TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Transcription

1 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION 200W OCTOBER 18 TH, 2018 Technical Communication & Engineering.

2 OVERVIEW PART 1 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION PART 2 REFERENCING

3 PART 1 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION THE VALUE IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

4 INFORMATION COMMUNICATION Image credit:

5 WHAT ATTRIBUTES MATTER MOST TO YOUR COMPANY? SOURCE: TAKING ACTION FOR CANADA: JOBS AND SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, AN INITIATIVE OF THE CANADIAN COUNCIL OF CHIEF EXECUTIVES, JANUARY 2014

6 PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL-LEVEL PER FIELD OF STUDY

7 WRITING SKILL-LEVEL PER FIELD OF STUDY

8 WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION? User-centered communication that makes complex technical information: Accessible Can the audience understand it? Usable Purposeful and easy to navigate. Relevant Does it accomplish the task it is designed for?

9 EXAMPLES OF TECHNICAL WRITING: Design Reports/ Technical Reports Task Plans/Work Packages Installation guides Memos Procedural documents Technical Queries, Requests for Information Meeting Minutes Work term Reports A lot of Engineers spend a lot of time writing.

10 WRITING STYLES WHERE DOES TECHNICAL WRITING FIT? Technical writing Expository writing Persuasive writing Expressive writing Creative writing Reports News reports Opinion pieces Journal entries Fictional works Research articles Instruction manuals Magazine articles Editorials Diary Poems, short stories, plays, novels Objective Subjective

11 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Analyze your audience Vary your language/content based on audience Write concisely Incorporate graphics, tables, and figures into your reports and presentations, where appropriate Create clear and organized documents Use proper citation and referencing technique

12 TARGET AUDIENCE Communicator Grade 1 Math Teacher Grade 1 Students Audience Engineer Supervisors Clients Contractors Government/Regulatory The Public

13 AUDIENCE/LANGUAGE How should you aim to address your audience? Write to impress - Using big words and lots of technical language will make me sound smart. OR Write to ensure I m understood - Writing in the simplest language possible will allow others to understand.

14 THE POWER OF SIMPLE WORDS - TERIN IZIL

15 EXAMPLE OF AUDIENCE/LANGUAGE The project goal is to design a savonius turbine array and conduct an experiment to test and optimize the design. ANSYS fluent software will be used to run simulations.

16 EXAMPLE OF AUDIENCE/LANGUAGE The project goal is to design a vertical axis wind turbine array (see Fig.1) and conduct an experiment to test and optimize the design using simulation software. Figure 1: Vertical axis wind turbine

17 WRITING CONCISELY It is plainly demonstrated by the graphs presented in Figure 2 that... Figure 2 shows It is significant to note the fact that the application of these principles will facilitate the improvement of outcomes. Applying these principles will improve outcomes.

18 WRITING CONCISELY In order to improve our design To improve our design. The end result was a 22% decrease in acidity following the introduction of Agent X into the solution. Adding Agent X resulted in a 22% decrease in acidity.

19 WRITING CONCISELY Any attempt to operate the engine in excess of 1500 rpm will result in and be the cause of accelerated bearing failure. Operating the engine at more than 1500 rpm will cause accelerated bearing failure. Tip: Focus on what you are trying to say and remove the excess words.

20 USE FIGURES/GRAPHICS

21 EXAMPLE The following chemicals are used in pressure washing: Oxygen bleach functions by drawing in dirt and is 100% organic. Used to clean wood surfaces Citric acid brightens and restores natural hues. Used to clean wood surfaces Sodium hypochlorite removes top layers of algae and dirt and kills moss. Used to clean asphalt, word and concrete. Trisodium phosphate removes paints stains and rust. Used to clean asphalt, word and concrete. Oxalic acid brightens wood and removes rust stains. Used to clean concrete.

22 EXAMPLE

23 SONYA RIDEOUT TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR EN3076A (ENGINEERING ONE HELP CENTER)

24 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS WEBSITE

25 PART 2: REFERENCING GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

26 OVERVIEW: STEP 1: COMPILE SOURCES STEP 2: USE SOURCES STEP 3: CREDIT SOURCES IN-TEXT CITATIONS STEP 4: REFERENCE PAGE

27 STEP 1: REFERENCES

28 STEP 1: REFERENCES Choose 1 STYLE: IEEE APA MLA

29 STEP 2: ADD SOURCES

30 STEP 2: ADD SOURCES CHOOSE TYPE OF SOURCE COMPLETE DETAILS

31 STEP 2: ADD SOURCES Don t know where to find all this info??

32 STEP 2: ADD SOURCES LIST OF SOURCES

33 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

34 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

35 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS REMEMBER!! ANY PARAPHRASED INFORMATION (I.E. NOT YOUR OWN IDEAS) MUST BE PROPERLY REFERENCED

36 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS Plagiarism is an Academic Offense! If found guilty of plagiarism, WT grade could be FAIL and your transcript could read: On probation at the university for academic misconduct THIS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD TO POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS

37 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS INFORMATION PARAPHRASE SUMMARIZE DIRECT QUOTE

38 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS When do I PARAPHRASE information? Used frequently When you want to include specific details of a text you have read into your own work When the info can be written using your own words without changing the meaning of the text Cutting and pasting text and adding a citation is plagiarism Requires an in-text citation

39 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS When do I SUMMARIZE information? Used Frequently When you want to include overall message/findings of a text but using less detail than when paraphrasing Requires an in-text citation

40 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS When do I use DIRECT QUOTES? Used Sparingly! Used when info cannot be written in your own words and still Keep the same meaning Example: Famous quotes We cannot solve our Problems with the same thinking we used when we created them [1]. Requires an in-text citation

41 STEP 3: IN-TEXT CITATIONS You need to reference if you are: Explaining someone else s idea(s) Defining a term Using an image Compiling data into a chart Presenting manufacturing data Still other people s ideas Adding background information

42 STEP 4: REFERENCE PAGE

43 STEP 4: REFERENCE PAGE *note: references are listed in your reference page in the order that they appear in the report. i.e. the first reference you use in your report is [1].

44 STEP 4: REFERENCE PAGE MAKE SURE TO UPDATE YOUR REF. PAGE IF YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES

45 BONUS TIPS: ASK A LIBRARIAN

46 BONUS TIPS: ASK A LIBRARIAN

47 BONUS TIPS: FIGURES YOU CAN USE WORD TO INSERT CAPTIONS AND COMPLETE YOUR TABLE OF FIGURES! FIGURE 1: ALBERT ENSTEIN [1]. FIGURES MUST BE PROPERLY REFERENCED RIGHT CLICK TO INSERT A CAPTION

48 BONUS TIPS: TABLE OF CONTENTS CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SECTION HEADINGS & AUTO TABLE OF CONTENTS YOU CAN ALSO USE WORD TO INSERT AN AUTO TABLE OF CONTENTS

49 TAKE AWAY: REFERENCING: NOT HARD IN-TEXT CITATIONS: REQUIRED IN WORK TERM REPORTS RESOURCES: AVAILABLE TO YOU USE THEM ENGINEERS: NEED TO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?! ASK THEM!

50 STUDENT RESOURCES: SONYA RIDEOUT

51 THANK YOU! ANY QUESTIONS?