ChatGPT 4.0は、TCライティングに活用できるか (3) – 参考資料:ChatGPT4.0とのやりとり(英文)

 これまで、ChatGPT 4.0にTCについて知っていることを質問し確認してきました。一般のライティングに共通したことの指摘も多かったので、テクニカルライティングのルールを細かく具体的に決めていくためのディスカッションも行いました。今回は、その成果を業務で活用することを念頭に進めていきます。

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Born! TechWrite Guru

GPT Builder: Hi! I’ll help you build a new GPT. You can say something like, “make a creative who helps generate visuals for new products” or “make a software engineer who helps format my code.”
What would you like to make?

中村:Before starting, can I use ChatGPT 4.0 for a specific purpose for a long period of time, for example, two or three years, with this New GPT site?

GPT Builder:Yes, you can use a GPT model tailored for a specific purpose over a long period, like two or three years, especially here where we’re creating customized GPTs for unique needs. You can design it for a particular task or role and continue to use and refine it as needed. What specific purpose or role are you thinking of using this GPT for?

中村:I want to make a technical writing site where I can check in various ways, such as checking a document if it follows the technical writing and creating a document in line with the technical writing rules.

GPT Builder:Let’s start by giving this GPT a name that reflects its role in technical writing. How about “TechWrite Guru”? Does this name work for you, or do you have another name in mind?

中村:It is good. I agree with you!

GPT Builder:Here’s the initial profile picture for TechWrite Guru. Do you like it, or would you like any changes?

中村:It seems to be rather obsolete. I want to have a more modern, refreshing, and creative image.

GPT Builder:Here’s a more modern, refreshing, and creative profile picture for TechWrite Guru. Does this better match what you’re looking for?

中村:Yes.

GPT Builder:Great! Now, let’s refine how TechWrite Guru can assist with technical writing.
To start, how detailed should the reviews be? For example, should TechWrite Guru focus on high-level concepts like structure and clarity, or also delve into finer details like grammar and syntax?

中村:Yes. I will show you the summary of it.

GPT Builder:Perfect! Please share the summary or key points you’d like TechWrite Guru to focus on, and we’ll tailor its capabilities accordingly.

中村:ルール集を提示(詳細割愛)

GPT Builder:Now that we’ve outlined the focus areas for TechWrite Guru, including basic and specific rules for technical writing, it’s set up to help with document purpose and structure, audience identification, sentence construction, paragraph writing, and more, ensuring clarity, correctness, and conciseness.

Feel free to try out TechWrite Guru in the playground to see how it can assist with your technical writing needs. If there’s anything else you’d like to refine or add, just let me know!

中村:Thank you. I will start checking its effectiveness from tomorrow

GPT Builder:You’re welcome! If you have any questions or need further adjustments to TechWrite Guru as you start using it, feel free to reach out. Good luck with your technical writing, and I’m here whenever you need assistance. Have a great time working with TechWrite Guru!

Try! TechWrite Guru

TechWrite Guruへの指示

中村:As I told you, I want you to accomplish a professional technical writing site here, “TechWrite Guru.” The purpose here is to be able to complete the following two things step by step:
 1. Evaluation of English documents: correction and rewriting
 2. Creating concise and easy-to-understand English documents based on given specifications
The first goal is to achieve #1 above. Point out problems in English technical writing in the given documents to be checked and aim at evaluating the “quality” of them. “Quality” is defined as:
The content of the document should be immediately accessible to as many people as possible (Inclusive design)

The tools for evaluating the quality are the following “Technical writing evaluation items.“ You will read a given English document and identify each sentence or paragraph using “Technical writing evaluation items“ as follows:

[Example]
Bad: Commence the procedure following the completion of the checklist.
Reason: Violation against TW-S-10
Recommendation: Start the process after finishing the checklist.

◎Technical writing evaluation items
(詳細割愛)

TechWrite Guru:Understood! As TechWrite Guru, my objective is to assist in evaluating and improving English documents with a focus on technical writing. We’ll address issues related to clarity, correctness, conciseness, structure, and inclusivity, aiming to enhance the accessibility and quality of the content. Please provide the document or text you’d like evaluated, and I’ll apply the “Technical writing evaluation items” to identify areas for improvement and offer recommendations.

中村:Thank you for your kind offer.
Do you have any recommendations to improve the following short document?
#
Observe the following instructions to avoid a foreseeable misuse:
– Place the device for airing damp clothing at a minimum distance of 2 metres, and secure the garments with clothes pegs.
– When transporting the device in containers other than the original packaging secure it against falling over and impact damage.
– Do not make any structural changes to the unit which are not described in the manual.
– Do not load or burden the device with other objects.
– Do not insert objects or parts of the body through the safety grille, while the device is connected to the mains power supply.
– Only use the device with a humidity of less than 65%.
– Do not use the device for heating objects.
– Place the device for heating the air at a minimum distance of 2 metres to persons and objects and turn the swivel function on (see section 5.1)
#

TechWrite Guruによる評価

TechWrite Guru:Your document provides important safety instructions for a device, a crucial aspect of technical documentation. Here’s an evaluation based on the provided “Technical writing evaluation items”:

  1. Clarity and Conciseness :
    • The phrase “Observe the following instructions to avoid a foreseeable misuse” could be simplified to “To prevent misuse, follow these instructions:”
    • “Place the device for airing damp clothing at a minimum distance of 2 metres, and secure the garments with clothes pegs.” could be simplified to “Keep the device at least 2 metres away from damp clothing and secure garments with pegs.”
  2. Use of Active Voice:
    • Most instructions are in the passive voice or are not clear about the actor. Making the actor explicit can enhance clarity. For example, “When transporting the device, secure it against falling over and impact damage if not using the original packaging.”
  3. Avoidance of Nominalization:
    • “Do not make any structural changes to the unit which are not described in the manual.” could be rephrased to “Do not alter the unit beyond what the manual describes.”
  4. Affirmative Sentences :
    • Most instructions are already in an affirmative form, which is good. However, ensuring all instructions are direct and affirmative can improve clarity. For example, “Use the device only in areas with humidity below 65%.”
  5. Simplification and Directness :
    • “Place the device for heating the air at a minimum distance of 2 metres to persons and objects and turn the swivel function on (see section 5.1)” could be simplified to “Keep the device at least 2 metres away from people and objects, and activate the swivel function (refer to section 5.1).”
  6. Bullet Point Usage :
    • The use of bullet points is effective for the list of instructions, making the document easy to scan.

Here’s a revised version of your document incorporating these recommendations:

This revision aims to make the instructions more direct, clearer, and easier to understand, adhering to the principles of effective technical writing.

中村:Thank you!
Can you show it to me in a plain text as usual, not in a prompt window?

TechWrite Guru:
Of course, here’s the simplified and revised version in plain text:
To prevent misuse, follow these instructions:

  • Place the device at least 2 metres away from damp clothes and secure the clothes with pegs.
  • Secure the device against falling and damage during transport if not using original packaging.
  • Do not alter the unit beyond instructions in the manual.
  • Avoid placing objects on the device.
  • Do not insert objects or body parts into the safety grille when the device is powered.
  • Use the device only in areas with humidity below 65%.
  • Do not use the device for heating objects.
  • Keep the device at least 2 metres from people and objects, and turn on the swivel function (refer to section 5.1).

This version maintains clarity and conciseness, ensuring the instructions are straightforward and easy to follow.

中村:Good. Thank you!

TechWrite Guru:You’re welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Happy to help!

Review! TechWrite Guru

TechWrite Guruのリライトに基づく追加のQ&A

中村:

  1. Use American English:I forgot to inform you of an important matter. You wrote “metres” in your rewriting. “Metres” is British English (BrE). In American English (AmE), it is written as “meters”. When requesting English documents, people must first specify the destination (I was careless.). Some people may think that British English and American English are almost the same, but this is important to decide depending on the destination and product. If the instructions included with a product are written in unfamiliar notation, you may feel a sense of discomfort. Plus, if you buy a cutting-edge product and the instructions that come with it are written in traditional English, you might wonder if it really is cutting-edge. Generally speaking, American English tends to conjure images of cutting-edge equipment or mass-produced products. Conversely, British English tends to conjure images of traditional or obsolete products.

Unless otherwise specified, you should follow the American English.

  1. Definite article missing:You mention “using original packaging,” but what kind of “packaging material” does the word “packaging” refer to? It is the “packaging” material that originally contained the product. If so, there is only one, so it must be “using the original packaging.” Although I believe you are grammatically correct and have abundant knowledge of English writing, please tell me why you made such a basic mistake. I want to know the reason.
  2. Not sandwiching a noun between Verb and Adverb:You are great. While the original text had the long noun “the swivel function” sandwiched between the verb “turn” and the adverb “on,” you rewrote it to “turn on the swivel function.” The noun “the swivel function” is put outside. Native English speakers often write it like the original, but the correct way of writing is yours. When using idiomatic verbs, do not put a noun between the verb and the adverb. Conversely, if it is a pronoun, put it between the Verb and Adverb. This is because inserting a noun between the “verb + adverb” makes the sentence difficult to understand (Steven Pinker also says this in his book. I forgot the name of its title, “The Stuff of Thought” or “The Sense of Style.” Do you know which?).

TechWrite Guru:Thank you for your valuable feedback and the opportunity to address your concerns. Let’s go through your comments one by one:

  1. Use of American English: Your point about the use of “meters” instead of “metres” is well-taken. The choice between American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) can indeed affect the reader’s perception of a product or document. As you’ve noted, American English often conveys a sense of modernity and universality, especially in technical and business contexts. This is why, unless specified otherwise, the default should be American English to align with global business and technical standards. I apologize for the oversight and will ensure that American English conventions are followed moving forward.
  2. Definite Article Missing: The omission of “the” before “original packaging” was an oversight. You’re correct that when referring to a specific item that is unique and already known to the reader, the definite article “the” should precede it. In this case, “the original packaging” refers to the specific packaging in which the product was initially contained, and it should indeed be “using the original packaging.” This ensures clarity and specificity in the instruction, leaving no room for ambiguity. I appreciate your pointing out this detail, and I’ll be more vigilant about such nuances in future revisions.
  3. Positioning in Phrasal Verbs: Your observation about not sandwiching a noun between the verb and the adverb in phrasal verbs is insightful. Steven Pinker, in his book “The Sense of Style,” indeed emphasizes clarity in writing and advocates for constructions that enhance understanding. By placing “the swivel function” after the phrasal verb “turn on,” the sentence becomes clearer and easier to comprehend. This aligns with the principle of keeping the verb-adverb combination intact to maintain the idiomatic meaning, except when a pronoun is involved, in which case it is placed between the verb and the adverb. Your understanding of this concept is commendable, and it’s a guideline I strive to follow in order to enhance the clarity and readability of sentences.

Your feedback is instrumental in refining the quality of technical writing, and I’m committed to incorporating these insights into my work. If you have any more observations or require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

PDFやWordのテキストを校正するときのQ&A

中村:As to the oversight of BrE in the document, you do not need to apologize to me. It is not your fault, but my careless miss. Deciding which language should be taken is the responsibility of the orderer.
By the way, I want you to check more detailed documents which have 100 pages or more. I do not think I can write that long documentation in this thread. So how can I show you the document? If you know how to do that, please let me know. There are people who let AI read documents, but what exactly do they do? Please let me know how.
Thank you.

TechWrite Guru:For reviewing detailed documents that are too long to share directly in this thread, you have a couple of options:

  1. Break Down the Document: If possible, you could break down your document into smaller sections or key points and share those parts individually here. This way, I can help review or provide feedback on each section one at a time.
  2. Summarize Key Points: If breaking down the document isn’t feasible, you could summarize the key points, questions, or areas where you need specific advice. This could include highlighting certain sections you’re unsure about or areas where you need more detailed feedback.
  3. Upload the Document: For more comprehensive review or if you need specific sections to be analyzed, you can upload the document to a cloud storage service (like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive) and share a link here. While I can’t directly access external links or documents, you can describe the content, share excerpts, or highlight specific areas you’d like feedback on, based on the document you’ve uploaded.When people mention letting AI read documents, they often refer to using document processing or analysis tools that utilize AI to understand, summarize, or provide insights on the content. These tools can analyze large volumes of text, extract key information, highlight themes, or even check for consistency and grammar. However, the specific capabilities would depend on the AI tool or service being used.If you’re looking to get AI-powered insights or a detailed review of your document, you might need to explore specialized AI document analysis tools that are designed for such tasks. These tools can often handle large documents, providing summaries, insights, and even detailed feedback based on the content.Let me know how you’d like to proceed or if there’s a specific aspect of your document you’d like to discuss here!

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