Technical definition and description Background Technical communicators are often responsible for writing descriptive (technical definitions, technical descriptions) and prescriptive documents (instruction sets, Job Aids, Standard Operating Procedures). Descriptive and prescriptive technical documents can be written for other technical communicators (specialists) or for the public (generalists). As such, it is important to carefully consider the audience and what they need from the document in order to help them solve a problem. Descriptive and prescriptive technical documents also rely upon the coordination of text and images to convey meaning. Overview Technical professionals are often required to define or describe a technical process to fellow specialists or to generalists (someone who has little knowledge or experience with the subject at hand). For example, an engineering firm might write a proposal to bid on a contract to develop an experimental helicopter rotor blade and mast for the Defense Department; one section of the proposal would be a detailed description of the process behind the new blade and mast technology. Technical descriptions are used before products and processes are developed (as part of proposals and planning documents), during development (in progress reports, for instance), and afterwards (as part of marketing and promotional literature and technical support documents). This project asks you to select a process and write a description of it. A process description explains how a complex event occurs, typically mechanical, technological, or natural in nature. Specifically, we will be researching and writing a scientific description related to one of the artifacts in Fabric of Digital Life (FoDL) . To reiterate: For this assignment we will write and design a process description. A process description explains how a complex event — typically scientific, natural, or mechanical/technical — occurs. It is a “teaching” and explanatory document. It is not a prescriptive, “how to” document. If you find yourself explaining how to do something you are likely writing an instruction set and not a technical description. For example, homebrewing beer, kombucha, and other beverages has increased in popularity recently. A descriptive document (technical description) explains the stages of the fermentation cycle, illustrating for the reader how the different ingredients and natural processes proceed stage by stage until fermentation is complete. In contrast, a prescriptive document (instruction set) would explain “how to” brew beer, ferment kombucha, etc. Our technical description here would focus on explaining and defining the process of fermentation. Rhetorical Situation Your project manager (me) has assigned each member of our team (you) the task of analyzing on of the artifacts from Fabric of Digital Life and researching a technical process associated with the product.
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