tech writing assignment

8 Technical Writing Examples to Inspire You

Become a Certified Technical Writer

As a technical writer, you may end up being confused about your job description because each industry and organization can have varying duties for you. At times, they may ask for something you’ve never written before. In that case, you can consider checking out some technical writing examples to get you started.

If you’re beginning your technical writing career, it’s advisable to go over several technical writing examples to make sure you get the hang of it. You don’t necessarily have to take a gander over at industry-specific examples; you can get the general idea in any case.

This article will go over what technical writing is and some of the common technical writing examples to get you started. If you’re looking to see some examples via video, watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.

If you’re looking to learn via video, watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.

Let’s start by covering what technical writing is .

What Exactly is Technical Writing?

Technical writing is all about easily digestible content regarding a specialized product or service for the public. Technical writers have to translate complex technical information into useful and easy-to-understand language.

There are many examples of technical writing, such as preparing instruction manuals and writing complete guides. In some cases, technical writing includes preparing research journals, writing support documents, and other technical documentation.

The idea is to help the final user understand any technical aspects of the product or service.

In other cases, technical writing means that the writer needs to know something. For example, pharmaceutical companies may hire medical writers to write their content since they have the required knowledge.

If you’re interested in learning more about these technical writing skills, then check out our Technical Writing Certification Course.

8 Technical Writing Examples to Get You Started

As a technical writer, you may have to learn new things continually, increase your knowledge, and work with new forms of content. While you may not have experience with all forms of technical writing, it’s crucial to understand how to do it.

If you learn all the intricacies of technical writing and technical documents, you can practically work with any form of content, given that you know the format.

Therefore, the following examples of technical writing should be sufficient for you to get an idea. The different types of technical writing have unique characteristics that you can easily learn and master effectively.

1. User Manuals

User manuals or instruction manuals come with various products, such as consumer electronics like televisions, consoles, cellphones, kitchen appliances, and more. The user manual serves as a complete guide on how to use the product, maintain it, clean it, and more. All technical manuals, including user manuals, have to be highly user-friendly. The technical writer has to write a manual to even someone with zero experience can use the product. Therefore, the target audience of user manuals is complete novices, amateurs, and people using the product/s for the first time.

Traditionally, user manuals have had text and diagrams to help users understand. However, user manuals have photographs, numbered diagrams, disclaimers, flow charts, sequenced instructions, warranty information, troubleshooting guides, and contact information in recent times.

Technical writers have to work with engineers, programmers, and product designers to ensure they don’t miss anything. The writer also anticipates potential issues ordinary users may have by first using the product. That helps them develop a first-hand experience and, ultimately, develop better user manuals.

The point of the user manual isn’t to predict every possible issue or problem. Most issues are unpredictable and are better handled by the customer support or help desk. User manuals are there to address direct and common issues at most.

You can check out some user manual examples and templates here . You can download them in PDF and edit them to develop an idea about how you can write a custom user manual for your product.

2. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Standard operating procedures are complete processes for each organization’s various tasks to ensure smoother operations. SOPs help make each process more efficient, time-saving, and less costly.

An SOP document can include:

Everything from the method of processing payroll.
Hiring employees.
Calculating vacation time to manufacturing guidelines.

In any case, SOPs ensure that each person in an organization works in unison and uniformly to maintain quality.

SOPs help eliminate irregularities, favoritism, and other human errors if used correctly. Lastly, SOPs make sure employees can take the responsibilities of an absent employee, so there’s no lag in work.

Therefore, developing SOPs requires a complete study of how an organization works and its processes.

Here are some examples of standard operating procedures you can study. You can edit the samples directly or develop your own while taking inspiration from them.

3. Case Studies & White Papers

Case studies and white papers are a way of demonstrating one’s expertise in an area. Case studies delve into a specific instance or project and have takeaways proving or disproving something. White papers delve into addressing any industry-specific challenge, issue, or problem.

Both case studies and white papers are used to get more business and leads by organizations.

Technical writers who write white papers and case studies need to be experts in the industry and the project itself. It’s best if the technical writer has prior experience in writing such white papers.

The writing style of white papers and case studies is unique, along with the formatting. Both documents are written for a specific target audience and require technical writing skills. Case studies are written in a passive voice, while white papers are written in an active voice. In any case, it’s crucial to maintain a certain level of knowledge to be able to pull it off.

You can check out multiple white paper examples here , along with various templates and guides. You can check out some examples here for case studies, along with complete templates.

4. API Documentation

API documentation includes instructions on effectively using and integrating with any API, such as web-API, software API, and SCPIs. API documentation contains details about classes, functions, arguments, and other information required to work with the API. It also includes examples and tutorials to help make integration easier.

In any case, API documentation helps clients understand how it works and how they can effectively implement API. In short, it helps businesses and people interact with the code more easily.

You can find a great example of proper API documentation in how Dropbox’s API documentation works. You can learn more about it here .

5. Press Releases

Press releases are formal documents issued by an organization or agency to share news or to make an announcement. The idea is to set a precedent for releasing any key piece of information in a follow-up press conference, news release, or on a social media channel.

The press release emphasizes why the information is important to the general public and customers. It’s a fact-based document and includes multiple direct quotes from major company stakeholders, such as the CEO.

Usually, press releases have a very specific writing process. Depending on the feasibility, they may have an executive summary or follow the universal press release format.

You can find several examples of press releases from major companies like Microsoft and Nestle here , along with some writing tips.

6. Company Documents

Company documents can include various internal documents and orientation manuals for new employees. These documents can contain different information depending on their use.

For example, orientation manuals include:

The company’s history.
Organizational chart.
List of services and products.
Map of the facility.
Dress codes.

It may also include employee rights, responsibilities, operation hours, rules, regulations, disciplinary processes, job descriptions, internal policies, safety procedures, educational opportunities, common forms, and more.

Writing company documents requires good technical writing skills and organizational knowledge. Such help files assist new employees in settling into the company and integrating more efficiently.

Here are some great examples of orientation manuals you can check out.

7. Annual Reports

Annual reports are yearly updates on a company’s performance and other financial information. Annual reports directly correspond with company stakeholders and serve as a transparency tool.

The annual reports can also be technical reports in some cases. However, mostly they include stock performance, financial information, new product information, and key developments.

Technical writers who develop annual reports must compile all the necessary information and present it in an attractive form. It’s crucial to use creative writing and excellent communication skills to ensure that the maximum amount of information appears clearly and completely.

If the company is technical, such as a robotics company, the technical writer needs to develop a technical communication method that’s easy to digest.

You can check out some annual report examples and templates here .

8. Business Plans

Every company starts with a complete business plan to develop a vision and secure funding. If a company is launching a new branch, it still needs to start with a business plan.

In any case, the business plan has a few predetermined sections. To develop the ideal business plan, include the following sections in it.

Executive Summary – includes the business concept, product, or service, along with the target market. It may also include information on key personnel, legal entity, founding date, location, and brief financial information.
Product or Service Description – includes what the offering is, what value it provides, and what stage of development it is in currently.
Team Members – includes all the information on the management team.
Competitor and Market Analysis – includes a detailed analysis of the target market and potential competitors.
Organizational System – includes information on how the organizational structure would work.
Schedules – include start dates, hiring dates, planning dates, and milestones.
Risks and Opportunities – include profit and loss predictions and projections.
Financial Planning – includes planned income statements, liquidity measures, projected balance sheet, and more.
Appendix – includes the organizational chart, resumes, patents, and more.

The technical writer needs to work closely with the company stakeholders to develop a complete business plan.

According to your industry, you can check out hundreds of business plan samples and examples here .

Becoming an Expert Technical Writer

Becoming an expert technical writer is all about focusing on your strengths. For example, you should try to focus on one to two industries or a specific form of technical writing. You can do various writing assignments and check out technical writing samples to understand what you’re good with.

You can also check out user guides and get online help in determining your industry. Once you’ve nailed down an industry and technical writing type, you can start to focus on becoming an expert in it.

In any case, it always helps to check out technical writing examples before starting any project. Try to check out examples of the same industry and from a similar company. Start your writing process once you have a complete idea of what you need to do.

Since technical writing involves dealing with complex information, the writer needs to have a solid base on the topic. That may require past experience, direct technical knowledge, or an ability to understand multiple pieces of information quickly and effectively.

In becoming a technical writer, you may have to work with various other people, such as software developers, software engineers, human resources professionals, product designers, and other subject matter experts.

While most organizations tend to hire writers with a history in their fields, others opt for individuals with great writing skills and team them up with their employees.

Technical writers may also work with customer service experts, product liability specialists, and user experience professionals to improve the end-user experience. In any case, they work closely with people to develop digestible content for the end customers.

Today, you can also find several technical writers online. There is an increasing demand for technical writing because of the insurgence of SaaS companies, e-commerce stores, and more.

In the end, technical writers need to have a strong grasp of proper grammar, terminology, the product, and images, graphics, sounds, or videos to explain documentation.

If you are new to technical writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course , where you will learn the fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.

We offer a wide variety of programs and courses built on adaptive curriculum and led by leading industry experts.

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Become a Certified Technical Writer. Professionals finish the training with a full understanding of how to guide technical writer projects using documentation foundations, how to lead writing teams, and more.

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Technical Writing
Português – Brasil

Technical Writing Courses

Every engineer is also a writer.

This collection of courses and learning resources aims to improve your technical documentation. Learn how to plan and author technical documents. You can also learn about the role of technical writers at Google.

Study technical writing

Review technical writing resources

Learn about the technical writing role

Are these courses for me.

We've aimed these courses at people in the following roles:

professional software engineers
computer science students
engineering-adjacent roles, such as product managers

You need at least a little writing proficiency in English, but you don't need to be a strong writer to take these courses.

You will find these courses easier to understand if you have at least a little background in coding, though you don't need to be an expert coder.

These courses focus on technical writing, not on general English writing or business writing.

Technical Writing One objectives

Technical writing two objectives, tech writing for accessibility objectives, writing helpful error messages objectives, what format do these courses take.

Technical Writing One and Technical Writing Two consist of two parts:

pre-class lessons
in-class lessons with a facilitator and other students

The pre-class lessons provide a solid educational experience, which the in-class lessons enhance. That said, the pre-class lessons on their own are still valuable.

Ordinarily, we expect organizations (universities, software companies, and so on) to facilitate the in-class lessons. However, Google occasionally provides free in-class lessons to everyone. For details, see Announcements .

Where can facilitators find information about teaching the in-person lessons?

You can find facilitator guides and related resources for each of the courses on this site.

Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals

(2 reviews)

Dawn Atkinson, Montana Technological University

Stacey Corbitt, Montana Technological University

Publisher: TRAILS

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Cynthia Fields, Instructor, Piedmont Virginia Community College on 5/21/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

According to the preface, "Mindful Technical Writing" is designed for courses with a variety of focuses, including developmental, technical, workplace, and academic writing. At 770 pages, the textbook can realistically only be used by selecting chapters relevant to specific course outcomes. Topics covered include an introduction to technical writing, style and mechanics, document design, doing research, college success strategies, and genres associated with workplace and academic writing. Because the textbook spans so many topics, at times the content lacks necessary depth, so this book would best be used as a supplement to other courses texts. The core strength of this textbook is actually the substantial, 12-chapter unit on academic success, which covers topics such as organization, time management, understanding assignments, reading and note-taking strategies, how to access college resources, and taking online courses. As such, this book’s unit could also be used in a variety of introductory courses beyond writing, especially those focusing on college success.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and error-free. It does not overly rely on disciplinary jargon, but it does present concepts typical of introductory rhetoric, composition, and technical writing courses.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is up-to-date comparable to most commercial technical writing textbooks; however, similar to those, it does not dedicate sufficient space to writing in digital environments. It does not rely on current “hot topics” to explain concepts, so the content will not be rendered obsolete in a short period of time.

Clarity rating: 2

The most significant weakness of this textbook is not the language itself but the cluttered and non-intuitive visual layout that makes the organizational scheme of each chapter exceptionally hard to follow. The book would benefit from an entire reworking of the document design. There are too many headings, subheadings, sub-subheadings, images, activities, boxed content, bulleted points, numbered points, and case studies, which need more distinct visual delineations and white space to keep the reader clear on how concepts are related to each other.

Consistency rating: 4

The content is consistent. However, the visual clutter mentioned above makes it difficult to follow the textual organization so that even if technically consistent, the organization of chapters feels jumbled.

Modularity rating: 4

Portions of this text can be strategically selected based on specific course outcomes. While selecting certain chapters should be simple for instructors, it would be more difficult to select only portions of chapters because of the lack of visual clarity, as well as the lack of subheadings in the Table of Contents. The textbook also presents a number of in-class and homework activities associated with each chapter that will be useful for students as well as novice instructors who may need guidance on how to structure effective class sessions.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The Table of Contents does not number the chapters and does not list subheadings to chapters, which will make it difficult for students and instructors to find relevant information. This labeling is particularly necessary for a book of this size because it covers so many diverse topics. A more thorough listing of the organization in the Table of Contents is also necessary because chapter and units jump around in a non-intuitive manner. For example, the book starts with technical writing concepts, then moves to using sources typical for composition research papers, then addresses student success strategies, then goes back to genres associated with technical writing, and finally ends on general academic writing in college courses. The book does not include an index or glossary, which would also help with its accessibility problems.

Interface rating: 3

Users should note that the downloaded PDF does hyperlink the Table of Contents to specific chapters, but the text does not do so when accessed directly from its location on a Google drive. Most images and figures in the text are frustratingly pixelated but still legible. All of the hyperlinks I followed still worked.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not notice any typos or grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The textbook itself does not use language that is insensitive or offensive. However, the content does not sufficiently address intercultural communication, diversity, bias, ethics, and non-inclusive language. (There are a few instances in the text where these issues are mentioned, but they do not receive significant treatment.) Instructors will need to supplement this absence with other course materials.

Overall, the strength of this textbook is its focus on strategies for academic success, which could be used in many classes beyond those dealing with writing. The content in this area is substantial, useful, and far more detailed than most introductory writing textbooks. New students in a variety of classes would benefit greatly from this information. Instructors may also find individual chapters useful to supplement course content but would find using the textbook as a whole uneven and unwieldy. If a document or graphic designer could re-do the visual layout in future editions, the book's accessibility and usefulness would be greatly enhanced.

Reviewed by Jennifer Banas, Professor, Northeastern Illinois University on 4/26/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Though the text’s title suggests a focus on technical writing, this book offers much more. Technical writing is a type of writing in which an author conveys information in the form of directions, instructions, or an explanation. It is typically regarded as different from creative, academic, or business writing. While this book does cover technical writing in Unit VIII, the authors’ expanded view of technical writing embraces academic writing as well. To ensure audience and purpose are addressed, both academic and technical writers must aim for writing that is clear, coherent, concise, concrete, correct, complete, and courteous. And like a pun within a pun, this text on technical writing is a well-written piece of technical writing. It can serve as an instructional manual for the many types of writing one might perform in the workplace, as well as in academic settings. In this way, the text also serves as a reference guide to writing for students, instructors, and other uses seeking information about how to write in various situations.

As will be discussed in Modularity, this text could be used in parts or in whole. If in whole and for a course, an instructor likely would need to reorganize and select units to fit the goals of a course. The comprehensiveness of the text would make it difficult to cover all units in a single academic semester. Further, some topics are covered more in-depth than others. For example, Unit IV Working with Sources, Unit V Conducting Research, and Unit IX Producing Academic Writing are units where the authors provide both depth and breadth. Other units, such as Unit III Attending to Design, attend only to breadth, serving more as introductions or overviews.

Though the text does not have an index, the table of contents makes it easy to make decisions about what units to include. An index, however, would have facilitated finding micro-topics or -skills that are covered in multiple units. The text does not include but would benefit from having a glossary. Topic and skill-specific vocabulary are introduced at the beginning of each chapter, but a glossary would allow a user to look up terms used when they are used in context.

The content is accurate and largely error-free. The lead author has had educational preparation in journalism and linguistics and at the time of this review is serving as the campus writing director at a university. The second author, too, has had educational preparation in technical writing and is serving as a writing instructor. These qualifications lend to the confidence one might have in the accuracy of the text.

The text incorporates website screenshots, handouts, and other visuals from secondary sources. Though this reviewer did not critically analyze each of these tools, those reviewed did appear to be accurate and error-free.

As for bias, the incorporation of these secondary sources helps to provide a broad perspective on the elements of writing. Further, the written text incorporates and cites many references, many for which a link to the original source is provided. These features help to reduce the potential for bias.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The skills and styles taught reflect the current practices of many recognized writing styles (e.g. APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.) Table 1 in the Selecting a Style Guide chapter in Unit IV Working with Resources makes this clear. That said, given that these styles are frequently updated, it's possible that the text could become out of date if used at a later time. This means that instructors and users of the text might need to check with individual style guides to assure currency. As for topics, the text does include necessary writing skills for current times such as email correspondence and social media posts. As new forms of communication are developed, the text would need to be updated to reflect these.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written by authors whose background is in writing and it was delivered as such. Defined vocabulary, examples, graphic organizers, and tables help to provide clarity consistently and adequately.

Consistency rating: 5

Although this text incorporates many secondary sources, the authors provide the narrative and structure. This allows for consistency in terminology and the organization of each chapter. Each chapter has a summary, objectives, introduction, and vocabulary. Each chapter ends with a conclusion and a homework assignment for further practice. Only one chapter, the Introduction to Technical Writing, contains a strong voice from a contributor that serves as an expert. However, that chapter is co-written with the text’s lead author.

Modularity rating: 5

Per the text’s authors “This book’s modular design and ample coverage of topics and genres means that it can be used flexibly over semester-long or stretch courses, allowing instructors and students to select the chapters that are most relevant for their needs.” At 770 pages, course instructors using this text will need to select which units and chapters to incorporate. For example, a college first-year experience course might only use Unit VI: Employing Strategies for College Success. An introductory composition course might use Unit II: Writing Documents, Unit IV: Working With Sources, and Unit IX: Producing Academic Writing. A mid- or upper-level methods course might use Unit IV: Working With Sources, Unit V: Conducting Research, and Unit IX: Producing Academic Writing. An introductory business or career-related writing course might use Unit VIII: Producing Instructions, Short Reports, and Presentations or Unit VII: Producing Correspondence, however, they would need to supplement with other sources to fill out their course. If the text is used for reference only or self-study purposes, the table of contents coupled with the individual chapter introductions and objectives can help the user to identify which units and chapters are most relevant.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Topics and skill-sets are well-organized into units and chapters in a logical and clear fashion. Each chapter is organized the same way, thereby making it easy for a user to settle in with a predictable format.

Interface rating: 4

The text is free of significant interface issues. Many secondary sources visuals are included. Some are more clear than others, but all are legible. If printed out, some of these pages could be blurry. But given our digital age, it is not likely that these pages would be printed out. Graphic organizers, work-space boxes, and tables created by the authors are all clear and reproducible but mainly serve as cues for practice. Navigation problems are limited, in part, due to the absence of hyperlinks connecting the table of contents to the individual chapters or a glossary to terms. A second or revised edition would benefit from the inclusion of unit/chapter names at the top of each page so users know “where” they are.

The text contained no obvious grammatical errors. As indicated previously, many secondary sources are included in the text and this reviewer did not critically analyze all of these.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This text honors best practices in culturally responsive teaching (Hammond, 2014; Major, 2020). The text addresses both the affective and cognitive aspects of teaching and learning writing skills. Writing exercises prompt users to incorporate their own experiences into their writing such that they are writing about that which is most familiar. Skill development is scaffolded and many examples are provided. The consistency in which each chapter is structured provides a cognitive routine and this predictability helps to reduce overall cognitive load. The inclusion of essential vocabulary and the objectives at the beginning of each chapter provide all readers with background tools and clear expectations. Finally, the text is written in a conversational tone, it is accessible to a wide variety of users.

Overall, this is an extremely useful text and it is apparent throughout that the authors are passionate about their craft. Our academic program intends to incorporate different units into different courses to support the development of writing skills in context. A second or revised edition would benefit from a hyperlinked table of contents so that the user does not have to scroll through hundreds of pages to arrive at the chapter that they need. This reviewer also recommends that the authors either remove or further enhance the unit on design as this unit lacks enough detail to serve as a reference or comprehensive teaching tool.

Unit I: Exploring Technical Writing Fundamentals.
Unit II: Writing Documents.
Unit III: Attending to Design.
Unit IV: Working With Sources.
Unit V: Conducting Research.
Unit VI: Employing Strategies for College Success.
Unit VII: Producing Correspondence.
Unit VIII: Producing Instructions, Short Reports, and Presentations.
Unit IX: Producing Academic Writing.

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Welcome to Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals, an open textbook designed for use in co-requisite course pairings of developmental writing and introductory technical writing, or indeed in other lower-division college writing courses that focus on building study skills alongside effective workplace and academic writing skills. It offers a no-cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities.

This book’s modular design and ample coverage of topics and genres means that it can be used flexibly over semester-long or stretch courses, allowing instructors and students to select the chapters that are most relevant for their needs. By blending new material with reviews of key topics, such as academic integrity, the chapters provide fresh perspectives on matters vital to the development of strong writing skills.

About the Contributors

Dawn Atkinson , Montana Technological University

Stacey Corbitt , Montana Technological University

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ENGL210: Technical Writing

Course introduction.

Time: 86 hours
Free Certificate

Because the goal of this course is to improve your ability to write clear, comprehensible examples of technical writing, most subunits include short writing activities that will give you hands-on experience in many different writing tasks. Each unit also includes a series of writing self-assessments that will allow you to evaluate your own writing based on specific criteria and provide examples and commentary on how to write successfully. This practical focus on specific writing skills will help you learn the writing skills you will need in the workplace. By the end of the course, you will feel comfortable tackling a wide variety of workplace communications.

Course Syllabus

First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

Unit 1: Audience Analysis

Imagine needing to make a phone call but not knowing what number to dial. Beginning a communications project without first establishing your audience is a lot like that phone call without a phone number. If you don't first know who you are communicating with, you can't determine what information they need and in what format. In this unit, we walk through the steps of audience analysis to determine who we are writing to, what they know, what they need to know, and the best ways to reach them.

When we first take on a writing project, we must first consider who we are communicating with. We should ask ourselves who they are, what they know, and what they need to know to take action.

After we conduct this audience analysis, the next steps in the process apply this analysis to writing choices. Different audiences require different approaches to word choice, tone, and formatting. We also use our audience analysis to anticipate issues and any concerns or questions the audience might have after accessing the communication we have created.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 7 hours.

Unit 2: Internal Communication: Writing Memos and Emails

Two of the most common forms of technical writing that you will encounter are the memo and the email. After completing an audience analysis, you must determine which form would be best for sending the message; memos and emails often rely on smaller amounts of information or requests for more information. In this unit, we cover the best practices for creating effective memos and emails.

Once the dominant form of communication in the workplace, memos typically serve as internal communication within an organization. Memos can update policies and procedures, announce meetings or organizational changes, or inform the internal audience as needed. Memos must typically be brief, concise, organized for readability, and addressed to targeted audiences with specific subject lines.

Emails, which often replace memos for internal communication, can be sent internally or externally. While this form of business communication must take into account the time constraints most readers face as a result of high email volume, people use emails to communicate issues both large and small. Emails must make use of strong subject lines, clear formatting, and concise writing. Email also presents some ethical challenges as the forwarding and BCC function enables you to easily share communications with larger audiences quickly and in a way that is documented for the longer term.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours.

Unit 3: External Communication: Formal Letters

While memos are used for internal communication and emails for both internal and external communication, formal letters are mainly used as an external means of communication. Understanding when a communications context requires the more formal delivery of a physical letter falls under the initial considerations of the audience analysis and design/formatting stages of the writing process.

Letters can range from friendly introductions to more formal announcements with accompanying legal documents. In their more serious capacity, letters seek to create a formal and documented chain of communication.

Two main formats exist for letters: the block format and the indented format. Both require the recipient’s and sender’s full names and addresses. They begin with a formal salutation and end with a complimentary closing. Their formal structure helps to convey authority and credibility.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 6 hours.

Unit 4: Using Visuals to Convey Information

Words are not the only way to present and share information with an audience. Technical writing often utilizes visuals to accompany written information and further deliver information to the audience. This unit leads you through the types of visuals available and the best practices for using them.

Visuals take many forms; they can be as simple as a photograph of a plant specimen or pie chart breaking down enrollment data or as complex as an embedded video or multi-page, hyperlinked, organizational chart. Visuals must be carefully selected to support the audience's understanding of the topic.

However strong they are on their own, visuals must be integrated into the text of the document. The written word supports the visuals, and the visuals further exemplify the meaning of the text. The two work in tandem to support the main idea of the document.

This unit will also cover the important tools needed to properly label, title, and document visuals used in a given communication context.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 11 hours.

Unit 5: Process Documentation

One of the most common formats of technical writing is the process document. The process document explains either how to do something or how something was accomplished. This can be used to teach people or to document a process for the record. These documents vary in level of formality based on audience, but they all share elements of formatting to keep the communication organized and effective. This unit takes you through the ways to create process documents.

Formatting is probably the first design concern for a process document. The writer must distinguish whether or not the audience will have the directions with them as they accomplish the task or if they must commit the task to memory. Beginning nursing students, for example, are taught the proper way to wash hands in a roughly 1,500-word document. This document details not just the steps of handwashing, but also explains why each aspect of the process is critical to overall handwashing success. This extra detail helps to embed the proper procedure into new nurses' minds; they will, after all, be washing their hands countless times during the day without the instructions handy. Recipes, on the other side of the spectrum, anticipate that the audience will have them close by as they prepare the food; as a result, these feature lots of white space and step by step formatting.

Process documents must also pay special attention to anticipating potential trouble spots or questions from the audience. Anticipating these moments enables the writer to save time overall and increases the chances that the audience can complete the process without difficulty. Note that in this unit we will work through the writing process to develop complete process documents. We'll start with planning before moving to initial drafting, then revising.

Unit 6: Writing Proposals

Proposals are another common form of technical writing. These reports can either be formal or informal depending on the context. Some examples of proposals can be simple estimates for home improvement projects to more complex and formal business plans. This unit covers how to craft proposals.

Like process documents, proposals also rely on formatting to help them convey professionalism and appeal to the audience. Appealing to the audience is key given the persuasive nature of proposal writing. Proposals seek to persuade the audience to take action on a requested item or task.

Like other forms of technical writing, a proposal begins with audience analysis and moves through the steps of planning, writing, and revision.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

Unit 7: Communicating on the Internet

As the Internet rapidly expands, so does the opportunity for businesses to share information and reach audiences online. Technical Writers are increasingly called upon to craft communications to reach a broad online audience. The unit explores how the Internet is used to communicate and how to apply the foundations of technical writing effectively to reach online audiences.

Reading and writing for the Internet presents certain challenges that the printed word doesn't. The largest concern is the shortened attention span of Internet-based readers and reduced reading comprehension. Given the scrolling feature and the ease of clicking away, savvy writers for the Internet tailor their communications with headings, short paragraphs, clear and engaging visuals, and links for further development.

Additional points to consider when writing for the Internet are how to use social media as a tool for both communications and marketing. Given how easy it is to share communication online, the technical writer should be well versed in the social media tools and the common practices for writing on each of the interfaces. For example, what works on a blog post would not work in a tweet. The technical writer must learn how to translate the same idea for several different types of social media and in a way that reaches the intended audience.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 12 hours.

Study Guide

This study guide will help you get ready for the final exam. It discusses the key topics in each unit, walks through the learning outcomes, and lists important vocabulary terms. It is not meant to replace the course materials!

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Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses.

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Certificate Final Exam

Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.

Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate .

Writing Technical Instructions

Resources & Preparation
Instructional Plan
Related Resources

Learning to write technical instructions is challenging. Writers must consider audience, purpose, context, length, and complexity—plus the specific content of the instructions, such as the steps in using a stapler. In this lesson, students walk through the process of creating technical instructions by first analyzing existing instructions. They then select an item and an audience for which they will write technical instructions. After writing their own instructions, students conduct usability tests of each other's instructions, providing user feedback. Finally, students use this user feedback to revise their instructions before publishing them.

Featured Resources

Analyzing Technical Instructions : Students can use the questions on this handout as a guide when they analyze sample technical instructions. Technical Instructions Planning Sheet : This handout explains the process for working with a partner to plan the technical instructions they will write. Conducting a Usability Test : This handout includes instructions for testing the technical instructions students have written.

From Theory to Practice

Teaching students how to write technical instructions helps them see that "to write, to engage in any communication, is to participate in a community; to write well is to understand the conditions of one's own participation-the concepts, values, traditions, and style which permit identification with that community and determine the success or failure of communication" (Miller 22). Similarly, in discussing finding meaningful writing activities for the English classroom, Weber writes: "The technical writing approach is one of many avenues to this goal. It engages my students in the total communications process: creating, planning, writing, editing, presenting, listening, sharing, and evaluating." Understanding discourse communities requires students to analyze the audience for a written work, and learning to write instructions is one such way students can learn about both audience analysis and technical writing. This lesson works toward building students' understanding of the importance their writing has on real audiences. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

Sample technical instructions (Manuals, user guides, etc.)
Household items for writing instructions
Access to computer with Internet connection, Microsoft Word or Publisher, and printer
Large white paper (Chart-sized sticky notes work well for hanging items on wall)
Digital camera (optional)
Analyzing Technical Instructions
Sample Technical Instructions Rubric
Technical Instructions Planning Sheet
Visually Drafting Your Instructions
Using ReadWriteThink Notetaker to Draft Instructions
Conducting a Usability Test

Preparation

Collect a variety of written technical instructions for household items for students to use to analyze. Try to collect both effective and ineffective examples. Examples are also available online, at the Websites listed in the Resources section . Review the examples to familiarize yourself with their features and effectiveness.
Prepare three or four examples of effective and ineffective written technical instructions, using those you gathered or online examples, to be shown on an overhead or a document camera.
Make sure students have access to computer labs during sessions two through five.
Prepare copies of all handouts for distribution in class.
Test the Notetaker on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

analyze technical instructions to learn what makes them effective or ineffective for an audience.
analyze and describe the audience for a set of instructions, noting what that audience needs from that document.
understand the difference between technical writing and other genres of writing.
use document and audience analysis, drafting, peer response/user feedback, and revision to create effective technical instructions.
reflect on their writing process, noting how this assignment will be useful to them in future writing.

Session One

Ask students to talk about their experiences reading and using different types of written texts.
How are these different?
How do these genres speak to different audiences?
How do these types of writing work toward different purposes?
Ask students to focus on technical writing as a genre and to brainstorm the different kinds of written instructions they have seen or used in the past. Record their responses on the board or an overhead transparency.
What were they using the instructions for?
How helpful were they?
What were the best parts of the instructions?
What parts were difficult or hard to use?
What did they do if they had trouble using the instructions?
Arrange the class in groups of two to four students each, and give each group a set of instructions from those that you gathered. If the class meets in a computer classroom, share the links to instructions included in the Resources section.
Pass out copies of the Analyzing Technical Instructions , and ask students to analyze their instructions and record their observations on the handout.
When students complete their analysis, bring the class together and have each group report on their set of instructions.
On a sheet of chart paper, make a list of the top five effective and top five ineffective things students noticed about the instructions.
Hang this paper on the wall in the classroom for reference during the next three class sessions.
Ask students to bring one common household item to the next class session. Explain that students will write their own instructions for the item, so they should bring items that do not already have written instructions.
Brainstorm and discuss with students what would make good items and what would be too complex.
Encourage them to bring items that are not overly complex but not too simple either. Examples may include a stapler, clock, paper punch, flashlight, mechanical pencil, etc. Students should be able to write instructions for operating 2–3 features of the item. (For example, how to use a stapler and how to replace staples when cartridge is empty.) Encourage students to be creative in their choices.
Gather some extra items from the classroom or your home before the next session so you have options for students who forget to bring items.

Session Two

Review the top five effective and ineffective things about technical instructions from previous session with the class.
Spend more time with this topic, asking students to create a rubric determining what makes technical documents effective or ineffective. Use the Sample Technical Instructions Rubric as a model or starting point for the task.
Ask students to take out their household item, and spend five minutes freewriting about why they chose that item and how difficult it may or may not be to write instructions for it.
Arrange students in pairs, and ask them to share the item they brought and their thoughts from the freewriting.
Have students interview each other, using the Technical Instructions Planning Sheet to take notes about each other’s items.
Once interviews are complete, have students begin drafting their instructions. Give them large pieces of white paper for them to design, or mock up, their rough drafts.
Pass out copies or share an overhead transparency of the Visually Drafting Your Instructions sheet. Explain that students will draw separate boxes for each part of the item they want their instructions to cover, following the information on the handout.
Demonstrate how to use the ReadWriteThink Notetaker to document the steps in instructions, sharing the Using ReadWriteThink Notetaker to Draft Instructions handout with the class.
Have students use their notes on the Planning Sheet and their copies of the Visually Drafting Your Instructions handout to begin writing. Students can use the Notetaker to draft their instructions.
After students have outlined their instructions using Notetaker , ask them to print their work. Work cannot be saved in the Notetaker .
For homework, ask students to continue drafting their outlines using the Notetaker . Students should bring printed copies of Notetaker outlines to next session.

Session Three

Review outlines created using ReadWriteThink Notetaker with students.
Ask students to discuss how they will organize their notes into instructions, how many pages they will need, whether they need to include pictures to illustrate instructions.
The Process of Writing a Technical Manual
Instructions: How to Write for Busy, Grouchy People
After students review the site, ask them to write down three things they learned that they will consider as they write their own instructions.
Invite students to share their observations and discuss the advice as a whole class.
Review the expectations for the project using the rubric students created during the previous session. Answer any questions that students have about the project.
Explain the options that students have for creating polished drafts of their work. Point out the available software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Publisher) that students can use to type and format their instructions. (Depending on the class, instructors may need to instruct students on using the software to do this).
inserting Clip Art images.
drawing diagrams of their items using the computer or drawing by hand.
labeling parts or connecting the diagrams to the instructions.
importing images taken with a digital camera.
Ask students to print copies of their instructions when finished.
If additional time is needed, ask students to finish drafting their instructions for homework.
Remind students to bring a copy of their instructions and the related item to the next class.

Session Four

Students will bring a copy of their printed (complete) instructions and their household item.
Pass out copies of the instructions for Conducting a Usability Test and review the instructions with students.
Ask students to use the remaining class time to conduct at least two usability tests. Ensure that students understand that two different students will read and test their instructions for using the household item.
If time allows, students can begin revising their instructions in class and consult with the testers as appropriate.
For homework, students can continue working on revising their instructions. Students will finish revisions during the next session and submit their work.

Session Five

Have students revise their instructions, using the available resources—word processing software, clip art, and so forth.
Encourage students to consult the notes from their usability testing as they revise.
As students revise, circulate through the room, meeting with student to discuss revisions and offer suggestions.
Ask students to print their technical instructions, staple or attach pages as needed, and present final products to the class or school by the end of the session.
Spend additional time exploring document design by exploring alternative publishing options such as pamphlets, brochures, and different-sized documents.
Rather than writing instructions for operating a common household item, ask students to write instructions for completing a basic task, such as making a sandwich or addressing an envelope.
For a humorous break, share this Wendy’s training video and ask students to discuss what was effective and ineffective about those instructions. Be sure to discuss when the video was produced and how the video fit (or didn’t) the needs of the audience at the time it was produced.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Collect students’ worksheets, including the Analyzing Technical Instructions and the Technical Instructions Planning Sheet , and the notes taken during the Usability Test . Review the work for completion and understanding of the basic goals of the lesson, including comprehension of the role that audience and purpose play in effective technical writing.
During class discussion and students’ work in pairs, listen for comments that show students can think critically about the goals and effective strategies for technical writing in general and specifically for instructions.
For a formal assessment, use the rubric created by the class during Session Two, which was based on the the Sample Technical Instructions Rubric .
Student Interactives
Lesson Plans

Useful for a wide variety of reading and writing activities, this outlining tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information.

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Technical Writing Examples

14/5/2022 Ferry Vermeulen Tools & Efficiency

This article provides 101 excellent technical writing examples to help you create a user-centered manual that helps users find the information they’re looking for.

User manuals are vital in every business sector. Basically, they support customers seeking to understand your products and processes. Sometimes, they are even legally required by regulatory bodies. Hence, creating clear and engaging user manuals is extremely important for companies.

First and foremost, guides and instructions must meet your audience’s needs. Customers want to feel supported and get answers to their questions. And they want it fast! So how to create a user-centered manual that provides clear instructions? Learn about it below.

How technical writing examples can help What are Good Technical Writing Examples? Technical writing examples for organizing your content Examples of questions to ask yourself about the user Examples of questions to ask yourself about the product Examples for the table of contents Technical writing examples for writing clear texts An example of the intended user description Examples of topic-based authoring Examples of clear instructions Examples of the principles of Minimalism Examples of Simplified Technical English Examples of safety messages Examples of directional safety messages Examples of general safety messages Examples of sectional safety messages Examples of embedded safety messages Technical writing examples for creating distinct visuals Examples of visuals Examples of line drawings Examples of product photos Examples of a screen capture Examples of video instructions Examples of infographics Examples of tables Examples of charts and graphics Examples of symbols and icons Technical writing examples for presenting your user information Examples of a consistent layout Examples of a readable font Examples of using different typefaces Examples for color coding Technical writing examples for publishing your user manual Examples of print user manuals Examples of online output Technical writing examples of compliant manuals Examples for the intended use Examples of user manuals for machinery Examples of user manuals for toys Examples of user manuals for electrical equipment Examples of user manuals for consumer electronics Examples of user manuals for medical devices Software user documentation examples Examples of installation and assembly manuals Technical writing examples for students

How technical writing examples can help

Technical writing was created to share technical information with people who need to learn about a particular subject. A lot of technological and occupational fields, such as robotics, chemistry, electronics, engineering, etc. all use technical language when writing out instructions for how to operate machines, technology, and/or conduct experiments.

Because technical writing can be complex, a technical writing example provides help to users who are looking to create a manual, textbook, or any other technical writing document.

Technical writing samples might help writers establish a good flow and tone for their document. It will also help them to outline the information that they wish to have included in their manual.

What are good technical writing examples?

Good technical writing considers the goals of what the writer is setting out to accomplish. Is the writer looking to document how to use the product? Is the writer trying to display a set of rules and regulations for the office? Does the writer intend to teach users how to do a specific job?

If the writer can provide an outline which does great research, and easily helps the user to do what’s required of them, then a technical writing example has fulfilled its purpose.

See this guide on how to create impressive user manuals with many other examples.

Now, hold tight and enjoy all the technical writing examples below.

Technical writing examples for organizing your content

Organizing your content so that your customers can easily find what they are looking for might be a real challenge. First, you need to identify what information is the most important so that your manual can be well-structured. This will help your customers save time in solving the problem.

To make a decision about the main informational blocks, you should get to know your customers. Do not assume they have prior experience with your products, so define who your user actually is.

Examples of questions to ask yourself about the user

Before you start working on the content of your product manual, you should learn more about your customers. To get a better understanding of them, ask yourself the following questions:

What is the age, gender, education, and background of my customers?
What languages do they speak?
What technical experience, qualifications, knowledge or skills do they have?
Do they work under stress?
What tasks do the users of my guide need to complete?
Why and how frequently are those tasks being carried out?
In what environment will the product be used?
Will it be used professionally, commercially, or privately?
Does the user have access to the Internet?
Do my customers need alternative guides (for example, for vision disabilities)?

By answering those questions, you will be able to write more consistently and better serve your customers’ needs.

Examples of questions to ask yourself about the product

To create an easy-to-follow manual, you must have a perfect understanding of the product you are writing about. The best way to get familiar with the product is to test it yourself. You should try to install it, push different buttons, identify signals to build up a complete picture of the product and get a feel for what sort of information should be communicated to the user.

After having some hands-on experience with the machinery, you should ask yourself the next questions:

What is the purpose of the product?
What are the names of the most important parts?
What are the transportation and storage requirements?
How to deliver the machinery to the user?
How to install the product and make it ready to use?
How to use the machinery and change its settings?
What are the maintenance requirements and how to repair the machinery?
What are the possible issues and how to handle them?
How to dismantle and dispose of the machinery?
Does the product include any details about spare parts?
What are the main technical specifications?

If possible, consult subject-matter experts (SMEs) and knowledgeable people that took part in product development to get an insight into how everything works.

Examples for the table of contents

When you know your product and its users really well, you can start breaking down the information you’ve gathered into separate chunks for the table of contents. Let’s see how the table of contents for the Roof Washer can be organized.

If a user is seeking how to make the Roof Washer ready for use, you should include the following blocks in your manual:

How to Check the Delivery Contents
How to Prepare the Mobile Platform
How to Prepare the Roof Washer
How to Lift the Top Cleaner on Top of the Greenhouse
How to Adjust the Mobile Platform
How to Adjust the Roof Washer
Adjustment of the main brushes
Adjustment of the optional window protection switch
Adjustment of the optional gutter brush
Adjustment of the front wheel switch levers

The table of contents gives an overview of possible problems one might face, so it’s easier for users to find solutions.

Some more examples can be found below:

Example of a very basic table of contents, according to the IEC/IEEE 82079 standard.

Example of the table of contents of the SpeedComfort, an electronic device.

The table of contents of the above mentioned Roof Washer (machinery)

technical writing example vogel's products

The table of contents of the online user manuals that we created for Vogel's Products

The table of contents of the online user manuals that we created for Royal Smeva

Technical writing examples for writing clear texts

An example of the intended user description.

Once you know your user, you can write an introduction describing them in your manual. Here is an example:

These instructions are intended for the end-user of the [machinery name]. The end-user who directly interacts with the machinery can be, but is not limited to:

An Installer
Maintenance personnel or technicians
An Operator
Dismantling personnel

The machinery can be used only by an authorized person with proper skills and qualifications. The equipment can be accessed only by someone who:

Has closely read and clearly understood this manual
Has some experience operating similar machinery
Has knowledge about controlling this machinery
Is aware of all possible dangers and acts accordingly to avoid them
Is trained to work in [field name]
Possesses a license, if necessary

Technical writing example of a description of the intended user

Examples of topic-based authoring

Topic-based authoring is essential for writing clear instructions. Topic-based authoring is a modular approach to content creation. Content is structured around topics that can be reused and mixed throughout different contexts.

Each topic has a clear purpose and a start, focuses on one subject and does not require external context to understand. It has a clear beginning and ending and typically solves one of the user's questions / helps the user to complete a single task.

Example of topic-based writing

Examples of clear instructions

Give clear instructions by organizing the information into logical sections, using precise language and providing examples if necessary.

A clear instruction

Technical writing example of clear instructions with an active voice

Technical writing example of clear instructions

Examples of the principles of Minimalism

Minimalism in technical communication is a user-centered approach to create better user support. It consists of four principles.

Download the first Minimal Manual of the IBM display writer:

Examples of Simplified Technical English

Simplified Technical English is a controlled language that is a carefully limited and standardized subset of English.

STE was originally developed for aerospace industry maintenance manuals, but many other industries use it as a basis for their own documentation.

The ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English Standard contains of two parts: the STE-writing rules and the STE-Dictionary.

Examples of approved words in the STE dictionary

How the word 'oil' can be used according to STE

An example of some of the STE writing rules

Technical writing examples of information types

The 82079-1:2019 standard for the preparation of Information for Use , structures information around information types and information products.

All ‘information for use’ is basically comprised of information based on three types:

Instructional information
Conceptual information
Reference information.

It is of crucial importance to format and present information types such as warnings, steps, error recognition, tips, consistently at all times.

Examples of different information products output and information types.

Example of three different information types

Examples of safety messages

Use safety messaging to help prevent injury and damage to equipment, promote the safe and efficient use of a product and to ensure that the manual abides by the law.

Good safety messaging usually includes:

The types of hazards inherent in the use of the product
Possible sources of these hazards
Possible consequences for non-compliance
The best ways to avoid/minimize these hazards

A well-structured safety message

Examples of directional safety messages

As the name suggests, directional safety messages contain guidance about the direction in which something should be operated or moved. This could be pushing a lever upwards or turning a switch from left to right.

Example retaining information, which is directional safety information

Examples of general safety messages

General safety messages are rules designed to maintain the safety of the individuals using a product. They often contain visuals and/or slogans and incorporate the use of simple and direct language.

Example of general safety messages

Examples of sectional safety messages

Sectional safety messages are included at the start of specific sections of a user manual. They relate to the safety features of a particular element/segment of a product.

Examples of embedded safety messages

Embedded safety messages apply to, for example, just one single step and are, as the name suggests, embedded in this step.

It is important to ask yourself the question whether to place an embedded safety message before or after the instruction to which it applies. Sometimes, a warning after the instruction is given, is too late.

For example:

Cut the power cable to the correct length. WARNING! Make sure you turn off the main power switch first!

would be better as follows:

WARNING! Make sure youturn off the main power switch.

Cut the power cable to the correct length.

Or actually this would be even better, as there sometimes is a tendency to over-warn where a simple instruction is much more user-friendly:

Turn off the main power switch.
Cut the power cable to the correct length.

Example an embedded safety message

Technical writing examples for creating distinct visuals

User manuals are essential for many products, but they can be tricky to create. To make sure that the manual is easy to follow and includes all the necessary information, visuals are key!

Examples of visuals

One of the best ways to make the text in your manual more readable is by using visuals. Here is how it works:

Even simple visuals break up long text passages, making the manual more readable overall.
Pictures can effectively demonstrate how the product should be used, showing what it looks like from different angles or giving an overview of its parts and functions.
Sets of illustrations can present different aspects of a product side by side for comparison and highlight key features.

In short, visuals can convey information in a quick and easy-to-understand format. They also provide an additional reference for users when trying to make sense of the information in a manual.

Visuals can help you create clear and compelling user manuals that are easy to understand, even for those unfamiliar with the product.

Keep in mind the printing quality and screen resolution when creating user manuals. The resolution of illustrations viewed on screens should be 72 dpi, while those printed should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. With the right approach and attention to detail, you can produce quality user manuals that simplify the learning process for your users.

Let’s discuss different types of them.

Examples of line drawings

This type of visual is used when the product is too complex to be represented in a photo or when showing the product from different angles would be helpful.

Use line illustrations to achieve the following purposes:

Describe a sequence of steps. If you want to show how to use a product, you can use an illustration to show the steps in sequence.
Identify main product parts. Making an illustration of your product's main components can be a helpful reference for users.
Demonstrate complex functions. Illustrations are often the easiest way to demonstrate more complex or unfamiliar processes. In case your product is based on cutting-edge technology, add illustrations to show how it works, so users can understand its features and benefits.

Technical writing example of a line illustration

Examples of product photos

These can either be professional shots or simply snapshots of the product.

The example below show the use of a photo in a user manual that our client created before we replaced it with line illustrations:

Examples of a screen capture

If your product is software, then screen captures can be very helpful in illustrating how to use it.

Technical writing example

Examples of video instructions

A quick video tutorial can be beneficial for users, especially if your product is complex or has multiple parts. You can make videos that show a product in real-life situations, such as when setting it up or performing various tasks.

Example of a video instruction for Quooker

A video that we created for bol.com

A video instruction for Vogel's products

Example of video safety instructions Virgin America by

Example of video safety instructions by Virgin America

Examples of infographics

These are a great way to pack a lot of information into a small space, and they can also be more visually appealing than text-heavy manuals.

Example of an infographic

Examples of tables

Manuals that contain a lot of technical or verbal data can be supplemented with tables that replace the text and save the reader's time. Note that tables must be positioned next to the relevant text.

Technical writing example of use of a table

Examples of charts and graphics

This type of visual is applied to effectively show patterns, create overviews and demonstrate relationships.

Technical writing example of a chart

Examples of symbols and icons

Instruction manuals that contain symbols and icons of different colors, structures and patterns can benefit users that better perceive information in a visual form rather than textual.

Example ISO 7010 symbols

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See how you can use the User Manual Template to create your own compliant, user-friendly and appealing user manual

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Technical writing examples for presenting your user information

Your customers must clearly understand user manuals. Whatever your product is, you will want to create a manual that is useful and easy on the eyes. By using illustrations, videos, and a well-thought-out layout, you can design a user manual that is both informative and visually appealing.

Indeed, a user manual is not only a technical document but also a marketing tool. By making it clear and concise, you can help your customers get the most out of your product and ensure their satisfaction.

There are several different ways to present a user manual, depending on the product or application you are trying to cover: text, visuals, video, animations, speech, braille, augmented and virtual reality, leaflets or stapled booklets with text, illustrations and printed information on the packaging or on the product itself. When choosing among them, consider the needs of your target audience.

Most importantly, present the manual with a minimalist yet easy-to-follow attractive design. How to do it?

Examples of a consistent layout

Create a consistent layout from page to page that makes it simple to find specific information.

Examples of a readable font

Pick a clean, readable sans-serif font and ensure that its size fits the needs of your audience.

Example of a readable sans-serif font

Examples of using different typefaces

Use bold, italic or courier typeface for terminology, reference information or input and denote importance with font weight.

Example of used conventions

Example of the use of bold typeface to indicate product and interface elements .

Examples of color coding

Apply color coding if possible and ensure high text-to-background contrast.

Example of how to use color coding

The use of typography, whitespace, and other design elements should create a clear visual hierarchy that helps users find the information they need quickly and easily.

Technical writing examples for publishing your user manual

Users want to have access to information at the moment that they need it. Therefore, it is important to provide your user manuals in several output formats.

Example of different media and formats of Magento user documentation

Example of different output possibilities with MadCap Flare

Example of different media and formats for our customer Acco/Leitz

Let's discuss a few output formats more specifically.

Examples of printed user manuals

Printed user manuals are among the most common types of manuals. You’ll find them coupled with almost any consumer product you can think of. This type of manual is appropriate for less tech-savvy demographics, works without the need for devices or an internet connection and is ready to use immediately.

Printed manuals are especially relevant when it comes to hardware products like washing machines, kitchen appliances or furniture that require self-assembly.

A printed user guide example that we created for AEG / Electrolux

Examples of online output

Online output or screen manuals can be accessed via any device, like a smartphone, tablet or laptop. These manuals are advantageous in that they can be easily stored and accessed from your device and there's no need to hold onto any physical documentation that can be easily misplaced. Unlike printed manuals, they often contain tutorial videos which are more effective at conveying complicated information. Online user manuals are also regularly updated, so you don’t have to worry about being stuck with an obsolete document.

For more information on the legal requirements on publishing your user manual online, see this article .

Example of the online help for T-Mobile

Technical writing examples of compliant manuals

A manual must comply with the laws of the country you’re selling to In order to be compliant in the US, for example, you have to:

Determine the relevant laws and regulations for your product.
Find the competent federal agencies relevant to your product.
Identify which standards are compulsory and which are voluntary relating to your product.
Find out what the minimum specific requirements are for adequate instructions.
Verify the product-specific requirements from both the voluntary and mandatory standards.
Apply ANSI Z535.6 (guidance for creating materials like manuals)
Write the manual according to the requirements.

For a compliant EU or UK manual you have to:

Determine the directives / regulations and the harmonised standards specific to the product.
Determine the requirements for user manuals as specified in the applicable, relevant CE / UKCA marking product legislation.
Determine the appropriate harmonised standard to instruct users. The most common of these is: IEC/IEEE 82079-1.
Draw up the user manual (and other technical documentation) according to the requirements.

Examples of intended use

One of the most important sections in every manual is a description of the intended use, which is often legally required to be included.

The description of the intended use frames your liability and is the starting point for the further contents of your user guide.

Besides the intended use , you might want to add a description of reasonably foreseeable misuse as well. When you pay no or too little attention to the description of the reasonably foreseeable misuse, it may affect your liability as well.

technical writing example of unintended use

Example of the intended and re asonably foreseeable misuse

Example of reasonably foreseeable or unforeseeable misuse?

Examples of user manuals for machinery

A user guide for machinery is characterized by the following:

Safety is more important
Detailed maintenance instructions
Repair information included
Step-by-step directions for operating the machine
Includes a description of the intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.

Example of the installation and user instructions for machinery

The user manual of an automatic sliding gate, which is classified as machinery because it has moving parts

Examples of user manuals for toys

A user guide for toys is characterized by the following:

Includes mandatory safety symbols
Includes specific safety warnings
Description of the intended use

Example of a user manual for toys

Examples of user manuals for electrical equipment

A user guide for electrical equipment is characterized by the following:

Often an 'illustrations-first' structure
Includes information on electro-magnetic interference
Includes a description of the intended use and reasonably forseeable misuse

Example of a user manual for electrical equipment

Examples of user manuals for consumer electronics

A user guide for consumer electronics is characterized by the following:

includes disposal (WEEE) information
Look & feel is more important
Step-by-step detailed installation.

Example of a user manual for consumer electronics

Examples of user manuals for medical devices

A user guide for medical devices is characterized by the following:

Regulatory compliance (there are many requirements on the user manual)
The user manual is called ' Instructions For Use ' (IFU) and includes all instructional information
The IFU is part of the assessment process of the medical device

Example of a user manual for a medical device

Software user documentation examples

Online help of MadCap Flare

The online help of a hardware product

Example of print documentation for software

Example of software documentation

Examples of installation and assembly manuals

A user guide for assembly products is characterized by the following:

Step-by-step illustrations
Often no text is required

Example of an assembly manual

Technical writing examples for students

Every now and then I receive emails from students studying technical communication. Often, they are looking for good technical writing examples as school is sometimes too theoretical.

I hope that this post helps students become better technical writers. Here's a summary of some of the most important steps when creating user documentation:

The first step in writing anything is determining who your audience will be. Do you need a user manaul to teach users about the basics or are you trying to teach professionals? Once you decide, it should be easier to write the rest of the document.
Download our free user manual template to get a good sense of how a specific document should be organized. It will help you to see the flow, the language, and how the information is broken up.
Customize the example to appear however you desire. It should reflect your company and product.
Once you get a good idea of the type of information to include in your technical manual, create an outline to make it simpler to follow along with a specific flow.
Using your outline, create a Table of Contents to make it easier for the reader to find where each section is located.
Start plugging in all the relevant information to each section of your manual.
Once you’ve looked at the final product and it’s good to go, publish it!

If you think this post was of value to you, please leave a comment below. Also, if there are other technical writing examples that you want me to cover in this article, let me know as well.

10 Ways to Detect AI Writing Without Technology

As more of my students have submitted AI-generated work, I’ve gotten better at recognizing it.

AI-generated papers have become regular but unwelcome guests in the undergraduate college courses I teach. I first noticed an AI paper submitted last summer, and in the months since I’ve come to expect to see several per assignment, at least in 100-level classes.

I’m far from the only teacher dealing with this. Turnitin recently announced that in the year since it debuted its AI detection tool, about 3 percent of papers it reviewed were at least 80 percent AI-generated.

Just as AI has improved and grown more sophisticated over the past 9 months, so have teachers. AI often has a distinct writing style with several tells that have become more and more apparent to me the more frequently I encounter any.

Before we get to these strategies, however, it’s important to remember that suspected AI use isn’t immediate grounds for disciplinary action. These cases should be used as conversation starters with students and even – forgive the cliché – as a teachable moment to explain the problems with using AI-generated work.

To that end, I’ve written previously about how I handled these suspected AI cases , the troubling limitations and discriminatory tendencies of existing AI detectors , and about what happens when educators incorrectly accuse students of using AI .

With those caveats firmly in place, here are the signs I look for to detect AI use from my students.

1. How to Detect AI Writing: The Submission is Too Long

When an assignment asks students for one paragraph and a student turns in more than a page, my spidey sense goes off.

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Almost every class does have one overachieving student who will do this without AI, but that student usually sends 14 emails the first week and submits every assignment early, and most importantly, while too long, their assignment is often truly well written. A student who suddenly overproduces raises a red flag.

2. The Answer Misses The Mark While Also Being Too Long

Being long in and of itself isn’t enough to identify AI use, but it's often overlong assignments that have additional strange features that can make it suspicious.

For instance, the assignment might be four times the required length yet doesn’t include the required citations or cover page. Or it goes on and on about something related to the topic but doesn’t quite get at the specifics of the actual question asked.

3. AI Writing is Emotionless Even When Describing Emotions

If ChatGPT was a musician it would be Kenny G or Muzak. As it stands now, AI writing is the equivalent of verbal smooth jazz or grey noise. ChatGPT, for instance, has this very peppy positive vibe that somehow doesn’t convey actual emotion.

One assignment I have asks students to reflect on important memories or favorite hobbies. You immediately sense the hollowness of ChatGPT's response to this kind of prompt. For example, I just told ChatGPT I loved skateboarding as a kid and asked it for an essay describing that. Here’s how ChatGPT started:

As a kid, there was nothing more exhilarating than the feeling of cruising on my skateboard. The rhythmic sound of wheels against pavement, the wind rushing through my hair, and the freedom to explore the world on four wheels – skateboarding was not just a hobby; it was a source of unbridled joy.

You get the point. It’s like an extended elevator jazz sax solo but with words.

4. Cliché Overuse

Part of the reason AI writing is so emotionless is that its cliché use is, well, on steroids.

Take the skateboarding example in the previous entry. Even in the short sample, we see lines such as “the wind rushing through my hair, and the freedom to explore the world on four wheels.” Students, regardless of their writing abilities, always have more original thoughts and ways of seeing the world than that. If a student actually wrote something like that, we’d encourage them to be more authentic and truly descriptive.

Of course, with more prompt adjustments, ChatGPT and other AI’s tools can do better, but the students using AI for assignments rarely put in this extra time.

5. The Assignment Is Submitted Early

I don’t want to cast aspersions on those true overachievers who get their suitcases packed a week before vacation starts, finish winter holiday shopping in July, and have already started saving for retirement, but an early submission may be the first signal that I’m about to read some robot writing.

For example, several students this semester submitted an assignment the moment it became available. That is unusual, and in all of these cases, their writing also exhibited other stylistic points consistent with AI writing.

Warning: Use this tip with caution as it is also true that many of my best students have submitted assignments early over the years.

6. The Setting Is Out of Time

AI image generators frequently have little tells that signal the AI model that created it doesn’t understand what the world actually looks like — think extra fingers on human hands or buildings that don’t really follow the laws of physics.

When AI is asked to write fiction or describe something from a student’s life, similar mistakes often occur. Recently, a short story assignment in one of my classes resulted in several stories that took place in a nebulous time frame that jumped between modern times and the past with no clear purpose.

If done intentionally this could actually be pretty cool and give the stories a kind of magical realism vibe, but in these instances, it was just wonky and out-of-left-field, and felt kind of alien and strange. Or, you know, like a robot had written it.

7. Excessive Use of Lists and Bullet Points

Here are some reasons that I suspect students are using AI if their papers have many lists or bullet points:

1. ChatGPT and other AI generators frequently present information in list form even though human authors generally know that’s not an effective way to write an essay.

2. Most human writers will not inherently write this way, especially new writers who often struggle with organizing information.

3. While lists can be a good way to organize information, presenting more complex ideas in this manner can be .…

4 … annoying.

5. Do you see what I mean?

6. (Yes, I know, it's ironic that I'm complaining about this here given that this story is also a list.)

8. It’s Mistake-Free

I’ve criticized ChatGPT’s writing here yet in fairness it does produce very clean prose that is, on average, more error-free than what is submitted by many of my students. Even experienced writers miss commas, have long and awkward sentences, and make little mistakes – which is why we have editors. ChatGPT’s writing isn’t too “perfect” but it’s too clean.

9. The Writing Doesn’t Match The Student’s Other Work

Writing instructors know this inherently and have long been on the lookout for changes in voice that could be an indicator that a student is plagiarizing work.

AI writing doesn't really change that. When a student submits new work that is wildly different from previous work, or when their discussion board comments are riddled with errors not found in their formal assignments, it's time to take a closer look.

10. Something Is Just . . . Off

The boundaries between these different AI writing tells blur together and sometimes it's a combination of a few things that gets me to suspect a piece of writing. Other times it’s harder to tell what is off about the writing, and I just get the sense that a human didn’t do the work in front of me.

I’ve learned to trust these gut instincts to a point. When confronted with these more subtle cases, I will often ask a fellow instructor or my department chair to take a quick look (I eliminate identifying student information when necessary). Getting a second opinion helps ensure I’ve not gone down a paranoid “my students are all robots and nothing I read is real” rabbit hole. Once a colleague agrees something is likely up, I’m comfortable going forward with my AI hypothesis based on suspicion alone, in part, because as mentioned previously, I use suspected cases of AI as conversation starters rather than to make accusations.

Again, it is difficult to prove students are using AI and accusing them of doing so is problematic. Even ChatGPT knows that. When I asked it why it is bad to accuse students of using AI to write papers, the chatbot answered: “Accusing students of using AI without proper evidence or understanding can be problematic for several reasons.”

Then it launched into a list.

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Erik Ofgang is a Tech & Learning contributor. A journalist, author and educator, his work has appeared in The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Smithsonian, The Atlantic, and Associated Press. He currently teaches at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA program. While a staff writer at Connecticut Magazine he won a Society of Professional Journalism Award for his education reporting. He is interested in how humans learn and how technology can make that more effective.

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8 Ways to Create AI-Proof Writing Prompts

C reating 100 percent AI-proof writing prompts can often be impossible but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies that can limit the efficacy of AI work. These techniques can also help ensure more of the writing submitted in your classroom is human-generated.

I started seeing a big uptick in AI-generated work submitted in my classes over the last year and that has continued. As a result, I’ve gotten much better at recognizing AI work , but I’ve also gotten better at creating writing prompts that are less AI-friendly.

Essentially, I like to use the public health Swiss cheese analogy when thinking about AI prevention: All these strategies on their own have holes but when you layer the cheese together, you create a barrier that’s hard to get through.

The eight strategies here may not prevent students from submitting AI work, but I find these can incentivize human writing and make sure that any work submitted via AI will not really meet the requirements of the assignment.

1. Writing AI-Proof Prompts: Put Your Prompt Into Popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Bard

Putting your writing prompt into an AI tools will give you an immediate idea of how most AI tools will handle your prompt. If the various AI chatbots do a good, or at least adequate, job immediately, it might be wise to tweak the prompt.

One of my classes asks students to write about a prized possession. When you put this prompt into an AI chatbot, it frequently returns an essay about a family member's finely crafted watch. Obviously, I now watch out for any essays about watches.

2. Forbid Cliché Use

Probably the quickest and easiest way to cut back on some AI use is to come down hard on cliché use in writing assignments. AI tools are essentially cliché machines, so banning these can prevent a lot of AI use.

Equally as important, this practice will help your students become better writers. As any good writer knows, clichés should be avoided like the plague.

3. Incorporate Recent Events

The free version of ChatGPT only has access to events up to 2022. While there are plugins to allow it to search the internet and other internet-capable AI tools, some students won’t get further than ChatGPT.

More importantly, in my experience, all AI tools struggle to incorporate recent events as effectively as historic ones. So connecting class material and assignments to events such as a recent State of Union speech or the Academy Awards will make any AI writing use less effective.

4. Require Quotes

AI tools can incorporate direct quotations but most are not very good at doing so. The quotes used tend to be very short and not as well-placed within essays.

Asking an AI tool for recent quotes also can be particularly problematic for today’s robot writers. For instance, I asked Microsoft's Copilot to summarize the recent Academy Awards using quotes, and specifically asked it to quote from Oppenheimer's director Christopher Nolan’s acceptance speech. It quoted something Nolan had previously said instead. Copilot also quoted from Wes Anderson’s acceptance speech, an obvious error since Anderson wasn’t at the awards .

5. Make Assignments Personal

Having students reflect on material in their own lives can be a good way to prevent AI writing. In-person teachers can get to know their students well enough to know when these types of personal details are fabricated.

I teach online but still find it easier to tell when a more personalized prompt was written by AI. For example, one student submitted a paper about how much she loved skateboarding that was so non-specific it screamed AI written. Another submitted a post about a pair of sneakers that was also clearly written by a "sole-less" AI (I could tell because of the clichés and other reasons).

6. Make Primary or Scholarly Sources Mandatory

Requiring sources that are not easily accessible on the internet can stop AI writing in its tracks. I like to have students find historic newspapers for certain assignments. The AI tools I am familiar with can’t incorporate these.

For instance, I asked Copilot to compare coverage of the first Academy Awards in the media to the most recent awards show and to include quotes from historic newspaper coverage. The comparison was not well done and there were no quotes from historical newspaper coverage.

AI tools also struggle to incorporate journal articles. Encouraging your students to include these types of sources ensures the work they produce is deeper than something that can be revealed by a quick Google search, which not only makes it harder for AI to write but also can raise the overall quality.

7. Require Interviews, Field Trips, Etc.

Building on primary and scholarly sources, you can have your students conduct interviews or go on field trips to historic sites, museums, etc.

AI is still, thankfully, incapable of engaging in these types of behavior. This requires too much work for every assignment but it is the most effective way to truly ensure your work is human- not computer-written.

If you’re still worried about AI use, you can even go a step further by asking your students to include photos of them with their interview subjects or from the field trips. Yes, AI art generators are getting better as well, but remember the Swiss cheese analogy? Every layer of prevention can help.

8. Have Students Write During Class

As I said to start, none of the methods discussed are foolproof. Many ways around these safeguards already exist and there will be more ways to bypass these in the future. So if you’re really, really worried about AI use you may want to choose what I call the “nuclear option.” If you teach in person you can require students to write essays in person.

This approach definitely works for preventing AI and is okay for short pieces, but for longer pieces, it has a lot of downsides. I would have trouble writing a long piece in this setting and imagine many students will as well. Additionally, this requirement could create an accusatory class atmosphere that is more focused on preventing AI use than actually teaching. It’s also not practical for online teaching.

That all being said, given how common AI writing has become in education, I understand why some teachers will turn to this method. Hopefully, suggestions 1-7 will work but if AI-generated papers are still out of hand in your classroom, this is a blunt-force method that can work temporarily.

Good luck and may your assignments be free of AI writing!

7 Ways To Detect AI Writing Without Technology
Best Free AI Detection Sites
My Student Was Submitting AI Papers. Here's What I Did

ChatGPT: The Challenges It Presents for Writing Assignments

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Published: 03 June 2024

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This paper critically analyzes the potential impact of ChatGPT, a creative artificial intelligence tool, on learning and teaching, focusing on its impact on using writing assignments as a means of assessing knowledge. The paper examines the challenges this tool presents to learners and teachers in various aspects, including writing as a means of constructing knowledge, designing writing assignments, and assessing ChatGPT-assisted writing tasks. The paper examines the challenges posed by ChatGPT for writing from three different aspects: the role of ChatGPT as a learning support tool, the consequences of using ChatGPT for acquiring 21st-century skills, and challenges regarding the evaluation of the learners. The analysis indicates that ChatGPT might serve as a performance support system rather than a learning support tool. It also argued that incorporating ChatGPT into the learning process requires a significant degree of critical thinking from both students and teachers. It is crucial that they utilize this tool with the primary objective of enriching their thinking and writing abilities rather than seeking to circumvent the cognitive information processing mechanisms as a shortcut to produce writing products.

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UC Berkeley sees a 48% jump in first-year applications to study computer science.
Despite generative AI advances, students are eager to pursue computer science careers.
Human developers remain essential for creating something new.

One of the most persistent concerns around generative AI is whether the technology will put workers out of a job. This idea has particularly caught on in the context of software coding .

GitHub Copilot can write a lot of code these days, so is it even worth studying computer science now? That's been a question on the minds of math-minded high schoolers since ChatGPT burst on the scene in 2022.

There's a new data point that helps answer at least part of this question: Students are still lining up in droves to take computer science in college.

An eye-popping data point

Let's take The University of California Berkeley as an example, as this college at or near the top for computer science.

First-year applications to UC Berkeley's College of Computing, Data Science, and Society CDSS increased 48% this year. There were 14,302 (non-transfer) applications for these CDSS majors in the Fall 2024 incoming class, versus 9,649 the previous year.

For context, the number of first-year applications to UC Berkeley as a whole didn't change much from a year earlier.

There's a role for human software developers

Afterwards, I got in touch with John DeNero, Computer Science Teaching Professor at UC Berkeley, to talk about this some more.

He's also chief scientist at Lilt , a generative AI startup, and he was previously a researcher at Google working on Google Translate , one of the first successful AI-powered consumer apps.

"Students express some concern that generative AI will affect the software engineering job market, especially for entry-level positions, but they are still excited about careers in computing," he wrote in an email to Business Insider. "I tell them that I think many of the challenging aspects of software development can't be performed reliably by generative AI at this point, and that I expect there will still be a central role for human software developers long into the future."

AI can't do new things very well

Generative AI is currently very good at replicating parts of software programs that have been written many times before, DeNero explained.

That includes computer science homework assignments! See BI's coverage on how much ChatGPT is used to cheat on homework .

What if you want to create something new? This is where smart human coders will still be needed. (This makes logical sense as AI models are trained on data. If that information doesn't exist yet or it's not part of the training dataset, the models often get in trouble).

Generative AI "requires a lot of thoughtful human intervention to produce something new, and all consequential software development projects involve quite a bit of novelty," DeNero said. "That's the hard and interesting part of computing that currently requires clever and well-trained people."

"Generative AI can speed up the more mundane parts of software development, and software developers tend to adopt efficiency tools quickly," he added.

What happens at Lilt?

This applies to what's happening at Lilt, which is building an AI platform for translators.

Google Translate first came out 18 years ago. And still, human linguists have jobs and are relied upon when translations are really important. For instance, you can use Google Translate to read a Japanese train timetable maybe, but would you use the app to translate your business's most important contract without having a human expert check it? Probably not.

"To reliably produce publication-quality translations, human expert linguists are still at the center of the process, but by using Lilt's task-specific generative AI models, those experts are much faster, more accurate, and more consistent," DeNero said. "As a result, more text gets translated at higher quality into more languages."

He expects this same pattern to play out in software development: A small team of highly trained human developers will have an even greater capacity to build useful high-quality software.

"And so, future Berkeley graduates will have plenty of opportunities to use their computing skills to improve the world," DeNero said. "Hopefully some more of them will come work for Lilt."

Watch: AI expert discusses generative AI: What it means and how it will impact our future

Main content

CH 7 Assignment: Instructions

Your task is to write a set of instructions related to your major/discipline or career. Please choose something at which you are an expert (or nearly one) and something that most people would not know how to do. Consider your audience to be intelligent but likely unfamiliar with the process.

The main purpose of this assignment is to give you practice in writing instructions, one of the most common types of workplace technical writing. Whether working with office staff, technicians, managers, or executives, technical communicators are frequently called upon to write instructions, such as specific office procedures, training manuals, and safety protocols.

Feel free to look at the sample sets of instructions in this textbook as well as ones found online to help you pick a format and structure—but, of course, your instructions must be your own.

An important aspect of instructional writing is the use of graphics and design: good instructions contain visuals and are designed to be easy to read and understand. Therefore, another important aspect of this assignment is to improve your skills in the use of visuals in technical documents.

*NOTE: Visuals should work to illustrate the writing rather than replacing it; in other words, don’t instruct the reader to complete the step in Figure 1 without also explaining the step in writing.

Your instructions should include both of the following:

A brief reflective memo :
Briefly summarize your process of developing and researching your instructions.
Briefly summarize your audience and purpose .
Discuss how you assessed your audience’s needs before writing your instructions. What did they already know? What did you have to explain and why?
Describe your formatting and visuals choices.
A complete set of printed instructions, including:
A clear introduction
Caution, warning, safety notices
Clear formatting with steps, sections, and subheadings
Visuals where appropriate (*be sure to properly cite your visuals)
A conclusion

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IELTS Exam Preparation: Free IELTS Tips, 2024

elektrostal'

Take IELTS test in or nearby Elektrostal'

There is no IELTS test center listed for Elektrostal' but you may be able to take your test in an alternative test center nearby. Please choose an appropriate test center that is closer to you or is most suitable for your test depending upon location or availability of test.

Closest test centers are:

Make sure to prepare for the IELTS exam using our Free IELTS practice tests .

Moscow, Russia

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An Overview of the IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is designed to measure English proficiency for educational, vocational and immigration purposes. The IELTS measures an individual's ability to communicate in English across four areas of language: listening , reading , writing and speaking . The IELTS is administered jointly by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment at over 1,100 test centres and 140 countries. These test centres supervise the local administration of the test and recruit, train and monitor IELTS examiners.

IELTS tests are available on 48 fixed dates each year, usually Saturdays and sometimes Thursdays, and may be offered up to four times a month at any test centre, including Elektrostal' depending on local needs. Go to IELTS test locations to find a test centre in or nearby Elektrostal' and to check for upcoming test dates at your test centre.

Test results are available online 13 days after your test date. You can either receive your Test Report Form by post or collect it from the Test Centre. You will normally only receive one copy of the Test Report Form, though you may ask for a second copy if you are applying to the UK or Canada for immigration purposes - be sure to specify this when you register for IELTS. You may ask for up to 5 copies of your Test Report Form to be sent directly to other organisations, such as universities.

There are no restrictions on re-sitting the IELTS. However, you would need to allow sufficient time to complete the registration procedures again and find a suitable test date.

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8 Technical Writing Examples to Inspire You
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16 Technical Writing Prompts for Students » JournalBuddies.com
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Process documentation is a form of technical writing that is designed for internal use by organizations to share knowledge on how to complete a task, with an emphasis on creating consistent, company-wide procedures. Examples of this type of technical writing include step-by-step process guides, internal wikis, KPI and goal reporting, OKRs, and ...
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Technical Writing One and Technical Writing Two consist of two parts: pre-class lessons. in-class lessons with a facilitator and other students. The pre-class lessons provide a solid educational experience, which the in-class lessons enhance. That said, the pre-class lessons on their own are still valuable. Ordinarily, we expect organizations ...
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Download 30 KB. #33. Even if technical writing skills take high-levels details, you should still explain these concisely and clearly to your audience. As a technical writer, you should come up with documents that are very clear, simple, and succinct. Sometimes, though, the results could just be the opposite.
Technical Writing
This open textbook offers students of technical writing an introduction to the processes and products involved in professional, workplace, and technical writing. The text is broken up into sections reflecting key components of researching, developing, and producing a technical report. Readers will also learn about other professional communication, designing documents, and creating and ...
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There are 4 modules in this course. Technical Writing seamlessly blends the art of communication with the nuances of technology. Tailored for a diverse audience, including writers, communicators, engineers, and IT professionals, this course serves as a beacon, guiding participants toward the creation of effective technical documents tailored to ...
CH 1 Exercises: Analyzing Technical Writing
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Technical writing examples can take away the stress of being assigned to create one of your own. With our examples, be successful on your next assignment.
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Learning to write technical instructions is challenging. Writers must consider audience, purpose, context, length, and complexity—plus the specific content of the instructions, such as the steps in using a stapler. In this lesson, students walk through the process of creating technical instructions by first analyzing existing instructions.
Writing Instructions
Writing Instructions. One of the most common and important uses of technical writing is instructions—those step-by-step explanations of how to do things: assemble something, operate something, repair something, or explain a personal process (enrolling in college, for example) so that readers may better understand it and possibly use it ...
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14/5/2022 Ferry Vermeulen Tools & Efficiency. This article provides 101 excellent technical writing examples to help you create a user-centered manual that helps users find the information they're looking for. User manuals are vital in every business sector. Basically, they support customers seeking to understand your products and processes.
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CH 2 Assignment: Revising/Translating. Part of a technical writer's job is to translate highly technical writing and complex concepts for laypeople (non-experts). Technical writing is often a form of communication between a specialist and a non-specialist (layperson), though sometimes it is between a specialist in one field and an expert in a ...
High School Technical Writing Activities
History and Social Studies, Science, and Technical Writing looks at analyzing sources, the multiple steps of research, and argumentative, informative and explanatory writing. Analyze the Emancipation Proclamation to better understand the anti-slavery debate during the Civil War, reconstruct the 1962 World's Fair through a range of resources to ...
10 Ways to Detect AI Writing
4. Cliché Overuse. Part of the reason AI writing is so emotionless is that its cliché use is, well, on steroids. Take the skateboarding example in the previous entry. Even in the short sample, we see lines such as "the wind rushing through my hair, and the freedom to explore the world on four wheels.".
8 Ways to Create AI-Proof Writing Prompts
2. Forbid Cliché Use. Probably the quickest and easiest way to cut back on some AI use is to come down hard on cliché use in writing assignments. AI tools are essentially cliché machines, so ...
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This paper critically analyzes the potential impact of ChatGPT, a creative artificial intelligence tool, on learning and teaching, focusing on its impact on using writing assignments as a means of assessing knowledge. The paper examines the challenges this tool presents to learners and teachers in various aspects, including writing as a means of constructing knowledge, designing writing ...
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to prepare for our odyssey together, you will need to complete the following summer reading and writing assignments. The summer assignment is an important component of the AP English Literature program, serving to keep you active as readers, to expand your horizons, and to stimulate your own thinking through writing about what you have read.
With AI Writing Code, Should You Still Study Computer Science
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CH 7 Assignment: Instructions
The main purpose of this assignment is to give you practice in writing instructions, one of the most common types of workplace technical writing. Whether working with office staff, technicians, managers, or executives, technical communicators are frequently called upon to write instructions, such as specific office procedures, training manuals ...
Here's how new AI tech could change the iPhone
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Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab
Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.
15 men brought to military enlistment office after mass brawl ...
Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram ...
Elektrostal
In 1938, it was granted town status. [citation needed]Administrative and municipal status. Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as Elektrostal City Under Oblast Jurisdiction—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, Elektrostal City Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as Elektrostal Urban Okrug.
Elektrostal
Elektrostal. Elektrostal ( Russian: Электроста́ль) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is 58 kilometers (36 mi) east of Moscow. As of 2010, 155,196 people lived there.
Take IELTS test in or nearby Elektrostal'
The IELTS measures an individual's ability to communicate in English across four areas of language: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The IELTS is administered jointly by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment at over 1,100 test centres and 140 countries. These test centres supervise the ...

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