Add Background
This section should include a few paragraphs of information on the device’s background and history.
AI tools can help you meet the needs and fulfill the expectations of your intended audience. Prompt AI to adopt the persona of someone who owns the device you are researching. Then ask what details it would like to know about the device’s background and history. Use insights gathered from your interview to guide your research.
What specific information should your Background section include? Check out What Information Should I Include in the Background Section? to help steer your research.
This section, like all of your work, should be written completely in your own words. Although you may find websites that have great descriptions of your device, do not copy and paste these descriptions into your device page, as this is plagiarism. Of course, you’re free to use these websites for reference (don’t forget to credit the source).
AI tools can help you organize your writing by suggesting ways to synthesize information from multiple sources into original content. Using delimiters or a bulleted list, provide AI with pertinent information gathered during your research. Then prompt AI to create an outline showing how to organize and present the information clearly and concisely. Refer to the outline while you are writing a draft of your background section.
Keep in mind the following:
Avoid marketing and sales language. Your text shouldn’t sound like a pitch. You are not trying to persuade readers to buy this device.
Tell us about the device. What are its main uses? For device pages covering generic categories such as laptops, include the history of the device category and its current uses/status.
Check out sites like Wikipedia or search Google using the device/manufacturer/category to see what you can glean.
If you make any references to outside sources like Wikipedia in your background, include a link to it in your text.
Avoid using exact phrases or quotes, as this may be penalized by search engines as plagiarism.
For manufacturer pages (ex. Lenovo Laptops, HP Laptops) it’s useful to list some or all of the popular product lines the brand offers. For laptop product lines (ex. Lenovo ThinkPad), list the most popular devices in the line or any sub-brands that may exist.
Check out this handy-dandy section of the Technical Writing Project's Student FAQ for helpful tips on what to include here.
AI tools can help you modify the tone of your writing. Prompt AI to analyze a draft of your background section for marketing language—any words or phrases that sound too much like a sales pitch. If it identifies any, ask for revision suggestions. If you're unsure why a certain passage was flagged as marketing language, ask for an explanation.