Transcript Insert Book Title Here

Technical Communication:
Process and Product
Seventh Edition
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
Pearson Education, Inc.
Technical Communication:
Process and Product
Seventh Edition
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
Chapter 3: Clarity,
Conciseness, and Ethics in
Technical Communication
Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 3: Clarity, Conciseness, and
Ethics in Technical Communication
This chapter discusses
the following:
• Clarity
• Conciseness
• Accuracy
• Organization
• Ethics
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity
To achieve clarity,
• Provide Specific Detail
• Answer the Reporters’ Questions
• Use Easily Understandable Words
• Use Verbs in the Active Voice Versus the
Passive Voice
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity—Provide Specific Detail
BAD:
Vague word
“Put enough air in your tires.”
(How much air is “enough”?)
GOOD:
“Fill your tires to 32 pounds per square inch.”
Specific detail
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity—Answer Reporter’s
Questions
Reporter’s Questions = who, what, when, where, why,
and how
BAD:
“We bought a new machine to solve the problem.”
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who is “we”?
What is the “new machine”?
When was the purchase made?
Where was the machine located?
Why was the purchase made—what was the problem?
How much did the machine cost?
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity—Answer Reporter’s
Questions (cont.)
GOOD:
“The marketing department bought a
new AABco laser printer ($595) on
June 10 for our production room.
This printer will produce double-side,
color copies unlike our prior printer. ”
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity—Use Easily Understandable
Words
NOTE:
BAD:
“We are cognizant of your
need for issuance of citations
pursuant to code 18-B1 CPR
violations.”
Write to express,
not to impress!
Use words that
are easy to
understand.
Define
abbreviations
like “CPR.”
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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8
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity—Use Easily Understandable
Words (cont.)
GOOD:
“We know you need to send citations
because of code 18-B1 Continuing
Property Record violations. ”
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Clarity—Use Verbs in the Active
Voice vs. the Passive Voice
Avoid Passive Voice:
“It has been determined
that the machine was
broken by John.”
Use Active Voice:
“John broke the
machine. ”
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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NOTE:
Active voice
sentences are less
wordy and more
direct than
passive voice
constructions.
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Practice
• Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice
writing clearly.
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness
To achieve conciseness,
• Write to “fit the box”
• Limit paragraph length
• Limit sentence length
• Limit word length
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Write to “fit the box”
• Technical communication often “fits in a box.”
– An automobile’s user manual must fit in the glove
compartment.
– Instructions for baking brownies must fit on the
back of the brownie box.
• Due to technological advancements, the box
is shrinking. Consider the monitor size of
–
–
–
–
Cell phones
PDAs
E-mail screens
PowerPoint slides
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
Twitter messages are even
smaller, allowing for only
140 characters per tweet!
13
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Write to “fit the box”
(cont.)
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Write to “fit the box”
(cont.)
The size of this email box limits
the size of your
correspondence.
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Write to “fit the box”
(cont.)
Boxes within
boxes within
boxes
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limit Paragraph
Length
• To write concisely, limit paragraph
length to approximately
– 4-6 lines of text
– 50 words per paragraph
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limit Paragraph
Length (cont.)
BAD
Please prepare to supply a readout of your findings and
recommendations to the officer of the Southwest Group
at the completion of your study period. As we discussed,
the undertaking of this project implies no currently known
incidences of impropriety in the Southwest Group, nor is
it designed to find any. Rather, it is to assure ourselves
of sufficient caution, control, and impartiality when
dealing with an area laden with such potential
vulnerability. I am confident that we will be better served
as a company as a result of this effort.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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NOTE:
Long
paragraphs
are hard to
read.
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limit Paragraph
Length (cont.)
NOTE:
BETTER
Please prepare to supply a readout of your findings and
recommendations to the officer of the Southwest Group
at the completion of your study period.
As we discussed, the undertaking of this project implies
no currently known incidences of impropriety in the
Southwest Group, nor is it designed to find any. Rather, it is
to assure ourselves of sufficient caution, control, and impartiality
when dealing with an area laden with such potential vulnerability.
I am confident that we will be better served
as a company as a result of this effort.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
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Shorter paragraphs
are easier to read.
Spacing gives readers
a chance to stop,
breathe, and digest
the information.
These paragraphs are
still hard to read, due
to the sentence and
word length.
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limit Sentence
Length
• To write concisely, limit sentence length to
– 10-15 words (average)
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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20
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limit Word Length
• To write concisely, limit word length to
– 1-2 syllables (average)
NOTE:
All words cannot be 1-2 syllables! You
cannot shorten words like
“telecommunications,” “engineer,”
“accountant,” or “trinitrolulene” (TNT).
Change the words you can; leave
other words alone.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limiting Word and
Sentence Length (cont.)
NOTE:
BAD
This sentence is 23
“During the month of July, I
words long, and it uses
five words over two
made a decision to positively syllables (underlined).
impact my writing inabilities
by having a meeting with an instructional
advisor.”
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Conciseness—Limiting Word and
Sentence Length (cont.)
GOOD
“In July, I decided to improve
my writing by meeting with a
teacher.”
NOTE:
This sentence is 13
words long, and it uses
one word over two
syllables (underlined).
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Practice
• Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice
writing concisely.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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24
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Accuracy
• Errors in your writing make you look
unprofessional.
• Proofread to catch and correct errors.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
25
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Organization
• Use appropriate organizational modes to help
readers understand your content:
– Spatial (good for technical specifications)
– Chronological (good for instructions)
– Importance (good for focusing your reader’s
attention on the key ideas in any type of writing)
– Comparison/Contrast (good for showing
alternatives in any type of writing)
– Problem/Solution (good for proposals)
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
26
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Practice
• Use the end-of-chapter activities to
practice different organizational modes.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
27
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Ethics
• After Enron, IMclone, and Adelphia,
ethics in communication have never
been more important.
• Effective technical communication must
focus on
– Legalities
– Practicalities
– Ethicalities
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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28
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Ethics (cont.)
•
Follow the Society for Technical
Communication’s (STC) six guidelines for
writing ethically, as follows:
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Ethics (cont.)
1. Use language and visuals with
precision. (Clarity)
2. Prefer simple, direct expressions of
ideas. (Conciseness)
3. Satisfy the audience’s need for
information, not your own need for self
expression. (Clarity and Conciseness)
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Ethics (cont.)
4. Hold yourself responsible for how well the
audience understands the message.
(Clarity)
5. Respect the work of colleagues. (Focusing
on Confidentiality, Courtesy, and Copyright
laws)
6. Strive continually to improve your
professional competence. Promote a
climate that encourages the exercise of
professional judgment.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
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31
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Strategies for Making Ethical
Decisions
• Define the problem. Is the dilemma legal, practical,
ethical, or a combination of all three?
• Determine your audience. Who will be affected by the
problem (clients, coworkers, management)?
• Maximize values; minimize problems. Select the
option that promotes the greatest worth for all
stakeholders involved.
• Consider the big picture. Don’t just focus on short-term
benefits. Focus on long-term consequences.
• Write your text. Implement the decision by writing your
memo, letter, proposal, manual, or report.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
32
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Practice
• Use the end-of-chapter activities to
practice ethical considerations.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
33
Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved