Technical Writing Principles
Technical writing is primarily focused on this goal.
What is informing or instructing the audience?
Understanding who will read your document is referred to as this.
What is audience analysis?
The practice of using someone else's words in your writing without citing is known as this.
What is plagiarism?
In professional communication, this quality ensures messages are clear, concise, and easily understood.
What is clarity?
This appeal uses facts, statistics, and logical reasoning to convince an audience.
What is logos?
Writing that guides users through a task with steps and instructions is called this.
What is an instructional or procedural guide?
Communication is ____ when you tailor your message to the needs and knowledge level of your audience.
What is effective?
In professional writing, a basic understanding of these ensures sentences are mostly clear and free of errors.
What are grammar and punctuation?
Using proper tone, format, and structure appropriate for the workplace is part of this concept.
What is professional communication?
A doctor writing a health article for a medical journal relies on this appeal to persuade readers.
A doctor writing a health article for a medical journal relies on this appeal to persuade readers.
Using headings, bullet points, and visuals to organize information is known as this.
What is document formatting or design?
Name two of the four types of audiences?
What are nonspecialists, technical, executives, and experts?
Using lists, headings, and tables helps with this aspect of readability.
What is document organization?
This document outlines a problem, presents possible solutions, and recommends a course of action for decision-makers.
What is a report?
A charity shows images of children in need to encourage donations. This appeal is being used.
What is pathos?
This process involves checking your technical document for accuracy, clarity, and usability before sharing it.
What is proofreading or editing?
Technical writers must identify this before drafting a document, so they know what they aim to achieve.
What is the purpose?
The act of reading others' work and providing constructive criticism is known as this in the writing process.
What is feedback?
This type of workplace communication is used to make a case to update software or other programs to decision-makers.
What is a proposal?
In this scenario, a tech company’s VP of Engineering appeals to her audience using which of the rhetorical appeals? Ex: She presents data showing that a new app reduces task completion time by 35%. During the presentation, she also references her decade of experience leading software projects.
What are logos and ethos?
Name two of the four components of technical writing.
What are audience, purpose, rhetorical appeal, or professional language?
Technical writing should avoid these things (list three).
What are jargon, filler words, slang, opinions, bias, disrespectful tone?
Consistently following a style guide (like APA or MLA) ensures this in your writing.
What is consistency?
This type of communication is direct, factual, and designed for workplace problem-solving.
What is technical communication?
This type of technical document is least likely to require rhetorical appeals to be effective.
What are instruction manuals, user guides, standard operating procedures, or reference documents?