Technical Communication:

Process and Product

Eighth Edition

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Chapter 2: The
Communication Process

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives
Understand the writing process including
prewriting, writing, and rewriting
Prewrite to help you determine goals, consider
audience, gather data, examine purposes, and
determine the communication channel
Use various prewriting techniques to help you get
started: reporters questions, mind mapping,
brainstorming or listing, outlining, storyboarding,
creating organization charts, flowcharting, or
researching
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives (continued)

Decide whether you are communicating to
persuade, instruct, inform, or build trust
Write a rough draft, by organizing material,
considering the layout and design of the
communication, and adding visual aids such as
tables and figures
Communicate content through email messages,
instant messages, blogging, letters, memos,
reports, brochures, proposals, Web sites, and
Microsoft PowerPoint presentations
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives (continued)

Perfect your text by testing for usability
Rewrite your document by adding, deleting,
simplifying, moving, reformatting, enhancing, and
correcting
Proofread, an essential part of the rewriting step
in the writing process

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Writing Process: An Overview

To produce successful technical communication,
approach writing as a process. The sometimes
simultaneous stages of the process are:
Prewriting: generating information, considering the needs
of the audience, and choosing the communication channel
Writing: organizing the draft, supplying visual aids, and
formatting the content so that your readers can follow
easily
Rewriting: re-doing the draft so you can test for usability
and perfect your document
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Writing Process

Prewriting, Writing, and Rewriting:

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Prewriting
Prewriting allows you to plan your communication.
Steps in the prewriting process are:
1.Examining your purposes
2.Determining your goals
3.Considering your audience
4.Gathering your data
5.Determining how your content will be provided

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Examine Your Purposes

Are you writing due to:
External motivation. Has someone else
requested the correspondence?
Internal motivation. Have you decided to write
on your own accord?

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Determine Your Goals

Are you writing to:
Inform. Share information objectively?
Instruct. Explain what to do or how to do
something?
Persuade. Change opinions or policies?
Build trust. Create rapport (empathy,
understanding, connection, or confidence)?

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Consider Your Audience

Are you writing:
Direction. Up to management? Down to
Subordinates? Laterally to coworkers?
High-tech readers. Experts in your field?
Low-tech readers. People with some knowledge
about your field?
Lay readers. Customers or people outside of your
work environment?

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

10

Gather Your Data

Once you know why you are writing and who your
audience is, decide what to say. Data gathering
techniques include:
Answering the reporters questions
Mind mapping
Brainstorming or listing
Outlining
Storyboarding
Creating organization charts
Flowcharting
Researching (online or at the library)
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

11

Determine How the Content Will Be

Provided
After you have determined your audience, goals,
and content, decide which communication channel
will best convey your message:
Email, instant messages, text messages, letters, and
memos
Reports and proposals
Brochures and fliers
Web sites and blogs
Oral presentations
Social media
Videos
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

12

Writing
Once you have gathered your data, determined
your objectives, recognized your audience, and
chosen the channel of communication, the next
step is writing the document. You must consider:
Organization: Space (spatial organization),
Chronology, Importance, Comparison/contrast,
Problem/solution
Formatting: Consider how the text looks on the
page or screen

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

13

Rewriting
After you have prewritten (to gather data, organize
your thoughts, and understand your audience) and
written your draft, your final step is to rewrite for
usability and correctness. Steps include:
Revise: add missing detail, delete dead words and
phrases, simplify unnecessarily complex words and
phrases, move around information, reformat where
necessary, enhance the tone and style
Proofread: correct any errors to ensure accurate grammar
and content.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

14

Usability Testing
Usability testing focuses on these key factors:
Retrievability. Can the user find specific
information quickly and easily?
Readability. Can the user read and comprehend
information quickly and easily?
Accuracy. Is the information complete and
correct?
User satisfaction. Does the document present
information in a way that is easy to learn and
remember?
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

15

Chapter Highlights
1. Writing effectively is a challenge for many
people. Following the process approach to writing
will help you meet this challenge.
2. Prewriting helps you determine your goals,
consider your audience, gather your data, examine
your purposes, and determine the communication
channel.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

16

Chapter Highlights (continued)

3. Prewriting techniques will help you get started.
Try answering reporters questions, mind mapping,
brainstorming or listing, outlining, storyboarding,
creating organization charts, flowcharting, or
researching.
4. When you prewrite, decide whether you are
communicating to persuade, instruct, inform, or
build trust.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

17

Chapter Highlights (continued)

5. To begin writing a rough draft, organize your
material, consider the layout and design of the
communication, and add visual aids such as tables
and figures.
6. You can communicate content through e mail
messages, instant messages, blogging, letters,
memos, reports, brochures, proposals, Web sites,
and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.
7. Perfect your text by testing for usability.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

18

Chapter Highlights (continued)

8. Rewrite your document by adding, deleting,
simplifying, moving, reformatting, enhancing, and
correcting.
9. Proofreading is an essential part of the rewriting
step in the writing process. Lack of proofreading
causes businesses to lose money.
10. Accuracy is an essential skill in business
according to the National Commission on Writing.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

19