About this Course

Why is technical writing important?

Technical experts need to convey ideas to both technical and non-technical readers. The ability to convey these ideas is crucial to the decision-making and problem-solving processes in an organisation.

Excellent research and thorough investigations will be wasted if the findings are not documented clearly and accurately. Building a wonderful machine is of little use if users are not told how to operate it competently. This is where good technical writing skills are so necessary and important.

What do you gain from this workshop?

This workshop takes you through a total writing process - from planning, drafting, to editing a technical document.

It includes three important types of technical writing – technical reports, technical proposals, and standard operating procedures (SOP).

You will learn the basic formats required for these documents, as well as the appropriate writing style and grammar to use, so that your writing can be interpreted in only one way – the way that you intend.

Workshop Objectives

1. Learn a writing process to plan, draft and edit your technical documents.
   
2. Know the formats for technical reports, technical proposals and SOPs.
   
3. Learn the appropriate writing styles for reports, proposals and SOPs.
   
4. Understand and practise the requirements of technical writing theorems.
   
5. Structure sentences clearly and correctly.
   
6. Create logical flow in your technical writing.
   
7. Present your ideas in a way that is accurate, clear and reader-friendly.
   
8. Avoid common language and style errors in technical writing.

Workshop Highlights

Technical Writing vs. General Business Writing

• The difference between technical writing and general business writing
  
• Using your logical advantage

Technical Reports

• Parts of a formal technical report
  
• Parts of an informal technical report
  
• Approaches for analytical reports
  
• Approaches for informational reports
  
• Appropriate language style and grammar to use

Technical Proposals

• Formal and informal proposals
  
• Establishing the problem
  
• Proposing your solution
  
• Highlighting your unique selling points
  
• Including relevant materials
  
• Common pitfalls to avoid in writing proposals

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Parts of an SOP
  
• Writing for your readers
  
• Writing complex procedures
  
• Common pitfalls to avoid in writing SOPs

Planning Your Writing

• Writing for technical and non-technical readers
  
• Understanding your reader's needs
  
• Determining your content
  
• Structuring your message for maximum impact

Technical Writing Theorems

• Writing short sentences
  
• Using plain English and short words
  
• Using precise and objective words and phrases
  
• Active vs. passive construction
  
• Creating logical flow in technical documents
  
• Using technical terms and jargon

Making a Visual Impact

• Why is layout important?
  
• Techniques for improving your document layout
  
• Using illustrations in your documents
  
• Labelling and referring to illustrations
  

Essential Grammar Points to Note

• Subject and verb agreement
  
• Verb tenses and their implications
  
• Compound adjectives
  
• The use of nouns
  
• The writing of numbers
  

Duration: 2 Days

For in-company training only

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