How to be Effective in Technical Writing Technical writing is a process by which technical information is presented through written documents that

is user friendly. The scope of technical documentation is vast and includes everything from business email to business reports, through the help of a user guide. Most people read the documented manuals only when other sources of help do not work. This may be the reason that some of the documentation are poorly prepared. As we begin, it is good to know that the preparation of an effective technical document is not an easy job, it requires planning with proper execution. The following are some steps to follow in order to create an effective documentation: To gain knowledge in technical writing, it is important to observe, read, and study. It is an established fact that good writers are good readers. There are many books available today that teach good practices for technical writing. There are books available even for learning the use of software programs used for technical writing. With the advent of the Internet, it is not difficult to find the study material on any subject. You can search for study material over the Internet or you can also try out some books in the library closest to you.

Parts of a Business Letter The Heading (The Return Address) or Letterhead - Companies usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information about the organizations identity. Date - Date of writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005 or (12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned with the return address. The number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day. The Inside Address - In a business or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after your own address. Include the recipient's name, company, address and postal code. Add job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title with a comma. Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient 's name. The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope. The Greeting - Also called the salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name. Use every resource possible to address your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the name or the sex of your receiver address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business letter ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style). The Subject Line (optional) - Its inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re: Subject line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all capital letters. It is usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be located directly after the "inside address," before the "greeting." The Body Paragraphs - The body is where you explain why youre writing. Its the main part of the business letter. Make sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but try to avoid starting with "I". Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between paragraphs. The Complimentary Close - This short, polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or Madam" must end "Yours faithfully", while a letter starting "Dear " must end "Yours sincerely". (Note: the second word of the closing is NOT capitalized) Signature and Writers identification - The signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink. Initials, Enclosures, Copies - Initials are to be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or ' Encs. ', as appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent to someone else. American Style British Style

Heading

According to the format usually aligned to the left

but

The heading is usually placed in the top right corner of the letter (sometimes centered)

Date

October 19, 2005 (month-day-year) 19 October 2005 (day-month-year) According to the format but usually Usually placed directly (or 1 blank line) aligned to the left below the heading. (two lines below the heading)

Salutation

Dear Mr./Ms. Smith: Dear Sir or Madam: Gentlemen: After the salutation there is a colon (:)

Dear Mr./Ms. Smith, Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sirs, After the salutation there is a comma (,)

Sincerely, Complimentary close Sincerely Yours truly,

Sincerely, yours, Yours Yours faithfully, Business Letter Formats

sincerely,

The format (layout) is the visual organization of a business letter. You can follow many different formats when you create business letters. Be aware that there are often differences depending upon location. The main business letter formats are: Full-Block Style - All the elements are aligned to the left margin and there are no indented lines. This is a standard block-style format that is accepted by most businesses. Modified Block Style - The return address, date, closing and signature start just to the right of the center of the page or may be flush with the right margin. All body paragraphs begin at the left margin. Indented or Semi-Block Style - Similar to the modified block business letter style except that the first line of each paragraph is indented.

Business Letter Sample - Full-Block Style

If you are using company letterhead, your full address will already be centered on the page.

Letterhead Company Name (and logo) Address Phone/Fax number E-mail (optional)

(2 blank lines after letterhead) Current date (4 blank lines) ---> The date may be written as month-day-year (US style) or day-month-year (UK style).

Mr./Ms. Name of person you are writing, title Company name Address City, Zip Country (use only if writing to another country) (2 blank lines)

---> The inside address includes the recipient's name, title, company, and full address.

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name: or Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name, ---> The salutation is a greeting to the recipient. If you dont know the name of the individual, address it to the individuals title in the company or "Dear Sir/Madam". (1 blank line if there is a subject; 2 blank lines if there is no subject) Subject Line (Optional): Title of subject (1 blank line) Body Paragraph 1: Explain who you are and why you are writing this letter.................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................................................ (1 blank line) Body Paragraph 2: Use facts, details and experiences to support your opinion or request. ............................................. ............................................................................................................................................................................................. (1 blank line) Body Paragraph 3: Tell the reader what you want him to do or what you will do for him................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................. (1 blank line) Short sentence: End your letter by saying something courteous to your reader. (2 blank lines) Sincerely, or... Sincerely yours, ---> Capitalize only the first word in the complimentary close, and follow the phrase with a comma. ---> Indicates the subject or purpose of the letter. It may be also placed before the salutation.

(3/4 blank lines)

---> Your handwritten signature

Your name appropriate. Your title (2 blank lines)

---> You should type your first and last names. This can be followed by a title on the next line if

NKA/wgs or NKA:wgs

---> The typist's initials (if someone else types your letters) follow the writer's initials, separated by a slash or colon. The writer's initials are in capital letters, the typist's are lowercase.

Enclosure (2) (2 blank lines)

---> Include this if there are additional items with the letter.

cc: The names of the other recipients ---> The copie line is used to let the reader know that other people are receiving a copy of the document. Follow the colon with the names of the other recipients, listed either alphabetically or according to organizational rank.

*When printing on blank paper you should type your address (without your name or phone # ) as the heading. Align the heading according to the letter format.

* Another important factor in the readability of a letter is the font. The generally accepted font is Times New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may be used. When choosing a font, always consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative company, you may want to use Times New Roman. However, if you are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom when choosing fonts.

Sample Letters

Modified Block Format

(Tab to center, begin typing) 123 Winner's Road New Employee Town, PA 12345 March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345 Dear Mr. English: The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph. Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning. Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time. (Tab to center, begin typing) Sincerely, (Tab to center, begin typing) Lucy Letter

Semi-Block Format
123 Winner's Road New Employee Town, PA 12345 March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345 Dear Mr. English: (Indent) The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph. (Indent) Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.

(Indent) Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time. Sincerely, Lucy Letter

Essentials of an Effective Business Letter

Business letter has a materialistic purpose but effective business letter can also strengthen the bonds between two organizations or the dealer and the customer. Business letters are used for many purposes such as to make inquiries, send replies, to place orders or bank correspondences etc. The main and the basic function of the business letter is not only to convey your message to the person who receives the letter but also to influence the reader. Following point can be used to make your business letter an effective business communication. Language of business letter: The language of business letter should be simple. It should not contain difficult words, phrases or technical jargons. It should have a smooth flow and should be easily understood or it should not require further explanation. Avoid use of long sentences having many clauses. Sometimes the reader loses the beginning by the time he comes to the end of the sentence. Avoid negative approach in the letter. Avoid use of dull and uninteresting language. A letter with permanent style or with same tone of expression at all occasions may become stereotyped in due course. Use variety or a welcoming change in language that befits the particular occasion or pleases a particular person. But the variety should not be at the cost of clarity. Sincerity of purpose: Sincerity of purpose is important not only for human relations but also for business dealings. The letter should have an air of frankness and authenticity. Give importance to the reader: Avoid self-centered focusing on your own concerns or your business and focus on the recipient's needs, interests, or purposes. This "you attitude" or recipient oriented style is very useful in winning new customers and maintaining old ones. It does not mean that you should use more of "you" in your letter but you should make recipient the main focus of the letter. However, you should be cautious not to overdo anything in your letter to avoid feel of deception, superficiality or ambiguity. Adjust oneself to the reader: Tune your sentences to the taste of the prospective buyer. Mention the advantage a buyer would get without praising your own firm. Business letter represents the firm, organization or the business. It is like a salesman with a difference. A salesman can instantly rectify his mistake if he has said something that looks unpleasant, but a letter writer can't.