Chapter 16: Creating Process Explanations

Erin Collopy and Tom Wilmes

Objectives and Outcomes

• Understand that process explanations present an overview of sequential actions in chorological order.
• Use process explanations as part of larger documents, including manuals, orientation and training materials, marketing and promotional materials, and public information.
• Use a conventional sequence of technical description, process explanation, and benefits or advantages that an audience can use.
• Prepare effective process explanations.

Defining Processes

Process explanations explain sequential actions to members of an audience who need enough details to understand an action or process, but not enough to necessarily enable them to complete it. These processes must be accurate and accessible to work.

An example of this would be a rubric for a class assignment.

Using Process Explanations

Process explanations often appear in the same kinds of documents as technical descriptions. Here you can decide whether to include the process explanation and what kind of details to include by examining the purpose and task of the document.

-Will the process explanation help accomplish your purpose?

-Will it help the reader understand the process?

• Reports

Provide the audience with background information for understanding critical technical processes. The typical sequence for a report’s introduction is the Technical Description, Process Explanation, and Benefits or Disadvantages.

• Task Manuals

They are used to complete complex tasks accurately.

• Orientation and Training

Managers frequently appreciate simple straightforward process explanations students may need more detailed info

Marketing and Promotional Materials

• Process explanations are best defined in a context of complete information.
• It is more useful to define, describe, and illustrate the background of a process and its materials first, then show them how to do it.

Public Information and Education

• Readers of general interest publications are usually interested in technical information. Not all of these readers may have the knowledge to fully understand the process though. Therefore, one could use more pictures or more text and simpler definitions to convey the message to the reader.

Preparing Processes

Audience and Purpose

• Identifying your audience and their purpose for reading your document or watching your presentation will more fully help you understand how to prepare the process explanation.

Identification of Steps

• An essential part of process explanation is defining the steps. If the time needed to complete a step is important, be sure to include that too.
• The order of steps forms a guideline to easily follow for the process explanation. It will also help in your choice of visuals.

Effective visuals for process explanation

· Flowcharts

· Timelines

· Schedules

· Drawings

· Time-lapse photographs

· Sequential drawings

Diction

· The audience and purpose will affect which language you use. An important decision is to use an active voice or a passive voice. A passive voice when you want to emphasize the recipient of the action. Use an active voice when you want to emphasize the doer of the action.

· Active voice: The automatic timer activated the machine.

· Passive voice: The machine was activated by the timer.

· Notice how the machine is receiving the action in the passive voice and the timer is giving the action in the active voice.

Organization and Format

· Since process explanations are usually chronological, headings and subheadings are effective at telling the reader when the process moves from one step to the next.

· Obviously, the less expert the audience, the less complex the information should be. But, non-experts may need a more careful explanation which could take longer than the experts’ explanation.

· Numbering the steps is also optional, depending on the audiences needs.