reading can be lengthy and people may be perfectly happy, technical writing is not the same. Such writing needs to be long enough to present the necessary material. This means conciseness is essential. Unnecessary sections require the delete key.
- Completeness
Technical writing needs to be complete. Readers need to know step-by-step details. If one detail is missing or if the word for one part is inconsistent, we may not be successful in our reading of the text. If we are putting a car engine together, and the automotive manual does not tell us where one small part goes, the engine may not run.
- Clarity
Technical writing needs to be clear. Readers are not interested in a philosophical dialogue in which the meaning of each idea needs to be pondered. The writing needs to tell us what goes where and what we need to do. Plus, short sentences are a must. Long sentences become confusing.
- Consistency
Readers need consistency. When you use an abbreviation or acronym for the first time, introduce it.
Example: Each month, Pex Elk Cognigen (Pex) will supply the Previous Month’s Invoice Numbers (PMIN). When working with Pex clients, consulting the PMIN is your first step.
However, please remember that the number of abbreviations and acronyms should be kept to a minimum as too many will are unnecessary and confusing.
A second example is the reference to your text reader. Consistency in naming the user is the best approach. If you is used, then it is best to avoid other terms of address.
Avoid:
You will then insert Wire A into Tab B. Users then need to test the connection. You will connect…
Use:
You will then insert Wire A into Tab B. You will then need to test the connection. To do so, you will connect…
Avoidance of gender exclusive language is a basic textual requirement. It is best to avoid gender specific terms such as she and he. Plus, if you have terms capitalized for a specific reason, use capital letters each time you use the same term.
- Correctness in Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar
Although correctness in spelling, punctuation, and grammar is a universal goal, it is not always easy to achieve. Using a spell check is helpful, but spell checks are not the only option. Having a second reader review the file may be an option. Reading a text backwards may help to uncover spelling errors, but doing so will not help grammar. If you are uncertain about a specific punctuation or grammar point, and if you have the time, the Internet has a wealth of resources. We find that most grammar questions come up more than once. Even if you do not have the time to check all uncertainties on the Internet, you could make a list of questions to research when you have the time.
- Targeted readers
Technical writers need to target their writing for a specific audience and write at a level appropriate for that audience. Even if the audience is well educated and knowledgeable in their field, the writing needs to be clear so that non-specialists will be able understand. Sometimes technical writers do not write simply enough for both specialists and non-specialists.
- Well Organized
Technical writing requires good organization. Starting at point a, moving to point b, c, d, e, and f, and concluding at point g will help readers to understand. Outlines and headings facilitate reader understanding.
- Interesting
Technical writing can be interesting. If you go to any English bookstore and look at the wide range of Dummies books, you’ll see examples of technical writing with humor and interest. Look at PCs For Dummies or Building a PC For Dummies. This is a newer style of technical writing that is everything technical writing can be: clear, understandable, and interesting.
If you implement the ten fundamentals, your writing will become better. Writing changes will not happen in a day. Such changes in writing as in other areas of life require practice, patience, and time. If you think about one change each day, you may be better able to integrate changes. If you do technical translation or rewriting or proofreading, implementing some of the changes may be possible. However, doing so is a more complex issue because you are not the writer of the text.
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