Chapter 2: The Technical Writing Process Today
Genre: shapes a document’s content, organization, style, design, and medium in
which it is delivered
- Help you interpret and make sense
- Each genre should be adapted to fit the readers and situations in which
the document will be used
Stages of technical writing (genre)…
-Planning and researching
Define rhetorical situation: identify document’s subject, (what’s it
about) purpose (why is this document needed), readers (who), and
context of use (when and where will this be used)
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Define purpose: one sentence statement
Action verb – build around it
Research subject
Primary and secondary sources
-Organizing and drafting
Organizing content: using common genres to shape ideas so it is
familiar to readers
Introduction, body, conclusion
Genre: a familiar pattern [of organization] that readers will
expect
Drafting content: generating contents using facts, data, reasoning,
and examples
Logical mapping – visual; subject in middle, then branch
ideas from there
Freewriting – write without stopping
Outline or boxing
-Improving the style
Plain style – clarity and accuracy
Persuasive style – appeal to readers’ values and emotions; tone
and energy
-Designing the document
Important parts highlighted
Use graphics
Make information more accessible
-Revising and editing
Revise: reconsider your subject and purpose, who your readers are
and where they’ll use your document
Substantive editing: look at content, organization, and design
Copyediting
Proofreading
