UZP 0032 Basic Communication

The Communication Theory

In the 1940's researchers at Bell Telephone Laboratories devised a model of the process of human communication. This model consists of the following elements:

. Originator or Sender: the person (s) who originates the message
. Targeted User/Receiver: the audience to the message
. Information/Message: the details and language of the communiqué
. Medium: the method of transmitting the message (print, speech, video and so on)
. Noise: Mechanical or Semantic barriers
. Encoding/decoding: the terms, symbols, and graphics which the sender (the encoder) chooses to carry the message and which the receiver accepts.
. Interpretation: the receiver's understanding of the message
. Feedback: the receiver's reaction to the message

How to apply the theory in practice?

Before starting any project on professional, technical or scientific writing, ask the following questions:
.What is one's credibility as the originator or sender?
.Who is the receiver/audience?
.What is the purpose and what would be the information and language of one's communication?
.What are the means of transmitting the message clearly?
.What devices/software will make the message most understandable?
.What methods should be adopted to make the meaning crystal clear to the targeted user/audience?
.What reaction does one want? (feedback/usability)
.What are the ethical considerations involved?

SENDER

Before starting the communications project, analyze oneself as the sender or communicator. Ponder over these facts:
How much aware is one about the subject?
Does one need to research or self study?
How credible is one in terms of the background?
What can one does to be absolutely authoritative in the presentation?

Recognize and rectify any deficiencies. It really helps to make one's communication better. One should know the purpose and needs of the receiver of the message.

PURPOSE

By purpose it means the intention, aim or plan of technical communication.
Is the purpose to query? To explain? To analyze? or to persuade? One should have clear purpose in mind for generating the technical information.

RECEIVER/AUDIENCE

Any technical communication is initiated keeping the receiver (audience/targeted user) in mind, for it is sheer waste of effort if it doesn't make sense to the receiver. One should research about the audience as well as it is very important to know:
Is the receiver informed or uninformed on the subject?
Is the receiver well aware about the technical terminology one is going to use to present the information? If not, how to solve the problem so that it is understandable?
Is one targeting the information to an individual/a group of specialized persons or a layperson?
Is one's receiver a subordinate, a peer or a superior?
Things which one should keep in mind while analyzing the receiver/audience/targeted user:

1. Degree of Knowledge
One's targeted user may be technician, a manager, a worker or a person interested in a subject. If writing for a technician, one can use technical terms while explaining the processes. For a non technical person, one has to expand the acronyms and explain the technical jargons while explaining the processes. If writing for a layperson, one needs to add detailed statements of purpose, background, data and other special information before proceeding.

2. Specialized Training and Vocabulary
If the receiver's background is similar to the speaker, she/he may include technical terms, abbreviations and graphics which an expert understands. But if the receiver has little training in the field, one should include definitions, expansion of acronyms, explanations, special notes and other details in plain and clear English.

3. Single or a Group
Mostly the business letters, memos are targeted for a single person whereas reports, proposals, manuals, online help are targeted for a group of users.

4. Subordinates, peers, superiors or laypeople
Everyone should understand what one is trying to communicate. If writing for an software which is developed for an organization, one should take care of the hierarchy. Analyze the degree of knowledge of the subordinates, peers, superiors or laypeople while writing about the product to ensure understandability among each specialized group.

MESSAGE

Message is the explanation, response, set of instructions, recommendations, which helps to accomplish the aim of communication process. It could be raw data left for the user to interpret or well organized consolidated information. The role of a technical communicator is to assort/assimilate the factual data which could be a long list of figures, tables, graphs and so on; understand it with the receivers' perspective and repackage it in such a way that the receiver can understand the subject at first reading.

TONE

Tone is the word choice and phrasing which expresses one's attitude towards the subject. The technical communicators' tone should be factual and impartial. One should strictly avoid emotions, sarcasm, overt enthusiasm, humor, satire, anger, irony and bitterness.

STYLE

Use an impersonal and simple style. Style is the manner or mode of expression in language; the way of putting thoughts into words. Use simple words, uncomplicated sentences and short paragraphs. Unless the targeted user is highly technical, avoid technical terms, jargon, shoptalk, gobbledygook, overblown language, wordiness, redundancy and unnecessary passive-voice constructions. Inappropriate style presents one of the most serious problems towards information understandability than any other factor.

CHANNEL

Decide what is the best medium of expression of the technical information. The medium of communicating information has a great impact on the receiver's mind. An idea which could not be expressed in thousand words could be very easily expressed by a video. Nowadays, the conventional ways of communicating are being replaced by more interactive, animated media such as Flash or Authorware used in CBT (Computer Based Training), WBT (Web Based Training) packages.

According to the project needs one should decide the medium of communication. The medium could be an oral presentation, a slide program, audio tapes, videotapes or computer disks.

NOISE

Any hindrance that leads to non understandability of technical information is termed as Noise. It could be due to poor print quality, missing information, missing links in websites, blurred graphics, inappropriate language, omitting background information or absence of facts and tables where required. Different backgrounds of the receivers, mental or physical stress at the time of communication are some other facts that add to the noise.

Consider ways to avoid these barriers at the time of communication.

1. Encoding/Decoding
Determine the information and the physical layout which is most effective for conveying the message. The receiver should be able to decode the information. In simple words, the user should be able to get what one is trying to convey. Some important facts to be considered:

- Divide the message in three parts viz. inntroduction, main body and closing part.

- Be brief in explanation

- Write in short and precise paragraphs
- Use headings and sub headings

- Use numbers or bullets for listing importtant facts

- Use boldface , italics or other fonts forr emphasis

- Insert diagrams, graphs, notes, tables whherever necessary

INTERPRETATION

Interpret the information with a reviewers eye and avoid any double meaning or misleading statements, idioms and other barriers to understanding.

FEEDBACK

Feedback is any comment, suggestion, or information given by the user to the technical communicator. One must take these comments into consideration while revising the work. Encourage feedback by asking for questions, enclosing a questionnaire and making oneself available via e-mail or any other means.