How to Write Great Technical Documents
This one-day workshop introduces key principles of technical writing. Attendees will be provided with practical tools to help them write documents that communicate effectively.
Description
In the course of your career you may find yourself writing reports, proposals, maintenance manuals, specifications, or standard operation procedures. In the course of any day you will be writing emails, possibly drafting memos or even taking meeting minutes.
Effective communication is essential for success. You may be judged on the quality of your writing - poor writing reflects badly on both the writer and the organisation they represent. In the engineering environment, poor communication may result in your meaning being obscured or your message being misunderstood creating very real risks.
This one-day workshop introduces key principles of technical writing. Attendees will be provided with practical tools to help them write documents that communicate effectively.
Individual writing assessment
Delegates are invited to send samples of their writing to Engineering New Zealand (learn@engineeringnz.org) before the workshop. These will be assessed by the tutor, who will provide one-on-one feedback.
All writing samples are treated confidentially and will not be disclosed, or discussed with anyone but the author.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this workshop, delegates should:
- understand the importance of writing clearly and concisely,
- recognise their own difficulties with writing,
- recognise and correct common flaws,
- gain the skills required to plan and write clear, concise reports,
- see an immediate improvement in the quality of their writing.
Course Content
Topics covered in this workshop include:
Principles of technical writing:
- What makes a report good or poor?
Planning your document:
- Identifying your reader
- Deciding which information to include and the best order and format to use
- Paragraphs, bullets and numbering
- Using diagrams, photos, tables and other graphics effectively.
Writing effective sentences including:
- Avoiding common mistakes.
- Using appropriate vocabulary.
- How punctuation can change meaning.
- Proof reading your work.
- Writing under time constraints and dealing with interruptions.
Practical workshop
This workshop is practical and hands-on. Delegates are given useful tools which they can immediately apply in the work-place. Delegates will receive comprehensive notes which include:
- lists of common mistakes and problematic terms
- checklists
- practical exercises.
Presenter information
Gigi Fenster
Dr Fenster studied law in South Africa. She has spent most of her career working in the construction industry, training and advising on construction law matters. She is a published author, and her novel The Intentions Book was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards. In 2016 she was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing from Victoria University.