Technical writing

Course Code : TW – CV

Participants in this course will learn how to write and produce documentation that is clear, complete, and correct. They will learn how to produce documents that convey a good image of your business and the products, or services, you are marketing. And they will learn how to produce documentation that meets, or exceeds, all civil and military specifications for product-support documentation.

Herewith the information on technical writing:

This course is divided into the following chapters:

• Stages of Report Preparation: the steps involved in preparing a report, from gathering the data to writing the rough draft
  • The five major stages of report preparation are
  • Gathering the data (or developing the theory)
  • Analyzing and sorting the results
  • Outlining the report
  • Writing the rough draft
  • Revising the rough draft
  •  
• Report Style: the requirements for good reports, some suggestions for improving report writing style, and some recommended methods for presenting data clearly (including figures and tables). Four general requirements must be met to produce good reports:
  • clarity,
  • conciseness,
  • continuity, and
  • objectivity.
• Report Introduction: the functions of a technical report Introduction and its content, style, length, and relation to other parts of the report
  • Primary Functions
    • Statement of Subject
    • Statement of Purpose
    • Statement of Organization and Scope
  • Style and Length
• Experiment and Analysis Descriptions: the content of various report sections commonly used to describe experimental programs, including Apparatus, Procedure, and Analysis sections
  • Apparatus Sections
    • Test facilities section :
      Generally a new test facility should be described in sufficient detail that its essential workings could be reproduced. A good initial description that can be referenced may greatly simplify future reports. Be sure to note special mechanical devices used. Use photographs and diagrammatic sketches with adequate notation. Try to use standard, accepted terms for equipment, but avoid trade names.

• Instrumentation section :
  The discussion of instrumentation may be organized according to normal flow paths through the test facility or according to particular types of instrumentation.

• Materials Section :
  In reports describing the testing or evaluation of materials, the test materials should be characterized in detail, including the purity of the material, its grain size and density, the method used to produce it, and its thermal history prior to testing. These characteristics are needed to compare the test results with other data on similar materials.

• Test Procedure Section
  In describing the procedures used in a test program, it is helpful to begin with an introductory paragraph that describes the kind of data obtained in the program. If the procedures used were numerous and complex, summarize them in the introductory paragraph.

• Results and Discussion: the organization of the Results and Discussion section, the presentation of data, and the discussion of significant results
  
  The presentation and discussion of the results is the heart of the technical report.
  
  The first purpose of this section is a well-organized and objective presentation of the results. Tables and figures that show the results should have sufficient supporting description to permit the reader to interpret them quickly and accurately.
• Concluding and Supporting Sections: the preparation of terminal sections such as the Conclusions or the Summary of Results; discussion of supporting sections such as the Summary, references, and appendixes
• Review of Reports
• Checklist and Report Writing Aids: quick guidelines for technical report writers

This is a 3 day course. It is presented on a NQF level 5, and will give the candidate 3 credits on the National Qualifications framework.