How can you write technical documents that are appropriate for all ages?
Technical documents are often written for specific audiences, such as engineers, scientists, or users. But sometimes, you may need to write technical documents that are appropriate for all ages, such as educational materials, manuals, or guides. How can you make sure that your technical documents are clear, accurate, and engaging for different age groups? Here are some tips to help you write technical documents that are suitable for all ages.
Before you start writing, you should have a clear idea of the purpose and the audience of your technical document. What is the main goal of your document? What do you want your readers to learn, do, or understand? Who are your readers and what are their backgrounds, needs, and expectations? Knowing your purpose and audience will help you decide on the tone, style, and level of detail of your technical document.
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Timothy Poppleton
Project/ Change/ Infrastructure Management, PMO, Technical Author
A core requirement of technical author is to be aware and able to consider and adapt to their audience's understanding of the topic in question. The nature of the topic may also govern certain aspects of the information provides. As well as the media being used. By knowing/ understanding your audiences needs you can tailor the way and level of detail, etc., you provide the documentation. Within the constraints of the medium used, e.g. documents can have longer descriptions that presentations. As the knowledge of your audience may vary, you may need to lower the technical level of the information provided. So, you may need to tailor material to meet varied requirements.
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Marianne Siréta
Linguistic and intercultural services: Translation, Copywriting, Transcreation, Teaching
Si on écrit pour les jeunes, il est capital de connaître les programmes scolaires du ou des pays concernés. Au même âge, les fondamentaux a priori maîtrisés par les enfants et ados varient largement d'un lieu à l'autre, notamment en sciences, en histoire, en géographie. Par exemple, la chaîne alimentaire est-elle enseignée à 6, 8, 10 ans ? Pire, pour des sujets qui font l'objet de controverses politiques dans certaines régions : l'évolution est-elle enseignée ; si oui, à quel âge ? Idem pour l'éducation sexuelle et l'appareil reproducteur. Le niveau de vocabulaire et de grammaire peut aussi varier d'un pays à l'autre. Certains mots devront être simplifiés ou expliqués ici mais pas ailleurs, certains temps verbaux seront à bannir ou non...
One of the most important aspects of writing technical documents for all ages is to use simple and precise language. Avoid jargon, slang, idioms, or acronyms that may confuse or alienate your readers. If you have to use technical terms, explain them clearly and provide examples or illustrations. Use short sentences and paragraphs, active voice, and clear transitions. Choose words that are familiar, concrete, and specific. For example, instead of saying "The device enables wireless communication", say "The device lets you talk to someone without a wire".
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Timothy Poppleton
Project/ Change/ Infrastructure Management, PMO, Technical Author
Keeping the language and structure of the information you provide simple, is generally a good approach. Though certain highly technical topics may make this a challenge. Otherwise, simple language and structure of writing can make the material provided easier for your audience to follow and 'digest'. Simple language does not necessarily mean long sentences/ steps, etc. Rather, it means clear and to some degree concise language. Though concise may be a relative term, rather than a rigid rule. So, make sure you have a clear understanding of the type/ style of writing you are looking to use for the material you are writing.
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Marianne Siréta
Linguistic and intercultural services: Translation, Copywriting, Transcreation, Teaching
On peut aussi prêter une attention particulière aux liens logiques, qui jouent un rôle capital dans la compréhension : c'est toujours une bonne idée d'expliciter ces liens avec des connecteurs dont le sens est bien clair et facile à comprendre, quel que soit le niveau de vocabulaire du public cible. Parfois, il faudra modifier les phrases en fonction.
Another key element of writing technical documents for all ages is to organize your information logically. Use headings, subheadings, lists, tables, charts, or diagrams to structure your document and make it easy to follow. Start with an introduction that summarizes the main points and outlines the scope of your document. Then, present your information in a logical order, from general to specific, from simple to complex, or from problem to solution. End with a conclusion that reviews the main points and provides recommendations or actions.
While you should aim to write technical documents that are accessible and understandable for all ages, you should also consider the specific needs and preferences of different age groups. For example, younger readers may need more visuals, examples, and interactive features to keep them interested and motivated. Older readers may need larger fonts, more white space, and simpler layouts to improve readability and comprehension. You can also use different techniques to appeal to different age groups, such as storytelling, humor, or analogies.
Finally, you should test and revise your document before you publish or distribute it. You can test your document by asking for feedback from people who belong to your target audience or by using readability tools or checklists. You can revise your document by checking for errors, inconsistencies, or gaps in your content, language, or design. You can also use translation tools or services to make your document available in different languages if needed.
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Timothy Poppleton
Project/ Change/ Infrastructure Management, PMO, Technical Author
Remember different types of documents require different approaches. For example, reports need to be written in a different style to user guides. So it helps if you have a range of styles that can be applied to different document types. You also need to be able to adapt to the different media your material will be access by. These include documents, guides, presentations. web pages, wiki pages, videos, etc. Having template that can be used to meet these requirements, whilst accommodating branding and related requirements
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Sol MARZELLIER DE PABLO
CEO, Sol Marzellier Traductores
A parte de los diferentes enfoques que se tienen que dar, el protocolo es, para mí, muy importante ya que me topé con esta situación hace mucho tiempo. Por ejemplo, hay culturas, como la francesa, donde no se puede tutear a la ligera. Mi cliente me había encomendado las traducciones de unas clases para adultos y le tuve que explicar que este tipo de protocolo existe en Francia, que tenía que traducir el "tu" como "vous" (usted), porque los franceses de cierta edad lo podían interpretar como una ofensa.
(edited)
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