Technical communication as strategic communication. characteristics of the English technical discourse

The present paper is an introduction into the domain of technical communication; it presents the relationship between technical communication and general communication and introduces the main forms of technical communication, written and oral. The study focuses on the difference between 'expressive' and 'strategic' communication and sets the domain of technical communication into the sphere of the latter, while enumerating the criteria which must be taken into account when categorizing texts as belonging to the technical domain: audience, relationship, purpose and context. Further on, the paper focuses on the necessary stages that the production of a technical communication model must undergo: gathering, organizing, presenting and refining information. It also lists the principles of a good technical text: technical accuracy, usefulness, conciseness, completeness, clearness, consistency, correct spelling, grammar and punctuation, a targeted audience, clear organization, interest. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Petru Maior University of Tirgu Mures.