Communication

 What is Communication 

The word “communication” is taken from the word “communicare” which is also taken from the word “commune”. The word “commune” means to share ideas, feelings, according to the Grolier’s dictionary. Communication is the process of imparting or interchanging of thoughts and opinions by speech, writing or signs.

Any act by which one person gives to or receives information from another person about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, and knowledge is called communication. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or nonlinguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.

Definition of Communication

“Communication is the imparting, conveying, or exchanging of ideas, knowledge, etc. – whether by Speech, writing or signs” --- Oxford English Dictionary.

What is Technical Communication

Technical Communication is the exchange of ideas, opinions and information through written or spoken words, symbols or actions.

“Technical communication is the process of conveying usable information through writing or speech about a specific domain to an intended audience.”

Steps of Technical Communication

1. Ideation 

The process of technical communication begins with ideation, which refers to the formation of the idea or selection of a message to be communicated. It consists of the content of the technical communication to be presented.

2. Encoding

It is the next step to technical communication. It is the process of changing the information into some form of logical or coded message. Encoding demands for:

o Linguistic proficiency

A technical communicator should possess appropriate language skills and ability to present scientific facts or information clearly and objectively.

o Ability to execute 

This is the ability to organize technical information in a logical and structured way.

3. Transmission

It refers to the flow of message over the chosen channel. It is one of the most basic aspects of communication because it also involves choosing proper time (when to communicate), proper place (where to communicate), and a proper way (how to communicate).

4. Decoding 

It involves the process of converting a message into thoughts by translating the received action into an interpreted meaning in order to understand the message communicated.

5. Response or feedback 

It is the reaction of the receiver to the message. It helps the sender know that the message has been received and understood. The feedback that goes to the sender makes it clear whether the receiver has received the information or rejected it.

Features of Technical Communication

The technical writing process can be divided into five steps.

1. Determining purpose and audience 

All technical communication is done with a particular purpose in mind. The purpose is usually to help the communication of ideas and concepts to the audience, but may sometimes be used to direct the audience in a particular course of action. 

2. Collecting information 

The next step is to collect information needed for achieving the purpose. Information may be collected through primary research, where the technical communicator conducts research at primary and secondary levels.

3. Organizing and Outlining information

Before writing the first draft, all the ideas are organized in a way that will make the document flow nicely. A good way of doing this is to write all random thoughts down on a paper, and then circle all main sections, connect the main sections to supporting ideas with lines, and then, all irrelevant material should be deleted.

4. Writing the first draft

The ABC (Abstract, Body, and Conclusion) format can be used when writing a first draft. The Abstract describes the subject to be written about, so that the reader knows what he or she is going to be told in the document. The Body is the greatest part of the paper, in which the topics are covered in depth. Lastly, the Conclusion section restates the main issues of the paper.

5. Revising and Editing

Once the first draft is written, editing and revising can be done to modify the draft into a final copy. Five tasks change the first draft into its final form:

o Adjusting and reorganizing content

o Editing for style  

o Editing for grammar

o Editing for subject matter

o Editing for language