TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

31
1 TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

description

TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING. TYPES of WRITING. PERSONAL ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL. PERSONAL WRITING. Purpose/Objective : to entertain to inform Evaluation : desired emotional response informed. PERSONAL WRITING. Graphics : emoticons text-messaging lingo Formats : e-mail - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

Page 1: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

1

TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING

Page 2: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

TYPES of WRITING

1. PERSONAL

2. ACADEMIC

3. PROFESSIONAL

Page 3: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

3

PERSONAL WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:

to entertain to inform

o Evaluation: desired emotional response informed

Page 4: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

4

PERSONAL WRITINGo Graphics:

emoticons text-messaging lingo

o Formats: e-mail letters journals text messages

Page 5: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

5

PERSONAL WRITINGo Audience:

equal knowledge friends colleagues

o Informality

Page 6: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

6

TECHNICAL WRITING

vs.

ACADEMIC WRITING

Page 7: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

*AUDIENCES*Specific Audiences

o bosso supervisor o teamo committeeo politicianso bank officerso general public

General Audienceo generic readero teachero perhaps fellow

students

AWTW

Page 8: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

*AUDIENCES*1 Document = Many Readers:

(Many Readers = Many Needs)

o “food chain”o boss, supervisor o teamo engineerso workerso politicians o bank officerso general public

1 Document = 1 Reader:(1 Reader = 1 Need)

o teacher

TW AW

Page 9: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

PURPOSESo Purpose =o Writing Situationo Objectiveo Why was the document written?

Page 10: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

PURPOSESSituation-Oriented

o see a need — o address a needo internal motivationo professional

motivationo outcome-oriented:

to get something accomplished

Assignment-Orientedo passive (vs. active)o given a topic, testo given an

assignmento external motivationo scholastic

motivationo grade-oriented

grade, g.p.a., degree

TW AW

Page 11: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

EVALUATION CRITERIASuccess

o satisfaction of the needs of all readers

o something was done

o informedo persuaded

Successo correct answero right informationo unity, coherenceo support, detailo grammar

AWTW

Page 12: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

APPLICATIONSReal-World Applicationso case studieso illustrative

scenarioso operations

managemento for a jobo for a raise or

promotiono for a bid practical

College Applicationo “academic” writingo essayso essay examso for academicso for gradeo for degreeo “show what you

know”

demonstrativeTW AW

Page 13: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

DISCIPLINESAcross Disciplines

o “interdisciplinary”o computer scienceso psychologyo mixture of:

history math science technology

Single Disciplineo “discipline-specific”

literary data for an English paper

historical information on a history paper

psychological ideas on a psychology test

o rarely a mixture

TW AW

Page 14: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

*PAGE DESIGN*o Paragraphs

6-10 lines vary lengths for visual

o White Spaceo Columnso Headingso Listso Graphicso Varying Fontso Use of Coloro Relative Spacingo Relative Marginso Relative Justification

o Paragraphs Minimum of 3-5

sentences No maximum length

o NO White Space Columns Headings Lists Graphics Varying Fonts Use of Color

o Double Spacingo Equal Marginso Left Justification

TW AW

Page 15: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

COMPONENTSOral, Visual, Written

o produce documentso present documentso write to be read o write to be seen o write to be heard

Written o infrequent oral and

visual componentso predominant

written componento write to be read

by teacher

o write to be gradedo not to be seen or

heard

TW AW

Page 16: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

GRAPHICSo tableso chartso graphso diagramso photographso mapso blue prints

o uncommon o photographs

TW AW

Page 17: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

FORMATSo memoso e-mailso letterso cover letters o resumes o proposalso manuals o portfolioo abstractso reports

formal informal

o essay questionso essays based on the

rhetorical strategies Description Narration Illustration Process-Analysis Division-Classification Comparison-Contrast Definition Cause-Effect Pro-Con Argument

TW AW

Page 18: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

GRAMMARGrammar-less

o visual-orientedo grammar = less

importanto fragments =

permissibleo active voiceo descriptive writingo concise sentenceso spelling!o proofread!

Grammar-fullo written-orientedo grammar = keyo sentence errors =

avoidedo active voiceo descriptive writingo concise sentenceso spelling!o proofread!

TW AW

Page 19: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

19

CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

Practicality in the employment world Real-World application

o Academic Writing: Demonstration of knowledge Limited to academia

Page 20: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

20

CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

By an informed writer Conveying necessary information Both visually & verbally To a lesser-informed reader

(writer = teacher)

o Academic Writing: By a student-learner for an expert reader

Page 21: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

21

CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

Read by many, To satisfy the needs of many

o Academic Writing: Read by one, To appease the criteria of one

Page 22: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

22

CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

“Information Retrieval” organization & format = designed to help readers quickly & easily locate

information

o Academic Writing: “Information Retrieval”

little concern beyond a logical organization

Page 23: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

23

CONCLUSIONSo Technical Communication:

Public Speaking component — formal conference speeches informal meeting speeches

o Academic Writing: Limited Public Speaking opportunities

conferences or rare class projects Public Speaking courses

Page 24: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

24

DEFINITIONTechnical Communication:

o Encompasses a wide range o of writing and speaking

responsibilitieso required to communicate your ideaso on the job.

Page 25: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

25

Page 26: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

26

SIMILARITIESo Grammar:

active voice descriptive writing concise sentences spelling! proofread!

Page 27: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

27

SIMILARITIESo Writing as a Process:

Planning Drafting Revising

Page 28: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES

writing: process & product

o HEURISTIC: process reader-focused how-to analyze-and-

compose process

o PRESCRIPTIVE: product writer-focused models/forms of

writing

writing: producto Prescriptive/

regulatoryo teach from modelso Rhetorical/abstract

strategieso writer-focused

TW AW

Page 29: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

29

ACADEMIC WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:

to demonstrate knowledge

to “show what you know”

o Audience: superior knowledge teachers, perhaps

peer editors

o Evaluation: correct information unity, coherence, depth, clarity,

grammar

o Graphics: limited to explain or

persuade/convince

Page 30: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

30

ACADEMIC WRITINGo Formats:

Description Narration Illustration Process-Analysis Division-

Classification

(Rhetorical Strategies or Writing Models)

Comparison-Contrast Definition Cause-Effect Pro-Con Argument-

Persuasion

Page 31: TECHNICAL WRITING vs. ACADEMIC WRITING

31

TECHNICAL WRITINGo Purpose/Objective:

to entertain to inform

o Audience: equal knowledge friends, colleagues

o Evaluation: desired emotional

response informed

o Graphics: emoticons text-messaging lingo

o Formats: e-mail letters journals text messages