1. Communication Workshop II (Comm-201)
Technical Communication
Unit I- Logical Organization
Technical Communication is cohesive communication. All technical compositions and
presentations are logically organized and structured. Organization in technical document refers
to the process of arranging information logically. Unlike, general communication, technical
communication follows logical pattern to organize information. There are five basic patterns of
logically organizing information:
Inductive Order
Deductive Order
Spatial Order
Linear Order
Chronological Order
Following are the points those should be kept in mind while logically organizing a data:
The logical order should be chosen in accordance with the nature of the subject.
The passage should have both unity and coherence.
Single idea/ theme should be maintained in one paragraph.
Every paragraph should have a topic sentence.
More than one logical order may be used for different paragraphs of the same technical
document.
Singleness in expression makes the writing effective and logically organized.
Dr. Radhika B Pasricha © Technical Communication Page 1

2. Inductive Order: (Specific to General)
• Logical organization of moving from particular to
Description the general.
• Objective and Scientific
• More Convincing
Advantages
• Effective examples and illustrations help readers
listeners to understand the generalization.
• Getting audience attention in the beginning
Disadvantages
could be difficult.
For example:
 If you push a rubber substance under the surface of water in a container, you will feel an
upward force against the bottom of the rubber substance. Hence, it is evident that
water exerts pressure upwards.
 In sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the hydroxide ion is made of a covalent bond between O
and H atoms, while in hydrogencynide (HCN) the cynide ion has a triple bond connecting
the C and H atoms. Thus, the same molecule can have both ionic and covalent bonds in
it.
In both the paragraphs where the information is logically arranged, Inductive order is followed.
Where all the specific sentences logically leads to the general statement which is also the topic
sentence of the passage.
Dr. Radhika B Pasricha © Technical Communication Page 2

3. Deductive Order: (General to Specific)
• Logical organization of moving from general to
Description the particular.
• The generalization helps the reader/listener
understand the details.
Advantages
• Readers or listeners have clarity about the
theme or thesis statement.
• Retaining the attention of the audience may
Disadvantages become difficult.
• It may create boredom.
For Example:
Fuel cells convert the energy stored in the chemical bonds of fuels directly into
electrical power. In these direct energy conversion devices, the intermediate steps of
conversion of chemical energy to heat followed by conversion of heat to mechanical
work are completely eliminated. High temperature, generated because of the
combustion of the fuels and subsequent process, found in almost all indirect energy
conversion devices are non-existent in fuel cells.
Vehicular pollution causes serious health problems. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides
and hydrocarbons emitted by motor vehicles trigger off a complex chain reaction
resulting in the dangerous pollutants such as ozone, aldehydes and ketones. The
prolonged inhalation of carbon monoxide present in the toxic fumes reduces carbon
carrying capacity of the blood, and may cause headache, sickness and even death.
Likewise, unburned fragments of hydrocarbons help to form smog and thicken the
atmosphere with the elements that may cause cancer.
Dr. Radhika B Pasricha © Technical Communication Page 3

4. In both the above written passages the paragraph is started with the general statement which
gives the idea about the complete passage. Later given specific sentences deal with the specific
piece of information related to the general statement.
Spatial Order: (Data arrange in space)
• Logical division of a subject on the basis of how
Description they are arranged in space.
• Easy to comprehend.
• Presents a clear and logical picture.
Advantages
• Simplifies a difficult subject.
• Brings coherence.
• Creates monotony in LONGER texts and
Disadvantages Presentations.
• Does not provide proper emphasis.
For example:
There are essentially three types of internal combustion engines:
◦ Reciprocating Engines
◦ Rotary gas turbine Engines
◦ Jet and Rocket Engines
All these are internal combustion engines. In reciprocating engines, the fuel is burnt
within the engine cylinder. The Petrol and Diesel engines are reciprocating engines. Gas
turbine engines used both in aircraft and in stationary power plants form a category of
rotary turbo engines. In Jet and rocket propulsion engines, the thrust developed as a
result of momentum change from low velocity entering air to high velocity. There is no
direct heat transfer from the fuel to the working substance in them. Since, the products
of combustion themselves form the working substance, these are named internal
combustion engines.
Dr. Radhika B Pasricha © Technical Communication Page 4

5. In above mentioned paragraph the information related to internal combustion engines is
initially divided in to various kinds for a better understand than logically explained following
spatial order of organization.
Chronological Order: (record of events in the order in which they occur in time)
• Logical division of a subject on the basis of how
Description they are arranged in space.
• Easy to comprehend.
• Presents a clear and logical picture.
Advantages
• Simplifies a difficult subject.
• Brings coherence.
• Creates monotony in LONGER texts and
Disadvantages Presentations.
• Does not provide proper emphasis.
For example:
 The space age began on October 4, 1957, when Russia launched Sputnik I into orbit. This
was followed a month later by Sputnik II, which carried the dog Laika. However, the first
US satellite, Explorer I did not follow until January 31, 1958, but its instruments made
the first major discovery of the space age- the Van Allen radiation belts around the
Earth, where electrons and protons from the Sun are trapped by the Earth’s magnetic
field. Soon after, probes were sent to explore the moon and the planets, and on the
way, they detected a solar wind of sub atomic particles streaming from the Sun.
The passage is about the launch of the satellite Sputnik by US. The arrangement of data
according to the occurrence of the events along with dates makes the paragraph chronological
in nature.
Dr. Radhika B Pasricha © Technical Communication Page 5

6. Linear Order: (One line leads to the other in a natural way)
Linear logical order refers to a systematic order as a line.
This adds coherence in the passage and leads to highlight the topic sentence
in an organized manner.
One idea leads to another in a natural way. In fact all the logical orders
discussed here are linear in nature.
Unlike circular pattern involves presenting ideas in a progressive way where
sentences are connected to each other in a logical way.
Dr. Radhika B Pasricha © Technical Communication Page 6