Rhetorical Analysis of a Technical Document

In this document, I analyzed the similarities and differences in technical writing between two documents on the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and an online website addressing the Y2K (Year 2000) problem.  The purpose of this assignment was to analyze the sources from a technical writer’s standpoint and determine the use and success of technical writing by the author.

One of my major challenges was looking at a printed document and a web page for similarities in voice, content, and purpose.  The differences were much more apparent; the subjects were completely unrelated and the form was extremely different.  I overcame this challenge by analyzing each separately and then comparing my findings. 

The following course concepts were used in my analysis:

• Audience, purpose, and situation for each communication
• Differing characteristics and styles
• Role of color and visual display
• Clarity, conciseness, effective visual display, focus on the subject, reader-based orientation

Set of Instructions

For this assignment I created instructions on how to string or re-string an acoustic guitar.  The purpose was to compose a set of instructions or procedures that would make a complex task easy to understand and execute.  Anticipating the needs of my audience was the most important element of the assignment.  I had to be aware of their prior knowledge, potential dangers, circumstances, and any possible questions they might need answered.

I used bold lettering and varying font sizes to signify new topics, important information, and warnings.  A diagram of a guitar’s anatomy was provided, as it was the most efficient and effective way to aquaint the user with the guitar’s many parts.  While opting to use a conversational tone, I coupled it with the command voice when giving actual instructions to simplify them for the user. 

Memo on My Performance as a Document Reviewer

This memo reflects my performance in critiquing sets of instructions written by fellow classmates.  The purpose of the assignment was to become aware of my strengths and weaknesses in reading as a technical writer.  I had to mentally note how I executed each step of Professor Henry’s Reading as a Technical Writer:

• Scan the entire document
• Assess overal organization
• Track first encounter at the sentence level
• Qualify first encounter
• Edit for technical style
• Evaluate the ethos
  

I organized this memo in chronological order of the steps, using each step as a heading.  I described how well I think I did, any insights I had, and difficulties I experienced.  I also included a few errors or strengths I found in the documents in relation to each step. 

Group Proposal

One of the classes’ ultimate goals was to learn how to work in a group.  Students worked in a group of no more than four and no less than two to complete a final project.  This proposal explains the intended final project of my partner, Dustin Smith, and me.  The final project assignment was to find an outside organization that needed some form of technical writing done and offer our services.  The project could take a variety of styles, such as a manual, brochure, website, or handbook for the said organization.

Dustin and I worked with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to compose a brochure explaining their permit program, the Virginia Water Protection Permit Program (a.k.a. wetlands program), to the general public.  The proposal describes who we worked for, how we obtained approval from the organization, and explanation and distribution of the projects main tasks.  Included in the proposal is a tentative schedule of meeting dates.

Progress Report

The progress report was presented to the class halfway through the semester.  It explains the amount of work we had completed and the work remaining to be done at that point.  The report applied course concepts such as concise writing, organization, and clarity.  The progress report is broken down into the following headings:

• Scope
• Work Completed
• Projected Work and Schedule

The ‘Scope’ section highlights the main objective of the project and the "who," "what," "where," and "how" as it had been laid out in the aforementioned proposal.

‘Work Completed’ states all of the work that had been done, including the amount of time spent on specific tasks; as a group and individually.  Also included were any problems we encountered or alterations we had made.

‘Projected Work and Schedule’ presents the work and tasks that remained to be accomplished and the projected dates of completion for both the sub-task and the entire project.

Collaborative Term Project

As mentioned above, Dustin Smith and my final project was working in collaboration with the DEQ to compose a brochure.  The brochure simplified the large amount of technical and wordy information explaining their wetlands program into form and language the general public could understand.  The final project reflects a culmination of applied course concepts learned throughout the entire semester. 

One of the projects significant challenges for Dustin and I was understanding the technical language surrounding the wetland programs information ourselves.  Another was determining how much or how little the general public would want to know about the program’s many facets.  We dealt with these problems by asking third parties for their opinions and noting our reactions to certain sections, as in whether or not we found ourselves losing interest.  Finally, we asked what was the importance, or lack thereof, in each potential section to the brochure.

Group Evaluation

Dustin and I wrote the group evaluation in memo form to Professor Henry.  We evaluated each other separately and the work of our group as a whole.  The evaluation is a reflection of our progress from the initial stages to the final completion of the project.  In the memo we describe the evolution of the projects form and objective.  We also include a break down of time spent individually, as a group, and on the various aspects of the project.  Finally, the evaluation discusses the setbacks, success, possible improvements, and individual responsibilities and how we dealt with each.

Reflection

The reflection charts my growth over the course of the semester.  It contains insights into how I have seen myself change as a writer and now as an editor.  I also talk about changes in my approach to writing, both technically and otherwise.  Finally, my reflection focuses on my ability to apply the knowledge gained in English 410 to my other courses.