7. COMMON DOCUMENT TYPES
Just as the literary genre of poetry contains many forms — such as sonnets, haiku, epics, limericks, etc., — each with its own set of rules and conventions, technical writing also contains many forms, and each form has some conventions that must be observed. This chapter discusses several of the most common document forms, and reviews the general requirements for content, formatting, and style.
Chapter 7 Learning Objectives
In the following sections, you will learn about the general format, structure, and content expectations for the following types of technical documents:
7.1 Correspondence: Text Messages, E-mails, Letters, and Memos
7.2 Proposals
7.3 Progress Reports
7.4 Technical Descriptions and Definitions
7.5 Long Reports: Feasibility and Recommendation Reports
7.6 Lab Reports
7.7 Instructions
Related words
certificate
noun
an official document or record stating that particular facts are true. For example a birth certificate gives the official facts about your birth and a health certificate gives the facts about your state of health.
consent form
noun
a document that someone signs to show that they will allow something to happen
draft
noun
something such as a plan, letter, or drawing that may have changes made to it before it is finished
file
noun
a set of papers, documents, or records that you keep because they contain information
form
noun
an official document that has spaces where you can put in information
Green Paper
noun
mainly British a document published by the government of the U.K. or Canada that gives details of proposals so that they can be discussed before new laws are made
ID
noun
a document that gives the details of your name, address, and date of birth, sometimes with a photograph
ID card
noun
an official document or card that shows who you are
identification
noun
something that proves who you are, especially a document with your name and a photograph
identity card
noun
British an ID card
invitation to tender
noun
a formal invitation to a small number of suppliers to make a detailed proposal for completing a particular piece of work
mailshot
noun
British a mailing
master
noun
a document, photograph, recording, etc. from which copies are made
palimpsest
noun
a very old document that writing was removed from and the surface written on again. Sometimes the older writing on a palimpsest can still be read.
petition
noun
a document signed by many people that asks someone in authority to do something
planner
noun
a document or computer program that you can use for planning something
proffer letter
noun
in the U.S., a binding written agreement between the prosecution and the accused as part of a plea bargain
submission
noun
a document that you formally give to someone who will make a decision about it
typescript
noun
a document that has been typed
English version of thesaurus of documents and types of document
"Documents create a reality we call proof." - Mason Cooley
Explore this article
1 Forms of Documents
Documents vary by type, function and size. Personal essays, legal documents, organizational or business documents, research or historical documents are examples of forms of documents. These types of documents are used by individuals, organizations, governments and corporations in areas like collating and presenting research, data, statistics, course objectives, policies, procedures and business plans.
2 Identification of Document Type
A document is any paper form that is used to communicate facts, observations or information. It can be "classified" meaning that it will provide confidential information to a restricted and authorized few. Within forms of documents, it can also be "public" which means it will provide non-sensitive materials for public consumption. In the case of a professional or business structure, a document is labelled as research indicating it will provide an account of a event. From different fields like real estate or legal, documents can assume any number of other classifications depending on their content including contractual, scientific or artifact.
3 Forms of Documents
There are many forms of documents as well. Empirical documents offering information can include documents of record like newspapers, magazines and oral histories. Historical documents like religious texts and personal essays are another document that informs the reader. Factual and verifiable documents include forms like text books, novels, recipe books and encyclopedias. Web documents include web pages, web blogs and wiki information pages.
4 Strong Document Features
The document definition is to effectively communicate a key set of objectives or provides information that answers a question. For example, a "how-to" document or instruction manual will answer a question or set of questions regarding how a task is performed or a goal is executed. To do this, the document must contain instruction that can be rendered or is serviceable. An example would be an instruction manual that allows a user to assemble a bike without needing additional resources beyond the instruction manual and the tools provided. To be effective, the instruction manual must document the process, outline the task and provide all related information. In the bike example, the instruction manual would have to answer the question, "How to Assemble Bike A Using Only Tools A and B." By contrast, an informative document is a document that informs you of something within the text.
5 Document Copyright Guidelines
Some documents hold a copyright to the contents communicated therein. Corporations, writers, scientists, lawyers and business owners request copyright protection to ensure ownership over sensitive content. The copyright document definition can include business summary reports, product descriptions and patent claims, employee evaluations and mission statements. Treatments and story ideas are additional business related documents. Motion documents filed in court, research and analysis claims and internal company review evaluations fall in the legal realm of documents.
About the Author
Charlie Gaston has written numerous instructional articles on topics ranging from business to communications and estate planning. Gaston holds a bachelor's degree in international business and a master's degree in communications. She is fluent in Spanish and has extensive travel experience.