| Technical Writing has been a passion of mine for | | | | P is for Defining your Purpose - I hate to use |
| years. I actually started out as a Help Desk support | | | | acronyms inside of acronyms, but I like to refer to this |
| person documenting technical instructions for | | | | as the TRIIP theory. Your purpose for creating the |
| employees and new hires, and then moved onto | | | | document could be to Teach, Recommend, Inform, |
| project work documenting programming code and | | | | Interest, or Persuade. For example, if you are the |
| technical specifications for larger projects. I've also | | | | technical writer for a new software application for the |
| written a course for a local community college in my | | | | Human Resources department, and your job is to |
| area and taught it as well. I wanted to share some of | | | | write a document for the employees who will be using |
| my insights from this course since so many | | | | this new application, what is your purpose? In this case, |
| participants found it helpful. They even did a review in | | | | it is to teach. Here's another one: If you are hired as a |
| the US1 Princeton newspaper! :-D | | | | technical writer to create a document designed to let |
| Anyway, I digress...in my opinion there are 4 keys to | | | | employees know about new policies and procedures, |
| technical writing and I refer to it as the DOPS method. | | | | what is your purpose? In this case, the answer is to |
| Let's review each point. | | | | inform. You're not making a recommendation that they |
| D is for Defining your Audience - Not only do you need | | | | follow the procedures or trying to interest them or |
| to know who you are writing for but you need to | | | | persuade them to follow the policies and procedures; |
| know their knowledge level and awareness of the set | | | | you need to simply inform them. |
| topic. For example, if you are teaching MS Word to | | | | S is for the Stages of Writing. I believe there are 3 |
| top executives and they do not even know how to | | | | steps to the stages, so to speak, and No I do not have |
| use Outlook or navigate in Windows, you may need to | | | | an acronym for this one. LOL The 3 steps are plan, |
| re-evaluate your content and the language you are | | | | draft and revise. After you complete your entire plan |
| writing in. Try to steer clear of complex technical terms | | | | for the document, including the evaluation of your |
| and begin with a basic review of the toolbars or even | | | | audience and the detailed outline with perhaps a few |
| how to open the application. | | | | sketches, you may begin to create your Draft |
| O is for Outline. Personally I believe this is the key to | | | | document. If you are not new to technical writing you |
| success. I see so many writers just sit down and begin | | | | are well aware that your first document created is |
| writing with no direction and you can tell in the flow of | | | | Always a draft. You will have many, many revisions |
| their document. You simply cannot follow their "train of | | | | by several people before the final document is |
| thought". Take the time to outline the entire document | | | | approved. Hope I didn't scare anyone off yet! :-) |
| from the content of the title page and even graphical | | | | So there we have it, the DOPS method by Cheryl |
| notes, to the section titles and content, all the way to | | | | McNeil. There is so much more to Technical Writing, |
| the Appendix, leaving the TOC (Table of Contents) to | | | | but I thought I would just provide a preview of what is |
| be completed last. Trust me you will see a big | | | | to come in my next article, Part II of Technical Writing |
| difference in the flow of your documents. | | | | 101. Until next time... |