How to Write & Present Technical Information (3rd edition)

Citation

Cassell, K.A. and Mercado, M.I. (1999), "How to Write & Present Technical Information (3rd edition)", The Bottom Line, Vol. 12 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.1999.17012dae.002

How to Write & Present Technical Information (3rd edition)

How to Write & Present Technical Information (3rd edition)

Charles H. SidesOryx PressPhoenix, Arizona1999

Keywords: Reports, Written communications, Marketing

How many of us facing the task of writing public relations materials, marketing and advertising materials, online information and even designing multimedia applications have desperately felt the need for a book which would guide us in successfully accomplishing our assignment? This exciting book is organized as a reference tool. Although you can read it from cover to cover, it is not meant to be read in this manner. Rather, readers may refer to the specific sections that meet their immediate needs.

Technical writing, according to the author, is a recreation of reality to meet the needs of readers. Even with the vast changes that have occurred in technological industries around the world in recent years, readers still have no patience with minutiae in a report or paper. The means of communication may change, but the standards of successful communication remain relatively standard. Consequently, readers have even less time and patience for poorly written, rambling accounts of technical information. Yet they still need to know what are the main points of the communication, why these points are important and what the reader should do with them.

A second theme pervading this book is that the writer must be cognizant of the fact that all of us do not read, write and work in the same fashion. We each have a style that suits us. One of the goals of this book is to help the reader understand his/her work styles and the roles these styles play in written communication. For example, some of us are notorious note takers, who write down every scrap of information when working on a project. Everything is neat, organized and easily accessible. Other people are "head writers." These people do not write down much of the information which they research, but mull it over in their heads, organizing and reorganizing before they put a word down on paper. Both styles work. Do not let anyone allow you not to write in your own style. Chapter 1 briefly looks at the effects that individuals' personalities can have on their work. This theme forms the underlying current for much of this book, from audience analysis to report design. Because we all do things differently, we do not all read in the same way either. Some of us read word for word, while others of us skim the text. One of the goals of this book is to show us the ways in which we can design reports so that they succeed for both reading strategies. Basically, what Sides means is that we need to try to make the information we communicate in reports and papers accessible to as many different types of people as possible.

A third theme in this book is the work issue of downsizing. Thus, the author's underlying philosophy is that people who bring the most skills to a position stay in that position, while those who do not are soon gone. Writing about and presenting technical documents involves skills that were rarely considered part of the professional toolkit only two decades ago. Now we are asked to run the gamut of writing technical communication and are expected to accomplish our tasks effectively and efficiently. Thus, the information and techniques contained in this book can be used in a variety of fields. Why? Because it offers commonsense advice on how to write reports, papers and other communications that do not fail. As a result, this book can be used by undergraduates in a technical writing course, as well as by engineers, managers, developers and technical writers who have to produce a document quickly and effectively.

The fourth major theme in this book is that when we are writing on the job, we are producing a product. These are information products that are every bit as important as nuts and bolts products. This book teaches one how to design, organize and write in the ever-widening world of information technology. How does the author do it? He does it by demonstrating how to get organized and obtain information and interviews. The author's chapter topics include: how to write specific papers, reports and other specific documents; how to write and design for electronic media; how to make professional presentations and run effective meetings. In this third edition, suggested readings have been updated and new chapters added on the Internet, multimedia, the World Wide Web, public relations, marketing and advertising. Each chapter has a conclusion, which summarizes the analysis contained in the chapter. It is our recommendation that this book be placed in a prominent place on your reference shelf, or better still on your desk.

Kay Ann Cassell is Associate Director, Programs and Services, for the New York Public Library's Branch Libraries.

Marina I. Mercado is Adjunct Faculty member, Mercy College, New York, and a consultant in international business.