ATP Style Manual

PREFACE

Advanced Technical Publications (ATP) aims to develop world-class site or organisation-

specific technical and training documentation for industry. We want ATP’s name to become
synonymous with high quality documentation that exceeds all others in presentation,
readability and technical accuracy. Every document that we produce will remain ‘at large’ for
many years and will bear testimony to the effort, or lack of effort, that was expended in its
development. It is important that we strive to for excellence in every document that we
produce. It is also important that we help to build our corporate image as documentation
specialists by achieving consistency in our techniques and methodology across a range of
Technical Writers and a range of projects. We achieve this by using high quality photographs,
graphics, cartoons and layout methods.

The purpose of this manual is to assist writers in achieving consistency, to point out some of
the most common writing problems and to answer the common questions. You must
remember that no style manual can ever provide the solutions to all writing problems. When
writing or layout problems occur to which there seems to be no ready answer, it is the
writer’s job to arrive at a workable solution. The fact that you are employed as a Technical
Writer means that, by definition, you are expected to know the basics of spelling, syntax and
grammar. Grammar and spelling are covered in the manual but not at great depth.

It is also important to remember that the English language is ‘organic’ — it is prone to change.
What was fashionable this year may not be so in years to come. As well as this, the manual
may have been deficient in certain areas in the first place. Accordingly, all ATP personnel are
invited to offer suggestions for changes to the ATP styles or other amendments and additions
to this manual. However, having invited comment we should also stress the adage:‘if it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it’.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC ONE — STYLE BASICS ................................................................. 3

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 3
COLOURED TEXTS ................................................................................................................................ 4
BULLET POINTS .................................................................................................................................... 4
WORD CHOICE ................................................................................................................................... 7
SENTENCE STRUCTURE ...................................................................................................................... 10
PARAGRAPHS ...................................................................................................................................... 13
PUNCTUATION ................................................................................................................................... 13
SPELLING ............................................................................................................................................ 24
STYLISTIC EMPHASIS ............................................................................................................................ 26
DEALING WITH NUMBERS .................................................................................................................. 27
PHOTOGRAPHS ................................................................................................................................... 29
ILLUSTRATIONS AND GRAPHICS ........................................................................................................... 32
CARTOONS ......................................................................................................................................... 33
CLIENTS’ FORMS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ...................................................................................... 34
PROOF READING ................................................................................................................................ 34
ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 36
WORKING DRAFTS ............................................................................................................................ 36
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 40
TOPIC TWO — QUALITY BASICS .......................................................... 41
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 41
WHAT IS A STANDARD ATP TRAINING PACKAGE? .............................................................................. 41
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ............................................................... 43
VISION/MISSION STATEMENTS ................................................................ 47

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TOPIC ONE — STYLE BASICS

INTRODUCTION
Layout and appearance go hand-in-hand with graphics, illustrations and cartoons. This is the
area where ATP can excel and where we should always strive for high standards. There is a
perception that anyone with some technical background can write a technical manual. Our
main weapon to overcome this perception lies in the superior appearance of the
documentation that we produce. If we cannot make it stand out from the rest, no-one will
ever know that the content we include is also superior.

It is difficult to prescribe hard and fast rules about layout but the general topics covered in
this style manual should help Technical Writers to develop documentation that stands out
from the rest.

FONTS
It is important to use font choice carefully. If poor choices are made, the document can
become next to unreadable. A survey (Colin Wheildon) has shown that in 67% of cases,
readers achieve good comprehension of a given text which has been printed in a serif font.
On the other hand, of the same group of readers only 12% achieved a good level of
comprehension when the text was printed in a sans serif print. Generally speaking, serif type
fonts are more readable as body text and therefore the information conveyed by them is
more accessible than when presented in some other form. The following examples show the
general fonts that we use at ATP for A4 documentation.

EXAMPLE OF HEADING — Arial font at 24pt bold, caps.

EXAMPLE OF SUB HEAD 1 — Arial Narrow font at 21pt bold, small caps.
Example of Sub Head 2 — Arial Narrow font at 16pt bold.
Example of Sub Head 3 — Arial Narrow font at 14 point bold.

Example of Sub Head 4 — Arial Narrow font at 12 point italics.

Example of Body Text — Times New Roman font at 12pt.

Example of Photo Caption Text — Arial Narrow font 10pt font at 10 point sizing.

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COLOURED TEXTS
Generally, coloured texts are less clear than plain
black ink. A page of red or blue is not something that
you want to see. Some colours show up particularly
badly in printed matter (eg. yellow). Therefore, we
avoid the use of colour in our finalised documentation.
Having said that, coloured text can be useful to draw
the layout person’s attention to a writer’s direction.
For example:

Insert photo OD-3 ¾ P17: The Tails Leach Thickener.

Please insert diagram # 003 here

Colours can also work well when they are used in headings and subheads. However, it is
important to remember that colour printers are not yet universal and, in many cases, are
very expensive to use. Your customer may not have the option of printing in colour.

Having said all of the above, coloured photographs are a very useful part of the way we
develop documentation at ATP. They serve the dual purpose of providing extra detail and
explanation while ‘dressing up’ the document.

BULLET POINTS
We frequently use bullet points and
numbered lists in the work that we do at
ATP. It is important that we are
consistent in their use. It is also
important to make sure that the
hierarchy is identifiable. An example of
the use of bullets may be as follows:

• This is an example of a first order bullet point:

– an example of a second order bullet point
– an example of a second order bullet point
– an example of a second order bullet point.
• This is an example of a first order bullet point.
• This is an example of a first order bullet point.

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When using bullet points, it is also important to know when to use capitals at the beginning
of the point and when to use full stops at the end of the point. The following rules will cover
most situations:

• If each bullet point within the list is a discrete sentence, then each should carry a capital
first letter and a full stop.
• If the bullet point list commences with part of a sentence and the sentence is completed
by each subsequent bullet point, only the opening clause carries a capital and only the
last clause in the sentence carries a full stop. Notice that it is possible to have more than
one sentence in a bullet point if that is what is necessary to explain your point.

The following examples should help to clarify the bulleting situation:

A set of bullet points could be a simple list consisting of:

• letters
• words
• punctuation marks, such as:
– commas
– semi-colons.
• numbers
• measurements.

A set of bullet points could be more complex by carrying a sequence of concepts or ideas,
such as follows.

Before passing through the security gate, you must ensure you:

• complete your site induction

• complete your area induction
• fill in the visitor’s form
• obtain and wear the correct PPE for the area
• obtain the site manager’s authorisation
• place your tag on the visitor’s tag board.

There are two important things to notice here. The first is that only one full stop is used in
the entire sequence and the second is that all the bullet points are ‘parallel’. The idea of
parallelism means that every bulleted clause can be referred back to the opening clause and
be read as a proper sentence.

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NUMBERED LISTS
The following procedure for using a computer is an example of a simple numbered list:
1. Switch on the computer.
2. Open the application.
3. Open the file you need.
4. Make your changes.
5. Save the changes.
6. Shut down the document.
7. Shut down the application.
8. Shut down the computer.

Notice that these are all imperatives and the subject is implied. These constitute full
sentences and, therefore, each must start with a capital letter and finish with a full stop.
Once again, more than one sentence could be used in this format. You can also use multi-
level versions of numbered lists. You can see an example of a multi-level numbered list
below:
This lesson will examine the main components of the vehicle in the following order:
1. body
2. chassis
3. engine
a. lubrication system
i. oil reservoir
ii. oil pump
iii. oil filter
b. fuel system
i. fuel tank
ii. fuel pump
iii. fuel filters
c. cooling system
i. radiator
ii. coolant
iii. coolant pump
4. transmission
a. transmission lubrication
5. differential
a. differential lubrication.

As you will notice, none of the numbered points is capitalised and only the final point
receives a full stop.

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WORD CHOICE
Whenever you write anything you need to make sure that you are aiming the language at the
right level to suit your readers. If you write at a high level, you run the risk that your
audience will not understand what you are trying to convey. If you write at a level that is too
low, you may alienate your readers by insulting their educational levels. In either case, your
readers will lose interest and what you have written will be lost to them.

So the first step in writing is to know the audience for

which you are writing. ATP predominantly develops
documentation that will be read by blue-collar workers. A
fact of life is that people who do blue collar work often do
not possess high level reading and comprehension skills.
This is not a comment on their intelligence levels or their
abilities. It is merely an acknowledgement that many of
these people have chosen not to make high levels of
academic education a high priority in their lives.

TWO-CENT WORDS
The simple rule to remember is to use ‘two-cent’ words rather than ‘two-dollar’ words. The
following list shows a small sample of two-dollar words that have a two-cent equivalent or
near-equivalent:

• Abundance — lot; many

• Automobile — car
• Commence — begin
• Confectionary effigies of wet-skinned, amphibious
reptiles of the croaking type — chocolate frogs
• Enormous — large
• In view of the fact — because
• Initial; initially — first
• Initiate — start; begin
• Magnitude — size; capacity; etc
• Salubrious — healthy
• Utilise — use
• Vestigial — remaining.

Whenever you read (books, newspapers, magazines, other technical documentation), build a
collection of words to use and words not to use.

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REMEMBER!
Your computer is equipped with a useful thesaurus which can often
help you to find a word that will be suitable for your needs. Make a
habit of using the thesaurus when you cannot bring to mind a word
that you really need. Use a dictionary if you encounter words
where the meaning is not clear.

WEASEL WORDS
Another area where word choice can affect the quality of
your writing is in the use of clichés, buzz-words,
abbreviations and jargon. If you choose this type of word
in your texts, you are using ‘weasel words’. Using weasel
words can have the effect of leaving the reader alienated by
the text or in the dark about what is intended by the
writer. Take, for example, the following sentence:

In the near future, the stakeholders will initiate and

implement a BS 33 which will lead to favourable outcomes
and achievements with regard to the Pro-Ed system that
the Department is seeking to establish before the third
registration period.

Although grammatically correct, a sentence like this is useless — it means nothing. It is full of
clichés, buzzwords abbreviations and jargon and the meaning would only be apparent to
insiders — and even that is doubtful. If any of your sentences are as opaque as this one, you
need to rethink what you are trying to say and then say it clearly.

Americanisms and Colloquialisms

In technical writing your tone should generally be formal. Avoid Americanisms and
colloquialisms because they tend to reduce the document’s formality and credibility. For
example:

• use spanner — not wrench

• use operator — not operative
• use rubbish — not trash
• use throw — not sling, chuck, etc
• use tonnes per hour — not tons per hour
(see later section for dealing with measurements).

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NON-DISCRIMINATORY LANGUAGE
We must not use discriminatory language. By being thoughtful about what you write you
should be able to avoid discriminatory language altogether. Fortunately, you can avoid
discriminatory language much more easily as a Technical Writer than you could, for example,
as a journalist. Some of the ways in which we can be discriminatory are as follows:

• on the basis of gender

• on the basis of race
• on the basis of age
• on the basis of religion
• on the basis of educational levels
• on the basis of physical ability or disability
• on the basis of appearance
• on the basis of dress/fashion
• on the basis of position within the organisation
• and there are many other ways in which we can be discriminatory.

Probably the most commonly used discriminatory language refers to gender. In the not-too-
distant past, it was common for non-fiction books to refer to males whenever an example or
anecdote was called for. This is no longer acceptable. If your writing calls for a mention of
the pronoun for the third-person, you must balance the possible sexism by including both
genders. For example:

The operator must always conduct a pre-start inspection. He/she should start at the
base of the operator steps and work around the dozer until all points have been
inspected and passed as satisfactory. Any operator ignoring this procedure could find
him/herself in a dozer that is not performing correctly.

The example above is closer to correct English than the use of plural which some writers
use. Clearly, the use of the plural third-person usages (they and them) would be definitely
out of place in the above text.

REMEMBER!
Your job is to communicate complex technical issues in ways which
are easy to read and understand.

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SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Use the information in the following comments to help with your general sentence structure.

SENTENCE LENGTH
There is very little point in devising sentences that are so long that the point is missed by the
time the reader reaches the end. Newspapers generally limit the size of their sentences to
about 30 words. Hemingway, limited his sentences to around twenty words. In most cases if
you are exceeding 30 words, your sentences are probably too long for a technical or training
document. There are exceptions to the rule so do not try to laboriously follow it in every
situation. However, try to keep your sentences short and to the point.

COMMA SPLICES
The comma splice is often related to sentences that are too long.
If your sentences are regularly exceeding ideal length and you
are using a lot of commas, you are probably creating ‘comma-
splice’ sentences. A comma-splice sentence is generally made up
of two or more sentences presented as one by the expedient of
incorporating additional commas.

The following is an example of a comma splice sentence:

The haultruck is powered by a V16 Detroit diesel engine, the power from the engine is
transferred to rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission and a heavy duty
differential.

This is actually two sentences that have been incorrectly joined by the placement of a
comma after the words ‘diesel engine’. The simple way to fix this problem is to replace the
comma with a full stop and to capitalise the word ‘the’ as the start of a new sentence.

REMEMBER!
If your sentences are consistently too long, make sure that you are
not using comma splices.

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ACTIVE VERSUS PASSIVE SENTENCES

One of the common problems with technical
writing is the use of passive sentences. The
use of passive sentences generally means that
text is going to be excessively wordy and
more difficult to read and understand.

The following show simple examples of active

and passive sentences:

Passive — On the mat the cat is going to sit.

Active — The cat is going to sit on the mat.

The following show more complex examples of active and passive sentences:

Passive — On the front, left-hand side of the haultruck is located the manual up-down,
stair control.

Active — The manual, up-down, stair control is located at the front, left-hand side of the
haultruck.

The basic structure of the two types of sentence can be illustrated as follows:

Passive — object – verb – subject or object – subject – verb

Active — subject – verb – object

In either of the two passive cases the object has been allowed to be placed at the beginning
of the sentence.

Another version of the passive sentence is the expletive construction. This is where
sentences are begun with word combinations such as:‘There are…’;‘It is…’. In some cases
this structure is almost unavoidable. However, such sentence openings can be changed for
the better with just a little thought. See the following examples:

Expletive construction — There is a requirement for all personnel to carry a respirator

when entering this area.

Improved version — All personnel must carry a respirator when entering this area.

Expletive construction — It is a difficult situation because we will be forced to purchase

more equipment to cope with the extra demand.

Improved version — We have a difficult situation which will force us to purchase more
equipment to meet the extra demand.

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To avoid passive sentences, work out what or who is acting as the ‘doing’ agent (the subject)
and make sure that he/she/it is placed before the verb. This will generally lead to active
sentence construction.

SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

Technical writers often get so entrenched in the subject matter that they forget to check
what they have written. Because of this they often have difficulty in identifying sentence
fragments. A sentence fragment is a series of words that at first glance looks like a sentence
but when read in isolation, it becomes clear that it lacks a verb or a subject. A sentence
fragment is normally embedded between a couple of normal sentences so it is somewhat
disguised by its proximity to them. The following shows an example of a sentence fragment.

Eleven Caterpillar 793 haultrucks are used to transport the run of mine ore from
shovels 1, 5 and 7 to any one of the three gyratory crushers. Four to crusher 1, four to
crusher 5 and three to crusher 7. The haulage system can be altered to suit current
conditions in the mine and the status of the individual crushers.

As you can see, the sentence fragment above is highlighted. The reason it is a sentence
fragment is because it contains no verb. Avoid this type of mistake by carefully reading what
you have written.

Because sentences are infinitely variable, it is impossible to prescribe what an ideal sentence
should look like. As a Technical Writer you have to be able to gauge that for yourself. In
order to write readable, meaningful sentences, you need to know exactly what it is that you
are trying to say. If you do not have a clear goal in mind, your sentence will invariably turn
out to be nonsense.

The ultimate test of a sentence is to determine whether or not it is readable and makes
sense. When you proof-read your own text, if there are sentences that leave you unclear
about what you originally meant, there is no hope for your reader. Careful proof-reading of
your own work is the best way to find and correct your own mistakes. An important point
to remember is that you will never be able to proof-read satisfactorily on the screen — you
should always print out and proof-read a hard copy.

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If you want to find out more about more about words and
sentence structure, you can use the following texts:

The Professional Writing Guide — Writing Well and Knowing

Why by Roslyn Petelin and Marsha Durham

The Little, Brown Handbook by HR Fowler; JE Aaron and

D Anderson

Handbook of Practical English by RC Cornish

You can also use a good dictionary, a thesaurus and/or

an English Usage book to help you to find words and
structure sentences. Finally, the computer that you are using
carries a built in thesaurus which can be useful in the search for words.

PARAGRAPHS
Once you have selected the words, structured the sentences, you need to determine how
the paragraph fits together. Roslyn Petelin and Marsha Durham (The Professional Writing
Guide) suggest that a paragraph should be:‘complete’;‘unified’;‘ordered’. All ATP Technical
Writers are urged to read the chapter in this book on the construction of paragraphs.

In short, a paragraph should contain all the necessary information to make a point or series
of points. All of these points should be from the same or a similar perspective and carry a
similar ‘tone’. The information contained in the paragraph should be presented in a logical
order and the information should be complete.

REMEMBER!
A break for a paragraph should be decided in relation to the
information it contains — not in relation to the paragraph’s size.

PUNCTUATION
This section will look briefly at the basics of punctuation. Punctuation is used to guide the
reader throughout he text and show him or her how the writer intends a given piece of text
to be read. The main point about punctuation is that it is most often correct when it is not
noticeable. If you proof-read a document and do not notice the punctuation, the chances
are that it is punctuated correctly.

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COMMAS
The comma is probably the most versatile and widely used punctuation mark in the English
language. It has a number of purposes which include:

• separating the discrete items in a list within a sentence

• separating adjectives within a sentence
• separating an aside within a sentence
• separating discrete clauses within a sentence.

Separating Discrete Items

The following sentence is an example of the separation of discrete items in a list within a
sentence.

Before you start writing a document, you must set the scope of what you will write,
research your subject, obtain the necessary photographs, and decide in what format your
document will be written.

NOTE!
In this case, the comma before the word ‘and’ is appropriate.

REMEMBER!
If the list contains more than three or four items, consider using
bullet points to make the content of the sentence clearer.

Separating Adjectives
Adjectives are the describing words that are used to qualify
distinctions about a given noun. When you need to use
two or more adjectives, you should use commas to separate
the discrete adjectives in the string. For example:

The square, green, 40-litre oil tank carries the system’s

hydraulic fluid. Its level must be checked on a daily basis.

REMEMBER!
Adjectives are used to modify nouns while adverbs are used to
modify verbs.

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Separating an Aside Within a Sentence

This is a fairly common use for the comma. In this case, commas are used in a similar way to
brackets. You must remember that generally two commas (known as ‘comma pairs’) will be
required. This requirement can be negated if the aside is placed at the end of the sentence.
However, such structure often conveys the feeling that what comes after the comma is
simply an afterthought. At best it is an unwieldy construction.

The following sentence shows an example of the use of comma pairs with the aside and the
commas highlighted:

The capacity of the centrifuge, running on material containing 40% moisture, is

approximately 80 TPH.

The same aside could be placed at the end of the sentence in which case there would only
be a need for one comma.

The capacity of the centrifuge is approximately 80 TPH, running on material containing

40% moisture.

As you can see the second version is somewhat unwieldy and would not be the preferred
method of delivering this information.

Separating Discrete Clauses

Within a Sentence
This is the area where we frequently use commas. This is also
the area where poor teachers of English have told their
students that they should place the comma where they would
pause in normal speech. This advice is INCORRECT. The
comma is used to indicate that an idea or a notion has been
expressed within the sentence and that we are now going to
move on to the second idea or notion. It can also be used to
avoid confusion in the meaning of a sentence. For example:

After they met the union and the management decided to continue the negotiations.

After they met, the union and the management decided to continue the negotiations.

You should be able to discern the difference that the comma has made in this case.

The following sentence shows an example of using a comma to separate a discrete clause:

Around 3 billion years ago, the ‘big bang’ signalled the beginning of the universe.

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APOSTROPHES
The apostrophe has two main uses. The first is to denote
ownership or possession and the second is to denote an
abbreviated word. The following sections provide brief
explanations and examples of both.

Ownership
Ownership is normally indicated by adding an
apostrophe and the letter S. The typical example
below shows that the person with the name Jim has
ownership of the object.

Jim’s car.

If we were to use Jim’s given name of ‘James’ ownership is shown is a slightly different way.
For example:

James’s car.

There are more variations involved in the usage of the possessive apostrophe but the above
should suffice for most technical writing requirements.

When we are dealing with a plural, the apostrophe is placed after the final S. The following
two examples illustrate the methods for dealing with possessive plural and singular
apostrophes:

Plural — The miners’ cap lamps and self-rescuers are left in the bath house at the end of
the shift (several miners so therefore several cap lamps and self-rescuers).

Singular — The miner’s cap lamp and self-rescuer are left in the bath house at the end of
the shift (single miner so therefore only one cap lamp and one self-rescuer).

Apostrophe Abbreviations
Generally, apostrophe abbreviations should not be used in technical documents. Technical
documents are formal and you can reinforce the formality by not using abbreviations. This
rule does not apply to the text of videos and multi-media voice-overs. Abbreviations are
then used in preference to the formal version. Some examples of apostrophe abbreviations
include:

• don’t
• won’t
• isn’t
• wasn’t
• didn’t
• it’s.

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Inappropriate Use of Apostrophes

The most common inappropriate use of
apostrophes is to place them where
they are not needed. The two most
common errors are:

• Using an apostrophe to indicate the

possessive when the word itself is
automatically possessive. For
example:
– it’s — WRONG
– your’s — WRONG
– their’s — WRONG

There is no need to use the apostrophe in these examples because the words themselves
indicate the possessive. In any case, the word ‘it’s’ is the abbreviation of the words ‘it is’.

• Using an apostrophe when pluralising an abbreviation. For example:

– TW’s — WRONG
– VCR’s — WRONG
– DVD’s — WRONG

The apostrophe is not needed here unless the subject of the abbreviation is possessive.
Several Technical Writers (TWs) are not necessarily possessive. If they are possessive, the
apostrophe is appropriate.

BRACKETS
Brackets are used when you need to either make an aside or say something that relates to
the surrounding information but which does not need to be stated directly. They can also be
used to show the abbreviations that you are going to use throughout the document. The
following sentences show examples of the use of brackets:

When you write a training manual (or any other type of formal or technical document),
ensure that you use correct terminology.

The Advanced Technical Publications (ATP) style manual is ready for use.

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COLONS
The colon is used to ‘announce’ a clause, a list or other
information. The following examples illustrate the use of the
colon.

At the end of the shift, you should do the following:

• complete the end-of-shift report

• ensure the incoming shift knows the location of all mobile
equipment
• ensure the in-coming shift has details of any breakdowns
• ensure that all out-going personnel remove their tags from the tag-board.

There are three steps in the start-up process for the dozer:

1. Carry out a full pre-start inspection.

2. Ensure that the park brake is engaged, the transmission is in neutral and the
ground engaging tools are lowered.
3. Sound the horn, start the engine and allow it to run at an idle until it is warm
enough to take a load.

In a technical document, there is no reason why a colon should not be used at the first and
second level of bullet points. The following example illustrates the use of the colon at two
levels:

The transmission consists of three main sections:

• a dry single plate clutch

• manual transmission which includes:
– five forward speeds
– one reverse speed
– transfer gears for four-wheel drive
– hi pressure oil pump
– limited slip differentials on front and rear axles.

REMEMBER!
The old method of using a colon with a dash (:-) is now considered
to be archaic. The dash is no longer considered necessary.

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SEMI-COLONS
The semi-colon is very rarely used in technical writing. It has three main purposes:

• The first is to join two separate ideas that have a commonality. In this instance the semi-
colon is used in a place where you could use a full stop. For example:
The Technical Writers at ATP are the best available; they are highly experienced and have
extensive technical backgrounds.

• The second is to show the separation point of two ideas that are separated by a con-
junction (however, nevertheless, etc). The following example illustrates this technique:
The Technical Writers at ATP are the best available; however, they can only stay on top by
constant attention to detail.

• The third purpose for the semi-colon is to separate a string of items which have internal
punctuation. For example:
The claim to being the best in the business is legitimate because ATP Technical Writers
pay painstaking, meticulous attention to detail; understand the basics of mining, minerals
processing and engineering practices; and are committed to the development of high
quality, world-class training and technical documents.

FULL STOP
The full stop has one major purpose. That is to signify the end of a sentence. The placement
of full stops varies to some extent the conditions that surround it at any given time. The
conditions caused by bullet points, tables, headings and sub-headings, and brackets may make
a difference to your placement of the full stop. These issues are dealt with at each of the
relevant sections. One important point to remember is to ensure that the full stop must be
followed by a double space or by an en or em space.

As a point of interest, at ATP we strive to use open styles for punctuation and layout so the
use of full stops to indicate abbreviations is not used. If the presence and meaning of an
abbreviation can not be made clear, do not use it.

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ELLIPSIS
The ellipsis is made up of three full
stops placed in a row. It is used to
indicate that there was more to be
said but it is not going to be
covered in detail at this juncture.
The ellipsis is rarely used in
technical documentation. The
following example illustrates a
typical use for an ellipsis:

At the end of the day, the workers go home and…

The detail of what the workers do at home is not important and can safely be left to the
readers imagination.

The ellipsis can also be used to indicate where words have been left out of a quotation.

There is very little of a technical nature that we would want to leave to the imagination or
leave out; hence, the ellipsis is rarely used in technical documentation.

QUOTATION MARKS
Quotation marks have two main purposes:

• To indicate that a passage of text has been quoted directly from either a person or a
text.
• To indicate that a word or phrase has been coined within a sentence.

The following shows an example of each:

The shift superintendent said, ‘We must follow the manufacturer’s instructions when we
start up the dozer’.

The use of the quotation marks in this instance should be self-explanatory.

We can use the manufacturer’s information to ‘fill in any gaps’ in the training manual.

In this case, the quotation marks are used to highlight the fact that the metaphor ‘fill in any
gaps’ has been coined to indicate that the training manual lacks some information which can
be obtained from the manufacturer.

An important point about quotation marks is that two versions are available: single quotation
marks (‘single quote marks’) and double quotations (“double quotation marks”).

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In normal circumstances, single quotation marks should be used. Double quotation marks
should be reserved to indicate a quotation within a quotation. The following example
illustrates the use of a combination of single and double quotation marks:

The shift superintendent said, ‘We must follow the manufacturer’s instructions when
starting up the dozer. The Caterpillar manual says:“Depress the throttle, engage the
injector heater for 10 seconds, turn the start key and release the key when the engine
fires.”’.

A final point for dealing with quotations is that the correct way to deal with a quotation that
is greater than forty words is to indent the quoted text: The following example illustrates
this point:

The standard ATP promotional letter says:

The team at Advanced Technical Publications can demonstrate a very successful track
record as developers of excellent technical and training documentation for both the
Australian and overseas markets. As a result of our experience, we have devised
innovative methods of presenting complex and technical information so that it is
easily learned and remembered — even where language and literacy may be barriers
to learning.

You can use quotation marks within an indented section of text to indicate a quotation
within quotation.

DASHES
At ATP we make significant use of
the dash. To distinguish dashes
from hyphens, we use the em
dash (—). The purpose of the
dash is to show a change of tone,
new thoughts or as parentheses
— particularly when commas are
used within the parentheses.

The following examples illustrate

each of the above:

• Change of tone. Good writing is something that most intelligent people can enjoy —
the trouble is that this is not good writing.
• New thoughts. We need to hone our writing skills by practising what we have learned
— we also need to practise our typing to increase our speed.
• Parentheses. The drive train of the haultruck — engine, transmission, tail shaft and
differential — must be regularly checked for oil leaks in order to prevent serious
damage.

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HYPHENS
Hyphens are distinctly different to dashes in both appearance and purpose. The hyphen (-)
is considerably shorter than an em dash (—).

The purpose of the hyphen is to join two words together to create a third. In doing this, in
some cases, the hyphen reduces possible confusion. For example, there is a difference
between:

‘a man-eating fish’ and ‘a man eating fish’.

Some further examples of this use of the hyphen include:

• pre-start inspections
• walk-around inspections
• belt-drive
• the drive-it-until-breaks maintenance program
• english-speaking person
• diesel-driven generator

Hyphens are also used to is when figures are involved. For example:

• 12-year old engine

• three-week turnaround
• 14/7-day roster

There are some composite words that are now readily accepted. These include

• turnaround
• desktop
• haultruck
• shutdown.

In many cases, you will

have to be guided by
house style and by your
own common-sense.

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SLASH
The slash is commonly used to show the date. For example:

20/08/02.

Remember that the American usage reverses the order of the day and month. This can be
important when you are using computers which often follow the American methodology.

The slash can also be used to indicate that there is an option within the sentence. For
example:

The trainee must undertake an assessment in real/simulated working conditions.

CAUTION!
Never try to use the slash in computer file names. The slash is often
used in computer technical protocol so its use is not advisable in
file names.

EXCLAMATION MARK
The explanation mark should only rarely be used in technical writing. The only suitable place
for an explanation mark to be used is in conjunction with a prompt. At ATP we use the
following prompts in our documentation:

• Danger!
• Warning!
• Caution!
• Note!
• Important!
• Remember!

Informational prompts are discussed in a later section of this manual.

QUESTION MARKS
Similarly to the exclamation mark, there is
generally only one suitable place for question
marks to be used in technical documents —
in the assessment instruments. If you don’t
know when to use a question mark, hand in
your resignation right now.

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CAPITALISATION
Basically, we should strive to minimise the use of capitalisation on the page. Obviously, a
capital should appear at the beginning of a sentence. Capitals should also be used when we
have abbreviated a term (ATP, SES, CPU). All proper nouns should be capitalised.

Equipment items (draglines, dozers,), generalised

positions (office manager, technical writer) and areas
(mill area, flotation area), should not be capitalised.
Capitals are used to ensure that a given
word stands out from the rest of the text.
If they are only used when necessary,
they will maintain their importance. If
they are overused, the page becomes
difficult to read and capitals lose their
importance.

The following sentence illustrates the

overuse of capitals (unnecessary capitals
are highlighted):

The Operators load Haultrucks by the Shovel at one of the Loading Bays in the Lower,
East-End Pit on every Monday,Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and by the Excavator in the
Lower West-End Pit on every Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday.

SPELLING
Spelling is very important. Any misspellings in a technical document will very quickly cost the
author his/her credibility. Make sure that every word in your documentation is correctly
spelled.

AMERICAN SPELLING
The first thing to say about spelling is that
we use Australian standards — not American.
So, words spelt as follows should be avoided:

• color — WRONG
• labor — WRONG
• sulfur — WRONG
An acceptable exception to this rule is when
we are developing material for an American
concern. For example, in the case of
Freeport, we used all American spelling and
American paper sizes in every document we
produced on their behalf.

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MODERN SPELLING
We also use modern spelling as seen in the following words:

• use program — not programme

• use dispatch — not despatch
• use flammable — not inflammable (avoids the possible ambiguity of ‘inflammable’).

SITE-SPECIFIC SPELLING
In some cases, our customers will have preferred spelling for certain words. If it is
appropriate, use site-accepted words. In mining this can, for example, include such words as:

• bathhouse
• haultruck
• prestart
• walkaround.

If the site has no preference, hyphenate the words in the normal way.

SPELL CHECKERS
Whenever you complete a piece
and are about to hand it to layout,
ensure that you have used the spell
checker. A spell checker will not
pick incorrect word usage but it
will certainly ensure that all words
it does not recognise are
highlighted for you to double
check.

SPELLING CONSISTENTLY
Finally, be consistent in your spelling. If there is a word about which you are uncertain of the
spelling (probably some type of trade name) and you have no way of finding the correct
spelling, use the same spelling throughout the document. For example, this is the correct
spelling for Tech-Taylor Valve. If you did not know this, you would not lose too much
credibility if you spelled it Tek-Taylor Valve so long as you did it consistently through the
document.
REMEMBER
In technical documentation, we should not use apostrophe
abbreviations such as isn’t, don’t, it’s, etc.

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STYLISTIC EMPHASIS
The are three ways you can use styles to emphasise items within your text. These are:

bold text

italicised text

underlined text.

BOLD
In ATP documents, bolding is always used in the text for the informational prompts. It can
also be used to indicate important clauses or sentences throughout the text. Under certain
circumstances, a single word can be bolded to highlight its importance; however, this
technique can easily be overused. A number of individual bolded words on a page are all
‘screaming to be heard’ and none of them can be heard above the overall murmuring burble.

ITALICS
Italics are generally reserved for the name of a publication, movie, or a TV program. For
example:

• The Guide to Mining Best Practice

• The Caterpillar 793C Training Program
• Media Watch
• Terminator Four — I am Back

Notice that the definite article (the) is regarded as part of the title.

ATP uses italics for its prompts; however, this is a special case to make something that is
particularly important ‘jump off the page’ at the reader. ATP also uses bold and italics in the
word processed version of its name:

Advanced Technical Publications Pty Ltd

Once again this is for a special purpose and would not be used in general text applications.

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UNDERLINING
Underlining is a leftover from typewriter days.
When we only had typewriters, it was one of the
main of methods of highlighting a given piece of
text. This is not the case since the advent of
word processors. The word processor has
effectively made the underline redundant. In any
case, the appearance of underline is not
particularly pleasant. Use underlining sparingly —
avoid it all together unless it is absolutely
necessary.

Apart from informational prompts, never use two forms of highlighting on the same text — it
makes at least one of the methods redundant. Bolding and underlining a given piece of
text is particularly ugly — adding italics makes things even worse and adding another
style technique such as a colour makes it worse again.

DEALING WITH NUMBERS

It is very simple to deal with numbers. For straight
numbers, the basic rule is that numbers up to ten
inclusive are written in full and numbers above ten are
written in figures. There are some allowable variations
when dealing with hundreds of thousands, millions and
billions. The following examples show how it should be
done:

• one to ten should be written in full

• 11 to 999,999 should be shown in figures
• one million and beyond should be written in full.

NOTE
When using figures, a comma should be placed to separate the
hundreds from the thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of
thousands (once the number requires more than four digits).

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T IME
Time can be dealt with in two ways. The twenty-four hour clock calls for a four-digit number
and the abbreviation for hours. For example:

• 1230 Hrs indicates half an hour past midday

• 2345 Hrs indicates a quarter of an hour to midnight.

The second method to deal with time is to use the twelve-hour clock. To express a time, this
method uses two sets of figures separated by a colon with a suffix indicating whether it
refers to before or after midday. The numerator before the colon can be either a single or
double digit. The numerator after the colon is always a double digit even if both are zeros.
For example:

• 10:30am
• 9:45pm
• 11:00am.

DEALING WITH MEASUREMENTS

Measurements are relatively easily dealt with if a few
simple rules are applied. Because we use the
metric system, capacities, lengths, weights, etc
should always be quoted in metric measurements.
It is, however, acceptable to place the imperial
equivalent in brackets after the metric version.
For example:

• 220 tonnes per hour (242.5 TPH)

• 27.5 metres (90.22 feet)
• 205 litres (45 gallons).
The important criteria is that measurements
should not be mixed. For example do not start off
talking about metres and then suddenly change to
measuring in yards.

It is acceptable to use abbreviations for measurements; however, you must be sure that the
reader will be clear about your intended meaning. The best method to do this is to clarify
what you mean the first time you introduce the measurement with the abbreviation.
Thereafter, consistently use the abbreviation for the remainder of the section, chapter or
topic. For example:

• 220m (metres)
• 24kg (kilograms)
• 67kms (kilometres).

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The abbreviation should be introduced again if you have moved on to a new topic or
chapter.

The danger is that various abbreviations can be confused (M = mega, M = Miles, m = metre,
mm = millimetre). As long as you avoid confusing the reader, there will be no problem. Use
the full version of the word rather than the abbreviation if there is ever any possible doubt
about what you mean.

REMEMBER
In our documentation, it is our job to make issues clear and provide
answers not to confuse and raise questions.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Our use of photographs, graphics and cartoons sets us aside from our competition.
Therefore, the quality and placement of photographs in ATP manuals is critical. The factors
that affect photographs are:

• quality of the original photograph — this includes:

– composition
– lighting
– ability to identify critical
components
– callouts used in the photograph
if any
– portrait or landscape
orientation
– relevance of the photograph to
the text
– caption format and relevance.

Typically our photographs are placed down the right-hand side of the page. The orientation
that fits best on to an A4 page is landscape. However, there are times when the best
photograph of a given subject is in portrait. Ensure that you use a balanced mix of landscape
and portrait photographs in the development of your manuals when you need to include
portrait orientated photographs. Several portrait photographs in a row takes away from the
appearance of the manual. Wherever possible, photographs should be cropped in a 4:3
(landscape) or 3:4 (portrait) ratio using a photo-editing software, eg. Photoshop.

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The accepted presentation for both portrait and

landscape photographs can be seen in the adjacent
examples.

Landscape Portrait

FILM VS DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS

ATP uses both film and digital cameras. There are pros and cons
with each type of camera. If both types are available to you for
a given project, select and use the best camera for the job.

Digital
Digital cameras have improved over the past few
years to the point where they now provide a
reasonable quality and sufficient photographs can
be stored on the flash card. The advantages of
digital cameras are:

• cost per photograph is much less than film

• a preview of the photograph can be seen in the camera’s screen
• on site, photographs can be immediately down-loaded and used in the manual
• digital photographs can be easily down-loaded and transmitted over a network or the
email
• the amount of gear to be carried with the TW while taking photographs is much less
than with film
• the resolution and size of the photograph can be adjusted to suit the requirement
• digital cameras seem to be able to take a usable shot in much lower light levels than a film
camera loaded with regular speed film
• digital cameras are lighter and more compact than their film counterparts.

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The disadvantages of digital cameras are:

• the numbering scheme for the photographs is sometimes unreliable because of the
variation in file size for each shot — this makes things difficult when transcribing notes
after leaving site
• the quality is still not as good as film unless very high resolution is used in which case
the number of shots per flash card is dramatically reduced (eg, on a 128 megabyte card
the number of shots can drop from 760 small photographs in low resolution to four
large photographs in high resolution.)
• If you have taken a number of digital photographs, you will need to make a ‘thumbprint’
contact sheet in order to see what you have taken — the small images on a thumbprint
sheet are not as easy to see as a film print
• Digital cameras notoriously require a lot of power to operate — the batteries have a
relatively short life from fully charged to low charge
• You need to down-load your photographs every day and this means that you need to
carry either a laptop computer or load the camera’s software on to a site computer —
both of these can be serious problems.

The advantages of film cameras are:

• the quality is high
• using a pack of photographs when writing a manual is much easier than using a digital
photograph thumbprint contact sheet
• a film camera is easy to load on the run
• the film numbering scheme is reliable
• extra film is generally available in most locations
• you do not need to down-load photographs at the end of each day’s research — you do
not need to carry a laptop computer
• film camera battery consumption is much less than digital cameras
• the company actually makes a small profit from the use of film cameras over digital
• you have to wait for your films to be processed when you return from the site visit.

The disadvantages of film cameras are:

• films must be processed before you can see the results of your photography
• photos need to be scanned for inclusion in manuals
• reportedly, films can be damaged when going through airport security X-ray machines
• film is relatively much more expensive than digital cameras
• carrying film while travelling and while working on site can be inconvenient
• the film camera is heavier and bulkier than the digital camera.

You will probably be able to come up with other pros and cons for the choices between film
and digital cameras. The important thing is to be sure that you use the best camera for the
job at hand. When you need to make the choice, think the situation through and use the
camera that is best for your needs for the given project.

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ILLUSTRATIONS AND GRAPHICS

Illustrations and graphics can include:

• diagrams drawn by ATP’s graphics department

• screen dumps from on-site computer systems
• scans from manufacturer’s manuals (if of sufficiently high quality)
• diagrams provided from on-site (if of sufficiently high quality)

The first thing to say about graphics and illustrations is that we have an artwork team which
handles all the graphics and artwork that is necessary for our publications. If you wish to
have something drawn up, submit it to the graphics team as a sketch on paper. We do not
want Technical Writers wasting time drawing diagrams in Word, Corel Draw or some other
program. We have a given format and a library of graphics which we go to some length to
maintain. If Technical Writers are drawing their own diagrams, we will lose track of the library,
we will lose control of the quality of graphics and Technical Writers will not be doing what
they are paid to do. Besides this, the artwork team runs the risk of losing its jobs which
could reduce the long-term professionalism of the company.

IMPORTANT
Unless we are using artwork sourced from our clients, the ATP
graphics team must do ALL of the artwork that is to be included in
ATP documentation.

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Our use of graphics is one of the areas where we can really show the customer that they
are receiving something that they cannot get elsewhere. In many cases, we can convert a
process, idea or concept into an illustration and make a complex situation easy to
understand. To do this takes thought on the part of the Technical Writer.

If you are having difficulty understanding something, the chances are that other people will
have the same difficulty. It is at these times that you should be thinking about having a
graphic done to make the explanation clearer. The content of the graphic or diagram may not
be immediately apparent but part of your job as a Technical Writer is to come up with the
content. In other words, if no diagram exists, design one and ask the graphics department to
draw it.

Ensure that the graphics you include are at a high enough quality for ATP standards. Using
poorly drawn or multi-photocopied diagrams obtained from site is not going to be acceptable.
ATP has a graphics and art department that produces world-class graphics and artwork.
Make sure that you use it to its best advantage.

REMEMBER
Our use of graphics and illustrations sets us apart from our
opposition. There is a belief that writing can be done by anyone
with some kind of technical background. Our use of artwork shows
that, while this may or may not be true, very few organisations can
develop the overall package at the quality ATP achieves. Please bear
this in mind in all projects that you undertake on behalf of ATP.

CARTOONS
Similarly to graphics and illustrations, cartoons
are an important part of the work we do here
at ATP. Cartoons can be used to highlight
poor practices, good practices, unrealistic
situations and for a host of other purposes.
Once again, it is important that the quality is
kept at a very high standard. As with
everything to do with ATP we have tried to
improve the quality as we progress. The
cartoons that we use today are at a higher
standard than they were when the company
was formed. If you need a cartoon which has
already been drawn but the quality is not up
to standard, have the cartoonist re-draw it and
make sure that it is what is needed.

An important point to remember with cartoons and, to a lesser extent, with graphics, is that
it is very noticeable when the same piece of artwork appears several times within the one
document. Avoid using a given cartoon more than once in the one training manual.

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CLIENTS’ FORMS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS

From time-to-time, we need to include our clients’ forms/documents in the manuals that we
are developing. When this occurs, we need to make a judgement as to whether to use a
scanned version or re-draw the client’s form/s.

The short answer is that the Technical Writer must make a qualitative judgement at the time
of layout. Basically, if we are going to scan a client’s form for inclusion, we should try to obtain
a copy that is in pristine condition. Any form with folds, creases, or other marks will
reproduce poorly. If we include poor quality reproductions in a document that we have
developed, it will be forever associated with ATP. On the other hand, the time and effort
involved in re-drawing a given form can be prohibitive with respect to the overall cost of
development. Be aware of both sides of the argument when you need to make these
decisions.

PROOF READING
Effective proof reading is what makes the difference between a flawless document and a
document that is full of mistakes. For example, if you read a copy of Readers’ Digest, you will
find that mistakes are very rare. This is because that particular publication goes through no
less than 39 different levels of editing.

Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of being to afford to employ proof readers nor can
we afford to have a document read 39 times in order to get it right. Accordingly, each
Technical Writer must take on the burden for proof reading his/her own text. The following
points may help when you need to proof read what you have written:

• Leave as long as possible between writing a document and proof reading it. This is
obviously rarely possible but can be achieved on some occasions.
• Use the spell checker before you begin proof reading your document. You may find
some spelling errors which will reduce your proofing load.
• Print out a copy of your document. Do not try to proof read on the computer screen.
• Read the document — do not skim. If you find sentences that are difficult to under-
stand, consider re-wording them.
• Decide your parameters and look at each page for each of them. Your parameters may
include:
– sentence structure (passive language, sentence fragments, etc.)
– appropriate use of informational prompts
– positioning of graphics and illustrations
– quality and relevance of photographs, graphics and cartoons
– correct captions and call-outs for photographs
– use of stylistic techniques
– presence of ‘widow’ words and clauses (see following note)

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– correct headers and footers

– correct pagination
– correct headings and subheadings.
• While you should take ownership of the text, do not become carried away with making
changes. Be aware of the difference between making subjective changes and making
absolutely necessary changes. Stylistic writing differences, differences in subject order,
may not reduce the overall effectiveness of the document and so, therefore, are not
worth changing. Remember, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
• Never knowingly allow a flaw within a document to be sent to the customer. There will
be more than enough flaws that pass undetected without allowing the detected ones to
be sent out.
NOTE!
‘Widow’ words or clauses are those words or clauses that fall onto
the next page and are therefore separated from the bulk of the text
that causes them to make sense.

IMPORTANT!
An important point is that you ‘own’ anything that is in your
document, even if you have cut and pasted from somewhere else. In
other words, make sure that you proof read everything, not just the
stuff that you have written.

REMEMBER!
Your document should be able to be read and understood by
anyone who can read and understand English. If most readers are
not able to understand what you have set out to say, you have failed
as a Technical Writer.

CAUTION!
Try to avoid having several informational prompts in a row such as
these four. In concentration they look untidy and they lose their
impact if too many are crowded together on the same page.

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ABBREVIATIONS
We have mentioned abbreviations earlier with respect to apostrophes and with respect to
capitalisation. In this section we will look at other types of abbreviation. Commonly
accepted abbreviations include:

• etc (etcetera)
• eg (for example)
• ie (that is)
• Vs (versus)
The standard usage for etc, eg, and ie, are to place a comma before them and a full stop after.
The following examples illustrate the technique:

• Today we will discuss the haultruck’s gearbox, prop shaft and differential, etc.
• There are several systems that constitute the haultruck, eg. Engine, transmission, chassis,
fuel system.
• We will now discuss the haultruck’s power plant, ie. the MTU V16 3000 series diesel.

NOTE
Normally these abbreviations would not appear at the beginning of
a sentence so there would never be any question of the first letter
of the abbreviation being capitalised.

WORKING DRAFTS
When we develop work off-site, the general rule is that the Technical Writer produces a
working draft on a word processor. This draft is then handed to the graphics team who
develop the necessary graphics and artwork. They then lay out the document in line with
ATP standards. The purpose of this is to ensure that the writing tasks are done as quickly as
possible and we achieve a consistent layout and appearance for all of our publications.

In the working draft, do the following:

• indicate the need for headings and subheadings by placing an indicator of the require-
ment in brackets after the text (hdg, sh1, sh2, etc.)
• indicate the need for a photograph in coloured text as follows as follows: Insert photo
V3 A21 — ‘Left-Hand Side of the Haultruck’. This indicates which photograph and
indicates the caption you want. You can also explain any callouts that you may require.
• indicate the need for graphics and cartoons with coloured text
• insert any bullet points you require (all levels)
• insert any numbered points that you require (all levels)
• insert any tables that you require in the text
• paginate the document so that it is easy to follow when it is printed.
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In the working draft, do not do the following:

• do not insert photographs, graphics and cartoons — this makes the document too
difficult to manipulate on the slower computers
• do not attempt to do the layout
• do not add actual headings and subheads
• do not insert headers and footers.

The short section below shows the standard way to present a given working draft to the
graphics and artwork department.

Equipment Introduction (sh 1)

The following sequence of photographs shows the main items of equipment that are used
in the deslimes and tails disposal circuit.
Photo ODV2—Q35
Insert diagram JA 1 of the Tails Tails Thickener
Thickener System

The adjacent photograph shows the

tails thickener. The tails thickener
receives feeds from:

· liquor addition

· feed preparation thickener

overflow

· cyanide bleed

· new USX raffinate bleed

Photo ODV2—Q31
· old USX raffinate bleed. Deslimes Holding Tank

The underflow from the thickener is directed to

the surge tanks for disposal to the tailings dam. The
overflow is directed to the deslimes holding tank
where it will be forwarded to the deslimes cyclone
clusters.

The adjacent photograph shows the deslimes

holding tank. This tank receives liquid and solids
from the following locations:

· underflow of CCD 6

· overflow of the tails thickener

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· feed from liquor addition

· bleeds from tails surge tanks A and B.

The materials are held in the tank and then pumped to the deslimes cyclone clusters
where the sands are separated from the slimes.

In the adjacent photograph, you can see

Photo ODV2—Q35
the agitator drive for the deslimes
Agitator Drive
holding tank. The tank is agitated to
ensure that the solids do not settle out
of solution at the bottom of the tank.

Deslimes Cyclones (sh2)

In the adjacent photograph you can see Photo ODV2—Q35

the deslimes cyclone feed pumps. Cyclone Feed Pumps
These pumps feed from the deslimes
holding tank directly into the cyclone
clusters. The delivery pressure is
controlled in line with metallurgist’s
instructions by switching on or off
individual cyclones as required.

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In the adjacent photograph, you can see

the two deslimes cyclone clusters. Each Photo ODV2—Q35
Cyclone Clusters
cluster contains 12 individual cyclones.
The cyclones are used to separate the
useful sands from the waste slimes. The
sands are heavier than the slimes and
are, therefore, directed to the
underflow of the cyclone. From the
underflow they are sent to the sands
handling circuit from where they will be
sent to the CAF plant. The cut-point
and, therefore the manifold pressures,
are determined by metallurgists.

The adjacent photograph shows the coarse sands Photo ODV2—Q31

holding tank. The coarse sands which are collected Coarse Sands Holding Tank
from the underflow of the cyclones are held in this
tank until the personnel at the CAF plant are ready
to receive a new batch. Once a batch has been
sent to the CAF plant, the lines are flushed with
mine process water to ensure that pumps and the
lines are kept clear for the next batch of sands.

Cartoon 27 — Cartoon of a guy at the CAF plant

mixing sands with concrete to make a fill for the U/
G mine

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SUMMARY
The above sections have outlined some of the basics of the ATP style standards. In some
cases the style manual only offers guidelines — Technical Writers are expected to write to
suit current requirements. The important thing is for our presentation to be consistent
throughout any given document and we must be consistent across a range of documents for
a given customer.

We should also be concerned to try to eliminate the most common errors from the material
that we develop. Passive voice sentences, sentence fragments, spelling errors, bad grammar
and syntax and poor use of punctuation and style, all work to make our documentation look
something less than professional.

As mentioned several times in the above text, the quality and appearance of our
documentation is what sets us apart from the opposition and what will help us to obtain
repeat work from any given customer. Achieve consistent, high standards and we will all
maintain secure jobs that provide a reasonable income.

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TOPIC TWO — QUALITY BASICS

INTRODUCTION
The previous section has covered the basics of Technical Writing styles. This section looks at
our methods of achieving consistent quality. To be consistent, you need to know what
constitutes the norm. In ATP’s case, the norm is a training package. Most other
documentation is a derivative of the training package. The following section outlines what is
contained in the standard ATP training package.

WHAT IS A STANDARD ATP TRAINING

PACKAGE?
A standard ATP training program contains the following:

• Custom designed cover and spine — This is designed specifically for the customer
by the ATP Graphics Department.
• Laminated table of contents — This lists the topics that are covered in the training
program.
• Informational Prompts Page — Page detailing the informational prompts that are
used throughout the manual.
• Module Descriptor — This follows a well-established format which contains adminis-
trative information about the training program.
• Lesson Plan Summaries — These outline the main points for the trainer. They are
designed for the trainer who has delivered this training program a number of times and
who only requires a reminder of the main points.
• Detailed Lesson Plans — These are designed for the trainer who is going to deliver
the training program for the first or second time. They are designed to cover all the
points that the trainer should cover in the course of delivery. As well as detailing the
points that should be covered, they also give the trainer information about when to use
OHTs and other training aids.
• Topic Table of Contents — This list the headings that are used throughout the given
topic.

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• Trainees’ Text — This is the same text that will be handed to the trainees during their
training. This contains full colour pages (with photographs, graphics, cartoons, etc) that
provides all the information that the trainee needs to be able to become competent in
the given discipline.
• Theory Assessment — Theory assessments are use to determine competence in areas
where it is impossible to conduct practical assessment. Typically this includes such
issues as PPE, hazards, tagging, pipe markings, etc. The theory assessment is normally in
multi-choice
• Practical Assessment — Practical assessments are the favoured method to test a
person’s competence in a given task or discipline. The current ATP practical assessment
template consists of a number of columns which

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THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

It is almost impossible to prescribe a definite process for the development of a training

manual or a technical document. The best we can do is work to a basic agenda which is
outlined in this section. Remember, there will be variations in the development process
dependent on client needs and the requirements of the project. Where the process flow
does not work, the Technical Writer should be able to improvise and work through the
project in a logical manner.

The general development process is as follows:

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1. An agreement/contract is made between ATP and the client to develop documentation.

The agreement may cover a procedure, training package or any other type of number
of documents. The technical writing may be done on site or in the ATP office.
2. An ATP job number is raised for each part of the job including the site visit/s. These
must be used as appropriate and must be clearly shown on the draft and final copies.
3. An ATP representative meets with the client to discuss and set the scope of the
project with respect to client’s expectations, style and format of the documents. This
includes whether or not the documentation is going to be used on-line and whether
or not the material is to be formatted in Word, PageMaker or some other package.
4. At the scoping meeting, a site contact person would be nominated and a review per-
son or review committee would be agreed. If the client decides that a committee is
required, we should ask for a single point of contact with the committee. Involving a
number of contact people and reviewers can lead to situations that are difficult to
manage for the writer and, indeed, for the writer.
5. Using the information derived from the scope meeting,ATP generates a detailed table
of contents for each document to be developed as part of the project. The table of
contents would contain extensive detail of the main points of each topic that would
eventually be included in the document/s.
6. The detailed table of contents may be provided to the reviewer for comment. Provid-
ing there are no substantial problems with the overall structure, the reviewer ap-
proves the table of contents. If changes to the overall document structure are re-
quired, the reviewer and the writer should discuss the problem and arrive at a mutu-
ally acceptable solution.
REMEMBER
Our documents will be on show for many years to come so it is
important that we are not pushed into developing something that
does not meet our standards. At some point in the future, no-one is
going to ask how much a given document cost and who was
responsible for the content. They will see the ATP logo on the
footers and will assume that ATP had full control over style, content
and structure.
7. Once the table of contents is approved or at a pre-agreed time, an ATP writer would
conduct a site visit to obtain photographs and first-hand information on the relevant
equipment and processes. This is the critical phase in development. The documenta-
tion that is developed can only ever be as good as the information that is gathered
during the site visit. If the initial research is deficient, then the developed documenta-
tion will also be deficient.
8. The writer returns to the ATP office and assembles the photographs and information
in a way that is easily accessible by other writers. This is usually in the form of pages of
notes which detail every photograph and outline the equipment and processes.
9. ATP writers would commence development of the documentation to a review stage in
accordance with the approved table of contents. There may be a need to adjust the
table of contents at this time to accommodate information that has come to light
during the research process. This is satisfactory so long as the resulting documenta-
tion does not depart too far from the original intent.
10. The review copy would be developed to a standard that was close to the final product
complete with photographs and illustrations.
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11. The writer of the review copy conducts his/her own proof-reading before it is dis-
patched to the client. One other writer may be asked to proof-read the document if
deemed necessary. Normally, second/third-person proof-reads are not a viable option
due to the need to minimise costs.
12. At the completion of development and in-house proof-reading, the agreed number of
review copies (and/or electronic copies as agreed) are sent to the nominated site
contact or review person. At this time, an invoice is included with the documentation
that has been dispatched. This is one of the main reasons why the review copy of the
documentation should be as close as possible to a final product. In many cases, review
and amendment will not take place due to pressures of work at the client’s site. In
these cases we expect that the document will serve its intended purpose with no
further input from either the client or ATP.
13. Normally, once the document/s have been reviewed on site, the reviewed copy is
returned to ATP. The client should annotate relevant pages of the document with
meaningful comments. In the scoping stages of the project, it is important to ensure
that the client knows that the review must be meaningful — there is no value in
comments such as:‘we don’t do it like that’ or ‘this is wrong’ or ‘is this correct?’. These
comments are next to useless when trying to review a manual.
14. ATP incorporates all appropriate amendments arising from the review. If review
comments seem incorrect or inappropriate, we should carefully check to make sure
that what we are about to include in the documentation makes sense.
15. The agreed number of final hard and electronic copies of the documentation are then
supplied to the client.
16. ATP creates one hard copy and two electronic copies on CD. One of the CDs is
stored at the ATP office for future reference and the second copy of the CD is stored
off-site to provide fail-safe archiving.
17. ATP continues to offer a review and continual improvement for any document it
develops. These services are charged out at the prevailing rate.

REMEMBER!
The above outline does not constitute a hard and fast methodology
which should always be painstakingly followed. Obviously prevailing
circumstances will cause the flow of documentation development to
vary from project-to-project.

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SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

All of the publications mentioned below are available in the ATP office.

• Communicating or Just Making Pretty Shapes by Colin Wheildon.

• Editing for Print — Geoffrey Rogers

• Fowler’s Modern English Usage by HR Fowler

• Handbook of Practical English by RC Cornish

• The Little, Brown Handbook by HR Fowler; JE Aaron and D Anderson

• The Professional Writing Guide — Writing well and Knowing Why by Roslyn Petelin and
Marsha Durham

• The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary

• Queensland Government Style Guide

• Australian Government Style Guide

• Roget’s Thesaurus.

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VISION/MISSION STATEMENTS

V ISION S TATEMENT
Our vision is to build a company that is universally respected within
industry as reliably and consistently producing the best technical
documentation available within a reasonable price structure.

M ISSION S TATEMENT
Our mission is to research, develop and produce world class
technical documentation for industry in both the domestic and
international markets which assists in enhancing efficiency and in
improving safety awareness.

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