Technical & Professional

CommunicationBy

Edwin Musonye-Nairobi, Kenya-

ealmusonye@yahoo.com

Scope

Technical Communication and Professional Communication are closely linked and very purposeful Communication components that are used in the workplace, industrial environments; and serious situations

Acronyms, Abbreviations & SymbolsCW- Creative WritingEOI – Expression of interestMC-Marketing CommunicationPC-Professional CommunicationSOP- Standard operating procedures

Acronyms, Abbreviations & symbols (Cont.)

SW- Scientific WritingTC -Technical CommunicationTOR -Terms of ReferenceTW -Technical Writing≠ - Is not same as

Four considerations

• Function• Subject • Style• Software

determine whether a communication product is TPC or not.

However, these 4 areas in many instances overlap

Style

Subject

Software

Function

Function

Technical & Professional Communication (TPC) is intrinsically very functional. It is therefore used to successfully execute tasks and activities in a business and industrial environment; or in serious situations

Technical & Professional Communication therefore associates itself with Informing [explaining and

describing] Training and instructing Documenting

However, TPC disassociates itself from EntertainmentImaginationEmotionsPersonalization

Technical VS Professional components in TPC

PC covers simpler workplace products such as correspondence that is letters, emails, and memos.

Technical VS Professional components in TPC

TC covers more complex products such as reports, manuals, proposals, TOR, EOI, SOP, Policies, catalogues, translations, and websites.

Subject

Technical Communication is a writing or communication on any technical subject or topic e.g.-Engineering - Medicine-Finance - Management-Politics - Education

Under this approach, it is important to differentiate between technical writing (TW) and scientific writing (SW).

Whereas both writings deal with a technical subject matter…

NOTE *TC deals with factual data and information while scientific writing may include imagination and fantasy i.e. science fictionTC ≠ SW[see also style- slide 20]

Style

If there is a distinctive approach that defines TC more elaborately, it is its style.

TC Style comes in several ways that sets it aside from other writings and communication

1. Formal structure and formal message.TW is differentiated from literary/ creative writing that includes essays, poetry, and science fiction

TW ≠ CW

2. Doesn’t carry sensual messages

TC is differentiated from Marketing Communication MC that includes advertising and sales pitch. TC ≠ MC

3. It focuses on concepts and not on people, places or events

TW unlike conventional news writing doesn’t use the inverted pyramid principle, and the 4W and H. TW ≠ News Writing

4. Doesn’t have to be academic

TW is differentiated from Academic writing. This is a subtle one in that the only difference is that all academic writing is TC but not all TC is academic writing.

5a. Style emphasizing 8 measures of excellence i) Honestyii) Clarityiii) Accuracyiv) Correctness

5b. Style emphasizing 8 measures of excellence (Cont.)v) Accessibilityvi) Concisenessvii) Comprehensivenessvii) Professional appearance

6. Style emphasizing- Use of active voice- Avoiding slang and colloquial

words and phrases.- Using direct (subject- verb- object) pattern.- Using of short sentences.- Avoiding jargon.

Software

This approach emphasizes ‘communications’ in producing the content. [kind of a ‘medium is the message’ - view]Therefore, TC content must be developed and disseminated using technology

Proponents of this approach insist Technical Communication content be developed and/or distributed using software such as - Confluence -Madcap- HTML etc

Summation

Technical Communication TC & Professional Communication PC are the functional communication used in the workplace, industrial settings, and critical situations to facilitate or accomplish tasks; or deliver solutions.

This presentation is an example of TPC. It has proved to be functional by describing and explaining a technical subject (TPC), using a style that is impersonal, unemotional and non-fiction; and used a ‘software’ PowerPoint / SlideShare to share it..

Thank you and

welcometo the world of

technical & professional communication