Technical writing is a type of writing style where a particular topic is expounded in great detail by the author. It will have discussion, instruction, or explanation of what is being discussed. The word technical might seem a bit challenging but this style of writing actually aims to simplify what is deemed to be complex. Reports and executive summary templates fall under essays written in technical writing style.

If you need an overview of how technical writing looks like, you should definitely keep reading this article! We have a few tips, as well as sample technical reports that would help you come up with a well-written technical essay. Read up to find out more!

Technical Writing Outline

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Sample Technical Writing

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Technical Writing Suggestions

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Technical Writing Style Study Sheet

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Technical Writing Style Guide Example

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White Paper Technical Writing

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Proposal Technical Writing

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Characteristics of Technical Writing

To have a better understanding of how technical writing write-ups look like, we would like to share with you the characteristics of technical writing.

1. Understanding the Purpose of Your Writing

Just like when you are using a business report writing style, you have to know the purpose of your writing first. Are your writing to:

  • Inform? Do you want to provide information to the audience of your write up?
  • Instruct? Are you writing to give instructions, directions, methods, or ask the reader to do something? You can check out Technical Manual Templates to Download for examples of technical write-ups that instruct.
  • Propose? Are you responding to a request for proposal (RFP)? Are you suggesting an action plan for a specific problem or specific instance?
  • Recommend? Do you want to give alternatives to some of the solutions that you have come up with?
  • Persuade? Do you want to give your two cents on a certain topic and convince your audience that your views are correct based on the evidence that you may have? Take a look at Persuasive Essay Samples to have a good glimpse of how persuasive technical essays look like.

Whatever your reason for writing in technical style or whatever writing style you choose to write in, it is always important to know your reason for writing. This way, you will have a good idea about what you should focus on and what you should be writing about. You may also business writing samples & templates

2. Write for Your Audience

The main goal that you have when it comes to technical writing is being able to send a clear message across to your audience. This means that you have to get to know your audience first. Know how much they know about the topic you are writing about to know how much information you would need to include in your write-up. You should also be aware of the level of interest that your audience has for your topic. You may also like report writing format templates

3. Specifications and Formatting

You have to know what type of document you are writing that makes use of technical writing. Know what is expected from documents such as business memos, proposals, or evaluation reports. You need to make sure that you adhere to the specifications of the type of document you are writing.

Speaking of specifications, paper formatting also matters. A ton of times, specific documents would have specific formatting so you would need to follow that. Usually, formatting would cover the following:

  • Font size and font styles. You need to make sure that your font size does not go below or over 10pt to 12pt. The font style you choose should also look professional (i.e., Arial, Times New Roman, or Georgia).
  • Margins. Making use of white space helps to relieve the reader’s eyes. Keep the margins at 0.5″ to 1″.
  • Labels for graphs and figures. Labelling or placing captions in your graphics or figures will help to ensure that your reader knows what that figure or graphics is all about.
  • Line and paragraph spacing. The spacing in your write-up or essay should be between 1.5 to double spacing. Your paragraphs should always be double-spaced.
  • Word count. Make sure that you adhere to the expected word count of the document you are writing. Memos would typically be around 300 to 500 words whereas contracts will be longer.
  • Headings and subheadings. The headings and subheadings of your document will help to make your document look more organized and professional.

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4. Accurate Information

Making sure that the information you are sharing in your technical write-up is based on facts and has references that are reliable will help to make your write-up solid. Including data that is considered as inaccurate will make your audience less interested in what you have written. Always simple report facts.

5. Organize Your Information

Follow a linear format. This means it has to be written in a logical manner. Each section is written clearly.

  • Introduction. This is the part where you will give a brief background of what your topic is all about.
  • Body. This is where you will discuss everything about your topic.
  • Conclusion. This is where you will discuss further the results that you have and where you will summarize what you have discussed.

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6. Eliminate Any Noise

By noise, we mean any misspellings, poor sentences, typos, and misplaced punctuation marks. It gives a bad impression on the writer, so you have to make sure that you proofread properly and edit what is deemed necessary to be edited.

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7. Write Appropriately

Technical writing might seem boring as it is not for entertainment purposes. It tends to be informative and very objective. To make sure that you are writing in an appropriate manner, follow these tips:

  • Do not use personal pronouns. Avoid making use of I, we, us, or you. 
  • Make use of a passive voice when you are writing in technical style.
  • Do not make use of conversational tone. Instead, the formal writing style is preferred.

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Technical Writing Output

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Teacher Technical Writing Guide

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Technical Writing for Software Documentation

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Examples of Good and Bad Technical Writing

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Technical Report Writing Guidelines

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Technical Writing in PDF

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Technical Writing Guideline

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Simple Tips for Technical Writing

Technical writing can be very challenging and can even prove to be difficult as you are trying to relay information that is a bit more complex. However, you should not forget that you still have to write in a way that would be easy to understand and make use of simple language. So what are the characteristics of a good write-up written in a technical manner? Check this out.

1. Simple language

Since you are writing for a particular audience, you have to make sure that the language you are using is a great match for the comprehension of the audience. Definitely, it would be safer for you to make use of simple language. This way, what you are trying to convey to your audience will definitely be understood. Again, know your audience and match the language you use with your audience. You may also article writing samples & templates

2. Sentence construction

No matter how simple the language you use is, there will be times where your audience will encounter confusion. The way you construct your sentences can cause this confusion. So you should be aware of how you construct your sentences. You want your audience to go through your write-up in a smooth manner. You may also like biography writing

3. Do not use first person

When you are writing a technical write-up, you always want to make sure that you avoid using first person. You will likely be more successful in effectively communicating with your audience if you avoid first person. You may also check out business report writing

4. Avoid vague terms

Quantifying will make everything clearer to your audience. Instead of saying, “It took a while,” you could say, “It took 2 hours.” You may also make use of descriptive words in case you find that quantifying is not applicable. You may also see resume writing samples & templates

5. Avoid slang

Slang and jargon are highly discouraged for technical writing. Some terms that you think are easy to understand may not be as easy to understand in areas that have non-English–speaking natives. Just stick to language that is deemed to be formal and appropriate for technical writing. You may also like speech writing samples & templates

The tips that we have here for you are just a few common suggestions that would be beneficial for when you write using technical writing style. You will find that you will face a few criticisms along the way but you should never get offended. Instead, you should look at it as a means of improving your writing. Over time, as you continue writing in technical writing style, you will find that your writing will improve and you will have a few tips of your own that you can share with others. You may also check out commandments of resume writing

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