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Introduction to Technical
Communication
What is Technical writing?
Technical communication is the exchange of
business-related information between two or
more parties. It involves the process of
gathering technical information and presenting it
to a targeted audience in a clear, useful,
accurate, comprehensive, grammatically
correct, and easily understandable form. Good
business communication can enhance
performance and management.

What are the Features of Technical

communication?
The key features of technical communication
are:
1. Audience: The writer must analyze the
audience's level of knowledge. Audiences
can be Technical (e.g., Engineers),
Semi-technical (e.g., Administration
staff), or Non-technical (e.g., general
public or customers).
2. Objective language: It uses plain,
objective language and terminology the
audience understands. Its purpose is to
inform, instruct, or persuade about a
specific matter, focusing on what is
relevant.
3. Format: A good technical document's
presentation style allows readers to
understand information quickly and easily.
Formats include:
○ Reports or documents (e.g., Lab
report)
○ Record-keeping (e.g., service
report)
○ Instructions (e.g., technical
manual)
○ Correspondence (e.g., letters,
emails)
○ Presentation (e.g., marketing
calls, interviews)
4. Style: This covers language,
organization, and layout, and depends on
the audience, purpose, and format. It
uses technical terms (jargon), formal
words, and standard sentences. It should
be direct, use facts, avoid being
informal, and use clear headings,
subheadings, graphs, and tables.
5. Visual Aids: These are an important
part of written technical communication.
Reports often include illustrations/figures
to clarify meaning. Illustrations are
complementary and can be presented
using OHP, Projector, Blackboard,
Manuals, and Instructions.
○ Classification of Visual Aids:
1. Tables (dependant,
independent, phrase)
2. Illustrations (drawings,
diagrams, photographs,
maps)
3. Graphs (charts)
6. Precision: This means correctness or
exactness. Technical communication
must be precise and concise at all levels,
from the overall document to punctuation.
Every word or phrase must have a
distinct and useful purpose.
7. Relevance: This means talking
straight to the point when writing letters,
memos, circulars, and reports.
8. Accuracy: This requires no errors in
grammar, spelling, punctuation, or usage,
and precision in word, phrase, sentence,
and paragraph use. Use simple, familiar,
and exact words, and avoid excessive
jargon.
9. Brevity: This is the quality of being
brief and comprehensive. The goal is to
 give maximum information in minimum
words, making the document concise by
avoiding wordiness and repetition.
10. Clarity: This is the quality of being
unambiguous and easily understood. It
contributes to communicative
effectiveness and involves clarity of
expression and thought.
11. Layout: This is the visual design of
the document, defined as the collective
arrangement of information (tables, cells,
images, logos, etc.). The layout
determines the success of the information
products.

Write the significance/importance

of visual aids.
Visual aids are a very important component of
written communication, extensively used in
reports, presentations, and proposals to support
facts and figures. Types include tables, graphs,
charts, drawings, diagrams, photographs, and
maps.
The significance of visual aids is:
1. They improve the audience's
understanding of the information being
conveyed.
2. They help the audience retain and
recall a speaker's message.
3. They increase the impact of the
 message.
4. They help present ideas without
depending on notes and improve the
quality of the message.
5. They add variety and interest and aid
in understanding the basic message.

Write some guidelines for Visual

aids.
Guidelines for using illustrations effectively
include:
● The illustrations/diagrams should be
neat, accurate, and self-contained.
● They must be appropriate to the data.
● They should be labeled completely.
● They must be integrated with the
text and placed as close to the first
reference as possible.
● They should be sized appropriately to
remain clear even upon reproduction.
● They should create a good balance
between the verbal and the visual.

What is the importance of

Technical Communication?
Technical communication is important for:
1. Building a great team of employees,
avoiding stress, and maintaining cordial
 industrial relations. Effective
communication supports effective
leadership, mutual trust, and better
decisions, leading to increased
productivity and smooth operation.
2. Preparing plans and policies for the
organization.
3. Increasing employees' efficiency by
explaining organizational objectives,
plans, policies, and rules to broaden their
knowledge.
4. Solving problems by informing
managers of routine issues so they can
take necessary actions.
5. Making decisions by allowing
managers to collect updated information
from different sources through effective
communication.
6. Enhancing employee loyalty and
satisfaction by ensuring a free flow of
information, which fosters mutual
understanding.

What are the types of Technical

Communication?
There are two main types of technical
communication:
1. Oral communication
2. Written communication
Oral Communication Written Communication
Face-to-face Memos
Telephone Letters
Meetings Faxes
Seminars Notices
Conferences Circulars
Dictation Emails
Presentations- oral News Letters
Group Discussions Reports
Interviews Proposals
Video Conferencing Research Papers
Workshops Bulletins
Symposiums Brochures
Panel Discussions Manuals
Tele conferencing In-house journals
Interpersonal Advertisements
communication
Telegrams

What is ABC of Technical Writing?

Explain with suitable examples.
The acronym ABC denotes the three basic
elements of technical communication:
Accuracy, Brevity, and Clarity.

Accuracy:
Accuracy demands no errors in grammar,
spelling, punctuation, or usage, and
precision in word, phrase, sentence, and
paragraph use. Use simple, familiar, and
exact words, and avoid excessive jargon.
Example: Using simple words instead of
difficult ones:
Difficult words Simple words
Abandon Give up
Accustomed Used to
Forefront Leading position
Snapshot Casual/Photograph
Discard Reject

Brevity:

Brevity is the quality of being brief and

comprehensive. It means giving maximum
information in minimum words, avoiding
wordiness and repetition to make the document
concise.
Example: Using one word instead of a phrase:
● Blow one's own trumpet - self-praise
● Grease the palm of - bribe
● Throw cold water on - discourage
● All in all - everything

Clarity:

Clarity is the quality of being unambiguous

and easily understood. It involves clarity of
expression and thought, using direct and
specific words and expressions.
Example 1 (Ambiguous): He will meet you
soon......
● Better version: He will meet by
December 15th
Example 2 (Ambiguous): I will contact you
later.......
● Better version: I will send you an
email next week

What are the barriers to effective

communication? Suggest some
tips to overcome barriers.
The various barriers to effective communication
include:
Barrier Type Examples of Barriers
Language Barriers Different languages,
Vocabulary, Accent,
Regional/national
barriers, Semantic gaps,
Misunderstood
messages
Cultural Barriers Age, Education, Gender,
Social class, Cultural
background, Beauty,
Popularity
Individual Barriers Personal discomfort,
Poor attention
Organizational Status/Rank, Inadequate
Barriers facilities, Growth and
improvement, Internal
and external
environment
Interpersonal Lack of trust in
Barriers employees, Lack of
knowledge, Fear of
losing power, Lack of
motivation, Lack of
cooperation, Poor
relationship with the
employer
Attitudinal Barriers Problems with staff in the
organization, Limitation
in physical and mental
ability
Channel Barriers Inappropriate medium,
Conflicts between sender
and receiver, Lack of
interest, Information
sharing problems
Other barriers Poor Language, Lack of
contextual
Appropriateness,
Distraction, Improper
feedback/opinion and
clarification, Mechanical
barriers (e.g.,
typographical errors),
Medical Issues (e.g.,
 hearing loss), Lack of
interest, Rigidity (self-
centered/introverted
attitude)

How to overcome barriers?

Some ways to overcome communication

barriers are:
1. Communication should be clear and
well organized.
2. Use simple language.
3. It should be complemented by using
formal and informal channels.
4. It should be short and
uncomplicated.
5. Proper consideration should be given
to feedback.
6. Superiors should encourage upward
communication and listen patiently.

Do's and Don'ts of barriers:

DO's DON'Ts
The message Don't Be a fixer (to find
should be clear other person's fault).
and practical.
Be a good Don't Use a long chain of
attentive and command for
active listener. communication.
Use specific and Don't Use too many
accurate technical terms/jargon.
words the
audience can
easily understand.
Maintain eye Don't Jump to
contact with the conclusions immediately.
speaker and make
him comfortable.
Oral Don't Interrupt the
communication speaker and distract him by
should be clear asking too many questions.
and not heavily
accented; ask for
clarification.

Q7. Write the Differences

between General and
Technical Communication.
The differences between General and technical
communication are as follows:
General Technical
communication communication
1. It contains general 1. It contains technical
information. information.
2. It is informal in style 2. It is a formal report,
and approach. sharp, short, and
concise document,
written for a particular
purpose and audience.
3. No formal 3. Formal
elements are present. elements are present.
4. Need not be 4. It is factual and
entirely factual. needs to be clear and
well structured.
5. Not always for a 5. Always for a
specific audience. specific audience.
6. Does not involve the 6. Frequently involves
use of technical jargon, graphics etc.
vocabulary or
graphics.
7. It is personal and 7. It is impersonal and
subjective. objective.
8. Mostly oral and 8. Mostly written and
written. oral.
9. May use complex 9. It is simple and
and long sentences, effective.
but the meaning will be
clear.
10. Spontaneous and 10. It is
written on the spur of preplanned and on the
the moment. basis of information
collected.
Q8. The process of
technical communication
is as follows:
1. Ideation: The sender forms an idea
about what to talk about. It refers to the
formation of the idea or selection of a
message to be communicated. It consists
of 'what' of communication and is
concerned with the content of the specific
message to be presented. The sender's
knowledge, experience and abilities, as
well as the purpose of communication,
are important.
2. Encoding: This is the process of
changing the information into some form
of logical and coded message. It is based
on the purpose of the communication and
the relationship between the sender and
the receiver. Selecting a language, a
medium, and an appropriate
communication plan is important.
Encoding is the process of changing the
information into some form of logical and
coded message. It involves selecting the
language and the medium between
sender and receiver.
3. Transmission/Channel: It refers to the
passing/flow of information over the
channel chosen. It refers to the flow of
message or passage over the channel
chosen. It confirms the medium selected
during the process of encoding and keeps
the communication channel free from
interferences. It involves proper time,
when to communicate, proper place,
where to communicate, and ways how to
communicate, for communication to be
effective. It is essential that the right time,
the right place, and the right method is
chosen.
4. Decoding: It is the process of
converting the message into thoughts,
translating into an interpreted meaning in
order to understand the message
communicated. It is the process of
converting a message into thoughts by
translating the received stimuli into an
interpreted meaning in order to
understand the message communicated.
It's important to note that it is the
language that is transferred as meaning
and can't be transferred from one to
another. The receiver has to assign
meaning to the message.
5. Response: This is the last stage in the
communication process. It is the action or
reaction of the receiver to the message. It
helps the sender know that the message
was received and understood. The
feedback that goes to the sender makes it
clear whether the receiver has accepted
 the information. He may ask for further
information. Response is the key to
communication as the effectiveness of
communication depends on how suitable
a receiver's response is with the meaning
decoded by the sender. Communication
is effective when it gets the desired
response.

Q9
The channels of communication information
flow in an organization both formally and
informally. Formal communication refers to
communication that follows the official hierarchy
and is required to get one's job or work done. It
flows through formal channels, the main lines of
organizational communication. In an
organization, the flow of communication can be
Vertical (encompasses upward and downward
communication) and follow the organization
chain of command. Vertical
communication can be classified as downward
communication and upward communication
according to the direction of its flow. The
channels of communication are as follows:

Formal Flow of Communication

1. Downward Communication: It refers
to communication from higher level to
lower level (e.g., General Manager to
Branch Manager). It flows from a
manager down the chain of command.
When managers inform, instruct, request,
or appraise their subordinates, the
communication flows in a downward
pattern. This is generally used to convey
routine information, new policies or
procedures, seek clarification, ask for an
analysis, etc. Downward communication
can take any form—emails, memos,
notices, face-to-face interactions, or
telephone conversations.
2. Upward/Vertical Communication: It
refers to communication from
subordinates to superiors (e.g.,
Suggestion Box, Grievance Committee).
When subordinates send reports to
inform their superiors, or to present their
findings and recommendations to their
superiors, communication flows upward.
Upward communication informs
managers about the business operations
as well as of how employees feel about
their jobs, colleagues, and the
organization in general. Managers also
rely on upward communication for making
certain decisions or solving problems
concerning the organization.
3. Horizontal Communication: It takes
between professional peer
groups (e.g., Through informal
discussions, telephone calls, routine
meetings, etc.). It takes place among
peer groups or hierarchically equivalent
employees, i.e., employees at the same
management level. Such communication
is often necessary to facilitate
coordination, save time, and bridge the
communication gap among various
departments. Occasionally, these lateral
relationships are formally sanctioned. But
generally, they are informally created to
bypass the formal hierarchical channels
and expedite action.
4. Diagonal Communication: The
communication flows in all directions;
there are no rigid norms of
communication. It flows in all directions
and connects the various functions and
levels in an organization. For example,
when a sales manager communicates
directly with the vice president
(Production), who is not only in a different
division, but also at a higher level in the
organization, then this suggests diagonal
communication. Though this form of
communication deviates from the normal
chain of command, there is no doubt that
it is quick and efficient.