{"id":6128,"date":"2024-10-07T16:16:34","date_gmt":"2024-10-07T16:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fasttxt.es\/en\/?p=6128"},"modified":"2024-10-07T16:20:34","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T16:20:34","slug":"content-creation-instruction-manuals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fasttxt.es\/en\/blog\/content-creation-instruction-manuals","title":{"rendered":"Content creation: instruction manuals"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Within the scope of the technical translator’s work, the translation and writing of instruction manuals is one of the activities most in demand by companies.<\/p>\n

A manual<\/strong> is, in essence, a fundamental tool for the communication of a given procedure, so it is crucial that the information is conveyed as clearly and concisely as possible. The manual contains, in an orderly and systematic manner, the information and\/or instructions necessary for the operation of a machine or the performance of a specific task; and, in this sense, the correct structuring of the contents is vital for the message to reach the target audience, who may or may not be experts in the subject matter in question. Then, depending on the audience to whom the manual is addressed (according to their level of knowledge of the subject matter), the information should also be presented in one way or another.<\/p>\n

In addition, manuals can cover a wide range of subjects, from heavy machinery to sophisticated electronic devices, so knowledge of the subject matter is also of vital importance. It is therefore the task of the content creator specialized in preparing manuals to adapt the information in an optimal way based on all these questions.<\/p>\n

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Key elements in the composition of an instruction manual<\/strong><\/h2>\n

First of all, a product instruction manual must comply with the policies and regulations<\/strong> of the destination market, and these are often somewhat complex, as each country is governed by different legislation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Generally, most companies work with an outside expert to ensure that their manuals comply with regulations. However, the professional manual writer should also be familiar with all aspects of the regulations, as this will considerably speed up their work.<\/p>\n

Secondly, as we have already mentioned, it is very important to adhere to a predefined structure<\/strong> in the preparation of an instruction manual, which usually includes details such as a brief description of the product, materials, technical specifications, safety and maintenance instructions, troubleshooting tips, customer service channels, etc. In this sense, the drafting of an instruction manual requires prior planning, and it is important to present the key sections to be developed through the preparation of an index.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Manuals within the framework of technical drafting<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When writing an instruction manual, we must take as a main reference the stylistic characteristics of technical writing, insofar as manuals are a textual typology of a technical nature.<\/p>\n

The main objective of technical communication<\/strong> is to transfer information as quickly, clearly and concisely as possible by means of a common code between the transmitting and receiving parties. However, this relationship is not entirely symmetrical, since, in general, the party wishing to communicate something plays the role of ‘server’, while the receiver plays the role of ‘client’.<\/p>\n

In this sense, we can distinguish five different levels according to the degree of knowledge of the reader-client (from lower to higher degree of knowledge of the reader-client): non-technical operator, technician, advanced technician, engineer and advanced engineer or scientist.<\/p>\n

Then, the topic to be addressed will be approached differently depending on the function of the group to which the text is addressed. However, sometimes the target audience factor can be more complex than it appears. For example, let’s think about drafting a manual for a vehicle.<\/strong> A priori<\/em>, the manual is intended for future drivers, who will be interested in knowing only the minimum necessary to start the vehicle. In fact, most buyers will not even read the instruction manual.<\/p>\n

However, the manual should contain very detailed information on the unit’s performance, including how to perform minor inspections or repairs. Therefore, even if the manual is aimed at a non-specialist audience, it must contain the fundamental technical details of the product in question, as this is precisely what gives the manual its own entity. Therefore, it is the degree of depth with which these technical details are addressed that will give us information on whether a manual is aimed at a non-technical operator, a technician or an engineer, but the manual itself is a highly specialized document whose content tends to go beyond common knowledge.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Stylistic features of the manuals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bearing the foregoing in mind, there are a series of basic characteristics that are usually applied to the writing of manuals in general, always considering that it is a textual typology of a technical nature.<\/p>\n

If our objective is to convey ideas in a clear manner, it is advisable to eliminate verbiage<\/strong>, i.e., the flourishes or abundance of words that do not add anything to the message. Although this may seem obvious, many technical content writers believe that by adding more words to the text, they contribute to increasing its value, when it is quite the opposite. If it can be expressed in a short and simple way, why not do so?<\/p>\n

Another characteristic feature of technical writing, and therefore of instruction manuals, is the pretension of objectivity. <\/strong>Therefore, all expressions that may suggest the reader’s opinion or generate any kind of ambiguity should be avoided; these are known as ‘weak expressions’<\/strong>. One of these is \u201cetcetera\u201d. What is the purpose of listing a series of elements and at the end put \u201cetc.\u201d? This particle does not add any useful information, but rather casts doubt on the reader as to what the word may be hiding.<\/p>\n

Another example of ambiguous writing<\/strong> would be a statement such as: \u201cthe car’s brake control system shows that it fails at high speed\u201d. Which part fails, the control test, the brake or the car itself? In general, the use of the pronoun is to avoid frequent repetition of words and provide greater cohesion to the text; however, in technical writing, what is prioritized is clarity in the transmission of ideas, so it is preferable to be reiterative rather than ambiguous.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Likewise, it is advisable to avoid double negation<\/strong>, with sentences such as \u201cthere are not many photovoltaic inverters that can be connected to the string system\u201d (when what is meant is that there are indeed \u201cmany\u201d). Although double negations are often used to emphasize the message, in texts of this type they confuse the reader.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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In order to achieve this clarity in the transmission of information, it is advisable to define all the terms <\/strong>that appear in the text, especially those that belong to a specialized jargon<\/strong>. An idea that works quite well in technical manuals is to add a table of terms at the beginning of the text, so that the reader can refer to it whenever they feel it necessary, thus avoiding constantly interrupting the content with definitional clarifications.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, it is stylistically relevant to write technical manuals in the third person, <\/strong>using short and simple sentences<\/strong> (without too many levels of subordination) and using active language<\/strong> (i.e. avoiding the use of passive constructions as much as possible).<\/p>\n

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As we have seen, instruction manuals present a series of very specific particularities that make their drafting a rigorous and complex task. It is therefore advisable that this type of work be undertaken by true professionals trained in the field of technical drafting. At FAST.txt<\/strong><\/a>, we have a team of professionals specifically trained in the creation of content and with extensive experience in drafting manuals. So, if you are thinking of writing an instruction manual and don’t know where to turn, don’t hesitate to put yourself in our hands: rely on FAST.txt.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Carlos S\u00e1nchez Luis<\/em><\/p>\n

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Within the scope of the technical translator’s work, the translation and writing of instruction manuals is one of the activities most in demand by companies. A manual is, in essence, a fundamental tool for the communication of a given procedure, so it is crucial that the information is conveyed as clearly and concisely as possible. … Leer m\u00e1s<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[26],"tags":[361],"class_list":["post-6128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-translation-and-interpretation-services","tag-content-creation-instruction-manuals"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t