What Is Technical Writing? How To Write A Technical Writing?

The technical and official newsroom is the name given to the set of genres that have state function, ie texts circulating via public power. These texts can have an internal function, that is, act within government institutions, or external, being directed to the population.

In their compositions, they have a formal, impersonal and accessible language, as well as having standardized structures throughout the national territory. Despite the state nature, it is possible that some of these genres also circulate in corporations and private institutions, usually to establish communication between different partners, sectors or employees.

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Characteristics And Structure Of The Technical Writing

By grouping different textual genres, technical writing suffers some specific influences from each genre , so it is important to pay attention to these details when writing a document. However, it is possible to list some essential characteristics for all these genres. Below, check out a brief explanation of each of them.

• Impersonality: all technical writing must use impersonal language, that is, the author must not express personal opinions or make a value judgment about the subject dealt with, thus, there is a gap between message and author.
• Formality: the technical writing must have a degree of formality, that is, it must use verbal language in the standard variety or cultured norm. In this sense, it is important to pay attention to the treatment pronouns , especially when directed to a superior figure, in addition to correctly using words, punctuation, and knowing how to operate coherence and cohesion in writing.
• Conciseness: An essential feature of all technical writing is the brevity of the message. In these texts , it is necessary that the author is objective in conveying the necessary message, disregarding any unnecessary details to the function. In this sense, it is important to be careful with adjectives and excesses of details without a communicative purpose.
• Courtesy: in all technical writing, given the degree of formality, it is important to pay attention to the use of courteous language, even when the message is somehow negative or reprehensible. For this, it is important to use more euphemistic and less imperative words and expressions.
• Diplomacy: the diplomatic characteristic of technical writings is based on their context of use, the professional environment. In this environment, diplomatic discourses aimed at agreements rather than confrontations are valued, so that it is necessary that texts present this characteristic in their language.
• Simplicity: despite being based on standard variety and having a degree of formality, technical writing needs a language that is accessible and easily understood. In this sense, it is important to avoid foreign words and archaic words.

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Types Of Technical Writing

Within the set of textual genres that fit into technical writing, there are some better known ones, which potentially circulate in the public sphere, but can also be used in private institutions:

Letter: despite being a common genre in the public sphere, it has a more formal and objective character that seeks to send a professional message to a specific recipient.

Memorandum: has an internal function, that is, it aims to convey a message between sectors or professionals from different sectors or institutions.

Circular: is a specific letter, sent by a superior to employees of a specific department or institution, aiming to present new norms, rules or standards.

Service Order: aims to establish communication between different sectors, to perform some service.

Craft: widely used, mainly in state institutions, and serves to establish communication between different public power institutions.

Request: serves to request something from some figure of power and representativeness, presenting, together, the arguments and reasons that support the request.

Report: has the function of presenting, in a systematic way, the activities developed in some work.

Minutes: serves to record the facts, discussions and deliberations of certain meetings or assemblies.

How To Write A Technical Writing?

Before undertaking any technical writing, it is important to objectively keep in mind the intentions of the communication and the message that should be conveyed. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the appropriate textual genre for the context and carefully observe what its specific requirements are, in order to understand how to convey the message properly.

Once the objectives and structure through which the message will be transmitted have been established, that is, the chosen textual genre, the writing of the text must walk in a nostalgic and respectful manner , objectively indicating the message, in an impersonal and accessible way, ending with some finishing marker , commonly a final greeting.

It is important, at this point, to pay attention to whether the recipient is:

• ascendant (superior to whom it refers);
• parallel (ie peers in the hierarchy);
• or descendant (managed or supervised by the sender).

Depending on which group it is intended for, the treatment pronouns must be properly placed. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the use of date and place , as they are required elements in these genres.