Unit 5: Process Documentation
One of the most common formats of technical writing is the process document. The process document explains either how to do something or how something was accomplished. This can be used to teach people or to document a process for the record. These documents vary in level of formality based on audience, but they all share elements of formatting to keep the communication organized and effective. This unit takes you through the ways to create process documents.
Formatting is probably the first design concern for a process document. The writer must distinguish whether or not the audience will have the directions with them as they accomplish the task or if they must commit the task to memory. Beginning nursing students, for example, are taught the proper way to wash hands in a roughly 1,500-word document. This document details not just the steps of handwashing, but also explains why each aspect of the process is critical to overall handwashing success. This extra detail helps to embed the proper procedure into new nurses' minds; they will, after all, be washing their hands countless times during the day without the instructions handy. Recipes, on the other side of the spectrum, anticipate that the audience will have them close by as they prepare the food; as a result, these feature lots of white space and step by step formatting.
Process documents must also pay special attention to anticipating potential trouble spots or questions from the audience. Anticipating these moments enables the writer to save time overall and increases the chances that the audience can complete the process without difficulty. Note that in this unit we will work through the writing process to develop complete process documents. We'll start with planning before moving to initial drafting, then revising.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- utilize audience analysis to determine the proper accounting of a process;
- format and organize communications to document a process;
- revise documents for greater clarity for the audience;
- revise documents for sentence level concerns; and
- apply process of proofreading to polish documents to professional standards.
5.1: Planning for the Process Document
Before we get started with Unit 5, reflect on your experience in Unit 4 creating screen captures to illustrate a process. What choices did you make regarding which screens to capture? How much text needed to supplement the visuals? How did you organize them on the page to ensure the reader could follow the steps easily? How were your screen capture directions different than those you find in an instruction manual? What would you do to improve them or polish them for a professional audience?
Read this section. Focus on the Some Preliminaries section. Begin to brainstorm some ideas of processes for which you could create process document/instructions. These should be processes with which you are quite familiar, and the process should be different than the computer process for which you created screen capture instructions in the previous unit. For one or two of your new ideas, go through the preliminary process outlined. Who is your audience and situation? How many tasks do you anticipate? Will you use a task or tools approach? How could the tasks be grouped?
Read this article. Note the difference between prescriptive and descriptive processes.
Watch these videos. As you review the examples provided in the text and the two videos, consider elements that are similar.
Read this section, which emphasizes the role of audience in planning for documents in general. Think about how you could apply this approach to document planning to a process document.
- Make a submission
In a paragraph, catalogue some of the traits that process documents share. Which elements stand out to you as effective? Which areas seem to need greater clarity?
- Make a submission
In a paragraph of 50–75 words, discuss which communication channel would work best to convey one of the process/instructions ideas that you brainstormed earlier. Identify the who, what, when, where, and why for conveying this set of process/instructions.
5.2: Writing the Process Document
5.2.1: Organization and Formatting
Read this section on page design. How the overall page with all of its elements looks can contribute to a document's overall effectiveness.
- Make a submission
In a paragraph (50–75 words), discuss how the examples you reviewed used the common sections and formatting for technical writing. In a second paragraph, brainstorm your own plan for writing a process document/instructions in terms of what sections and formatting you will use.
- Make a submission
Take the idea for instructions/process document you have been brainstorming and develop this into a first draft of your instructions/process document for a specific audience. You can either choose a new topic to approach or expand on the screen capture directions exercise you completed in Unit 4.
5.2.2: Supplementing with Visuals
5.2.3: Language Concerns
Read this document. Pay close attention to "Case Study 2: Promoting Safety in User Manuals". Using the principles and guidelines for practice, revise your instructions/process document for a "you" centered approach.
Read this section. Go through each bullet point and evaluate your current draft of the instructions/process document for these elements of clarity. Revise as needed.
Read this article, which discusses appropriate use of gender in professional writing.
- Make a submission
In a paragraph (50–75 words), discuss why gender sensitive language is important and note any revisions needed to ensure your instructions/process document uses gender sensitive language.
5.2.4: Concrete Language
Review the section on drafts, specifically concrete versus abstract language. Review your latest draft of the instructions/process document. Improve any areas of abstract language.
5.2.5: Anticipating Audience Reaction
Read this article. Consider the questions in the final paragraph under the "Review, Reflect, and Revise" section. Review your instructions/process document for a final time. Anticipate your audience’s reaction to the message. Are there any barriers to communication? Are there any nonverbal aspects to your message? Is your document visually attractive? Could it be clearer in some way? More concise? Revise the document one more time.
Unit 5 Assessment
- Receive a grade
In this assessment, you will plan a process document and assess your response based on a series of questions and sample responses.
- Receive a grade
In this assessment, you will draft a Standard Operating Procedure document and assess your draft by using the rubric and sample responses. These will give you a sense of how effectively you've applied this unit's lessons.
- Receive a grade
In this assessment, you will test your process document and revise it based on your analysis and feedback from your test user. You will write responses to a series of questions and compare your work with sample responses.