Write an expanded technical definition for an item, procedure or concept. Ideally, this will be something with which you are already very familiar through your profession or major.

As we’ve discussed already, technical communication is (1) Action-oriented; and (2) Reader-focused. Both facets come together in preparing an expanded technical definition, as do the CRAP principles of page design (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity). Your reader needs to understand a concept in order to act on it. To make a concept understandable, you will need to prepare a definition with knowledge of your reader, how much background she/he has on the concept, the setting in which he/she encounters or will be using the concept and other factors. You, who might have specialized technical knowledge, need to put yourself in your reader’s shoes in order to convey just what is needed. And, of course, careful page design and cohesive paragraph structure are critical in communicating this kind of information!

(1) Read: Lannon, Ch. 18, “Technical Definitions” pg.412-436 and pages 462-467 on “Evaluating the Usability of Instructions and Procedures.” Pay particular attention to the Basic Usability Survey on page 466, as you will be using that document to review another student’s expanded definition.

(2) Write an expanded technical definition for an item, procedure or concept. Ideally, this will be something with which you are already very familiar through your profession or major. Consult at least three sources to prepare your expanded definition. Do not use Wikipedia, About.com or similar low-quality sources. Everything in the expanded definition should be in your own words, NOT a straight copy-and-paste from a source. Reference your sources by including an APA-formatted References page