Ebook: Technical communication

Note continued: Punctuation -- Period -- Question Mark -- Exclamation Point -- Semicolon -- Colon -- Comma -- Apostrophe -- Quotation Marks -- Ellipses -- Brackets -- Italics -- Parentheses -- Dashes -- Mechanics -- Abbreviation -- Hyphenation -- Capitalization -- Numbers and Numerals -- Spelling -- Usage -- Transitions -- Use Transitional Expressions -- Repeat Key Words and Phrases -- Use Forecasting Statements -- Lists -- Embedded Lists -- Vertical Lists.;Note continued: External Wikis -- Guidelines for Writing and Using Blogs and Wikis -- Web Pages -- How People Read Web Pages -- Writing for the Web -- Guidelines for Writing Web Pages -- Designing Web Pages -- Guidelines for Designing Web Pages -- Techniques and Technologies for Creating Web Sites -- Planning Web Sites Using Storyboarding -- Teamwork When Creating Web Sites -- Tools for Creating Web Pages -- Global Issues and Web Pages -- Guidelines for Addressing Global Audiences -- Ethical and Legal Considerations -- Ethical Considerations -- Legal Considerations -- Checklist Writing and Designing for Blogs, Wikis, and the Web -- Projects -- 25.Social Media -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Audience as Contributor -- Using Social Media for Technical Communication -- Customer Review Sites -- Facebook -- Google+ -- LinkedIn and Other Job Sites -- Twitter -- YouTube -- Guidelines for Writing and Using Social Media -- Ethical and Legal Issues;Note continued: Guidelines for Deciding aboutTone -- Consider Using an Occasional Contraction -- Address Readers Directly -- Use I and We When Appropriate -- Prefer the Active Voice -- Emphasize the Positive -- Avoid an Overly Informal Tone -- Avoid Personal Bias 227 Avoid Sexist Usage -- Guidelines for Nonsexist Usage -- Avoid Biased Usage of All Types -- Considering the Global Context -- Legal and Ethical Implications of Word Choice -- Style, Tone, and Digital Writing -- Using Digital Editing Tools Effectively -- Checklist Style -- Projects -- 12.Designing Visual Information -- Why Visuals Matter -- When to Use Visuals -- Types of Visuals to Consider -- How to Choose the Right Visuals -- Using Software to Create Visuals -- Tables -- How to Construct a Table -- Graphs -- Bar Graphs -- Line Graphs -- Guidelines for Creating Tables and Graphs -- Charts -- Pie Charts -- Organization Charts -- Flowcharts -- Tree Charts -- Gantt and PERT Charts -- Pictograms;Note continued: Purpose of Your Document -- Primary and Secondary Purposes -- Intended Use of the Document -- Assess the Audience's Technical Background -- Highly Technical Audience -- Semitechnical Audience -- Nontechnical Audience -- Audiences with Varying Technical Backgrounds -- Case Tailoring a Single Document for Multiple Audiences -- Web-Based Documents for Multiple Audiences -- Identify the Audience's Cultural Background -- Anticipate Your Audience's Preferences -- Length and Details -- Format and Medium -- Tone -- Due Date and Timing -- Budget -- Guidelines for Analyzing Your Audience and Its Use of the Document -- Develop an Audience and Use Profile -- Case Developing an Audience and Use Profile -- Checklist Analyzing Audience and Purpose -- Projects -- 3.Persuading Your Audience -- Identify Your Specific Persuasive Goal -- Try to Predict Audience Reaction -- Expect Audience Resistance -- Know How to Connect with the Audience;Note continued: Valid Conclusions and Recommendations -- Self-Assessment -- An Outline and Model for Analytical Reports -- Introduction -- Body -- Conclusion -- Front Matter and End Matter Supplements -- Front Matter -- Letter of Transmittal -- Text of the Report -- End Matter -- A Situation Requiring an Analytical Report -- A Formal Report -- Guidelines for Reasoning through an Analytical Problem -- Checklist Analytical Reports -- Projects -- 22.Proposals -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- The Proposal Process -- Case Submitting a Competitive Proposal -- Types of Proposals -- Planning Proposals -- Research Proposals -- Sales Proposals -- Elements of a Persuasive Proposal -- A Forecasting Title or Subject Line -- Background Information -- Statement of the Problem -- Description of Solution -- A Clear Focus on Benefits -- Honest and Supportable Claims -- Appropriate Detail -- Readability -- A Tone That Connects with Readers -- Visuals -- Accessible Page Design;Note continued: Guidelines for Creating Charts -- Graphic Illustrations -- Diagrams -- Maps -- Symbols and Icons -- Guidelines for Creating Graphic Illustrations -- Photographs -- Guidelines for Using Photographs -- Videos -- Guidelines for Using Video -- Using Color -- Guidelines for Incorporating Color -- Ethical Considerations -- Present the Real Picture -- Present the Complete Picture -- Don't Mistake Distortion for Emphasis -- Cultural Considerations -- Guidelines for Obtaining and Citing Visual Material -- Guidelines for Fitting Visuals with Text -- Checklist Visuals -- Projects -- 13.Designing Pages and Documents -- Page Design in Workplace Documents -- Page Design for Print and Digital Documents -- Design Skills Needed by Technical Communicators -- Word Processing and Desktop Publishing -- Using Styles and Templates -- Using Style Guides and Style Sheets -- Creating a Design that Works for Your Readers -- Shaping the Page -- Guidelines for Shaping the Page;Note continued: Choosing the Right Media Format -- Using Presentation Software -- Ethics and the Use of Presentation Software -- Case PowerPoint and the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster -- Guidelines for Using Presentation Software -- Delivering Your Presentation -- Rehearse Your Delivery -- Check the Room and Setting Beforehand -- Cultivate the Human Landscape -- Keep Your Listeners Oriented -- Plan for How You Will Use Any Non-Computer Visual Aids -- Guidelines for Presenting Visuals -- Manage Your Presentation Style -- Manage Your Speaking Situation -- Guidelines for Managing Listener Questions -- Guidelines for Delivering Oral Presentations -- Consider This Cross-Cultural Audiences May Have Specific Expectations -- Video Conferencing -- Guidelines for Video Conferencing -- Checklist Oral Presentations -- Projects -- 24.Blogs, Wikis, and Web Pages -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Blogs -- Internal Blogs -- External Blogs -- Wikis -- Internal Wikis;Note continued: Supplements Tailored for a Diverse Audience -- Proper Citation of Sources and Contributors -- An Outline and Model for Proposals -- Introduction -- Body -- Conclusion -- Guidelines for Proposals -- A Situation Requiring a Formal Proposal -- A Formal Proposal -- Checklist Proposals -- Projects -- 23.Oral Presentations and Video Conferencing -- Advantages and Drawbacks of Oral Presentations -- Avoiding Presentation Pitfalls -- Planning Your Presentation -- Analyze Your Audience and Purpose -- Analyze Your Speaking Situation -- Select a Type of Presentation -- Select a Delivery Method -- Preparing Your Presentation -- Research Your Topic -- Aim for Simplicity and Conciseness -- Anticipate Audience Questions -- Outline Your Presentation -- Planning and Creating Your Visuals -- Decide Which Visuals to Use and Where to Use Them -- Create a Storyboard -- Decide Which Visuals You Can Realistically Create -- Guidelines for Readable and Understandable Visuals;Note continued: Checklist Social Media -- Projects -- A Quick Guide to Documentation -- Taking Notes -- Guidelines for Recording Research Findings -- Quoting the Work of Others -- Guidelines for Quoting the Work of Others -- Paraphrasing the Work of Others -- Guidelines for Paraphrasing -- What You Should Document -- How You Should Document -- MLA Documentation Style -- MLA Parenthetical References -- MLA Works Cited Entries -- MLA Sample Works Cited Pages -- Discussion of Figure QG.4 -- APA Documentation Style -- APA Parenthetical References -- APA Reference List Entries -- APA Sample Reference List -- Discussion of Figure QG.5 -- A Quick Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics -- Grammar -- Sentence Fragments -- Run-on Sentences -- Comma Splices -- Faulty Agreement[--]Subject and Verb -- Faulty Agreement[--]Pronoun and Referent -- Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers -- Faulty Parallelism -- Faulty Coordination -- Faulty Subordination -- Faulty Pronoun Case;Note continued: Guidelines for Feasibility Reports -- Recommendation Reports -- Guidelines for Recommendation Reports -- Justification Reports -- Guidelines for Justification Reports -- Peer Review Reports -- Guidelines for Peer Review Reports -- Checklist Informal Reports -- Projects -- 21.Formal Analytical Reports -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Typical Analytical Problems -- Causal Analysis: "Why Does X Happen?" -- Case The Reasoning Process in Causal Analysis -- Comparative Analysis: "Is X Or Y Better for Our Needs?" -- Case The Reasoning Process in Comparative Analysis -- Feasibility Analysis: "Is This a Good Idea?" -- Case The Reasoning Process in Feasibility Analysis -- Combining Types of Analysis -- Elements of an Effective Analysis -- Clearly Identified Problem or Purpose -- Adequate but Not Excessive Data -- Accurate and Balanced Data -- Fully Interpreted Data -- Subordination of Personal Bias -- Appropriate Visuals;Note continued: Appropriate Level of Detail and Technicality -- Visuals -- Clearest Descriptive Sequence -- Outlining and Writing a Product Description -- A Mechanism Description for a Nontechnical Audience -- Outlining and Writing a Process Description -- A Process Description for a Nontechnical Audience -- Specifications -- Guidelines for Descriptions -- Types of Specifications -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Guidelines for Specifications -- Technical Marketing Materials -- Guidelines forTechnical Marketing Materials -- Checklist Technical Descriptions -- Checklist for Specifications -- Checklist Technical Marketing Materials -- Projects -- 19.Instructions and Procedures -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Formats for Instructional Documents -- Faulty Instructions and Legal Liability -- Elements of Effective Instructions -- Clear and Limiting Title -- Informed Content -- Visuals -- Appropriate Level of Detail and Technicality;Note continued: Face-to-Face Meetings -- Guidelines for Running a Meeting -- Sources of Conflict in Collaborative Groups -- Interpersonal Differences -- Gender Differences -- Cultural Differences -- Managing Group Conflict -- Overcoming Differences by Active Listening -- Guidelines for Active Listening -- Thinking Creatively -- Brainstorm as a Way of Getting Started -- Brainstorming with Digital Technologies -- Mind-Mapping -- Storyboarding -- Reviewing and Editing Others' Work -- Guidelines for Peer Reviewing and Editing -- Ethical Abuses in Workplace Collaboration -- Intimidating One's Peers -- Claiming Credit for Others' Work -- Hoarding Information -- Global Considerations When Working in Teams -- Interpersonal Issues in Global Teams -- Guidelines for Communicating on a Global Team -- Checklist Teamwork and Global Considerations -- Projects -- 6.An Overview of the Technical Writing Process -- Critical Thinking in the Writing Process -- A Sample Writing Situation;Note continued: Guidelines for Surveys -- Observations and Experiments -- Consider This Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright -- Projects -- 8.Evaluating and Interpreting Information -- Evaluate the Sources -- Evaluate Online Information -- Evaluate the Evidence -- Interpret Your Findings -- Identify Your Level of Certainty -- Examine the Underlying Assumptions -- Be Alert for Personal Bias -- Consider Other Possible Interpretations -- Consider This Standards of Proof Vary for Different Audiences -- Avoid Distorted or Unethical Reasoning -- Faulty Generalization -- Faulty Causal Reasoning -- Faulty Statistical Analysis -- Acknowledge the Limits of Research -- Obstacles to Validity and Reliability -- Flaws in Research Studies -- Deceptive Reporting -- Guidelines for Evaluating and Interpreting Information -- Checklist The Research Process -- Projects -- 9.Summarizing Research Findings 7 and Other Information -- Considering Audience and Purpose;Note continued: Case Connecting with the Audience -- Allow for Give-and-Take -- Ask for a Specific Response -- Never Ask for Too Much -- Recognize All Constraints -- Organizational Constraints -- Legal Constraints -- Ethical Constraints -- Time Constraints -- Social and Psychological Constraints -- Consider This People Often React Emotionally to Persuasive Appeals -- Support Your Claims Convincingly -- Offer Convincing Evidence -- Appeal to Common Goals and Values -- Consider the Cultural Context -- Guidelines for Persuasion -- Shaping Your Argument -- Checklist Persuasion -- Projects -- 4.Weighing the Ethical Issues -- Recognize Unethical Communication in the Workplace -- Know the Major Causes of Unethical Communication -- Yielding to Social Pressure -- Mistaking Groupthink for Teamwork -- Understand the Potential for Communication Abuse -- Suppressing Knowledge the Public Needs -- Hiding Conflicts of Interest -- Exaggerating Claims about Technology;Note continued: Considering Audience and Purpose -- Memo Parts and Format -- Memo Tone -- Common Types of Memos -- Transmittal Memo -- Summary or Follow-up Memo -- Routine Miscellaneous Memo -- Guidelines for Memos -- Checklist Memos -- Letters -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Letter Parts, Formats, and Design Elements -- Standard Parts -- Optional Parts -- Formats and Design Features -- Letter Tone -- Establish and Maintain a "You" Perspective -- Be Polite and Tactful -- Use Plain English -- Decide on a Direct or Indirect Organizing Pattern -- Global and Ethical Considerations -- Guidelines for Letters in General -- Conveying Bad or Unwelcome News -- Guidelines for Conveying Bad News -- Common Types of Letters -- Inquiry Letters -- Guidelines for Inquiry Letters -- Claim Letters -- Guidelines for Claim Letters -- Sales Letters -- Guidelines for Sales Letters -- Adjustment Letters -- Guidelines for Adjustment Letters -- Checklist Letters -- Projects;Note continued: Styling the Words and Letters -- Guidelines for Styling the Words and Letters -- Adding Emphasis -- Guidelines for Adding Emphasis -- Using Headings for Access and Orientation -- Guidelines for Using Headings -- Audience Considerations in Page Design -- Designing Digital Documents -- Adobe Acrobat" and PDF Files -- Web Pages -- Tablets, Smartphones, and E-reader Pages -- Checklist Page Design -- Projects -- 14.Email and Text Messages -- Email Parts and Format -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Email Style and Tone -- Interpersonal Issues and Email -- Choose the Right Tool for the Situation -- Ethical and Legal Issues When Using Email -- Privacy and Other Ethical Issues -- Legal Issues and Email -- Global Considerations When Using Email -- Guidelines for Writing and Using Email -- Text Messaging -- Guidelines for Text Messaging -- Checklist Email andText Messages -- Projects -- 15.Workplace Memos and Letters -- Memos;Note continued: Guidelines for Providing Appropriate Detail -- Logically Ordered Steps -- Notes and Hazard Notices -- Readability -- Effective Design -- Guidelines for Designing Instructions -- Outlining and Writing a Set of Instructions -- Introduction -- Body: Required Steps -- Conclusion -- A Complete Set of Instructions for a Nontechnical Audience -- Digital and Online Instructions -- Video Instructions -- Scripting Online Videos -- Procedures -- Evaluating the Usability of Instructions and Procedures -- Usability and the User Experience -- Approaches for Evaluating a Document's Usability -- Checklist Instructions and Procedures -- Projects -- 20.Informal Reports -- Informational Versus Analytical Reports -- Progress Reports -- Guidelines for Progress Reports -- Periodic Activity Reports -- Guidelines for Periodic Activity Reports -- Trip Reports -- Guidelines forTrip Reports -- Meeting Minutes -- Guidelines for Meeting Minutes -- Feasibility Reports;Note continued: Arrange Word Order for Coherence and Emphasis -- Use Active Voice Whenever Possible -- Use Passive Voice Selectively -- Avoid Overstuffed Sentences -- Editing for Conciseness -- Avoid Wordy Phrases -- Eliminate Redundancy -- Avoid Needless Repetition -- Avoid There Sentence Openers -- Avoid Some It Sentence Openers -- Delete Needless Prefaces -- Avoid Weak Verbs -- Avoid Excessive Prepositions -- Avoid Nominalizations -- Make Negatives Positive -- Clean Out Clutter Words -- Delete Needless Qualifiers -- Editing for Fluency -- Combine Related Ideas -- Vary Sentence Construction and Length -- Use Short Sentences for Special Emphasis -- Finding the Exact Words -- Prefer Simple and Familiar Wording -- Avoid Useless Jargon -- Use Acronyms Selectively -- Avoid Triteness -- Avoid Misleading Euphemisms -- Avoid Overstatement -- Avoid Imprecise Wording -- Be Specific and Concrete -- Use Analogies to Sharpen the Image -- Adjusting Your Tone;Note continued: 16.Résumés and Other Job-Search Materials -- Assessing Your Skills and Aptitudes -- Researching the Job Market -- Plan Your Strategy -- Focus Your Search -- Explore Online Resources -- Learn to Network -- Résumés -- Parts of a Resume -- Using Templates -- Organizing Your Resume -- Guidelines for Writing and Designing Your Résumé -- Application Letters -- Solicited Application Letters -- Unsolicited Application Letters -- Guidelines for Application Letters -- Digital Versus Print Job Application Materials -- Guidelines for Digital Job Application Materials -- Consider This How Applicants Are Screened for Personal Qualities -- Dossiers, Portfolios, and E-Portfolios -- Dossiers -- Portfolios and E-Portfolios -- Guidelines for Dossiers, Portfolios, and E-Portfolios -- Interviews and Follow-Up Letters -- Interviews -- Follow-Up Letters -- Guidelines for Interviews and Follow-Up Letters -- Checklist Résumés -- Checklist Application Letters;Note continued: Working with the Information -- Planning the Document -- Drafting the Document -- Revising the Document -- Make Proofreading Your Final Step -- Guidelines for Proofreading -- Digital Technology and the Writing Process -- Checklist Proofreading -- Projects -- 7.Thinking Critically about the Research Process -- Asking the Right Questions -- Case Defining and Refining a Research Question -- Exploring a Balance of Views -- Achieving Adequate Depth in Your Search -- Evaluating and Interpreting Your Findings -- Primary Versus Secondary Sources -- Exploring Secondary Sources -- Online Secondary Sources -- Locating Secondary Sources Using Google -- Locating Secondary Sources Using Wikipedia -- Other Web-Based Secondary Sources -- Guidelines for Researching on the Internet -- Traditional Secondary Sources -- Exploring Primary Sources -- Unsolicited Inquiries -- Informational Interviews -- Surveys -- Guidelines for Informational Interviews;Note continued: What Readers Expect from a Summary -- Guidelines for Summarizing Information -- A Situation Requiring a Summary -- Creating a Summary -- Special Types of Summaries -- Closing Summary -- Informative Abstract ("Summary") -- Descriptive Abstract ("Abstract") -- Executive Abstract -- Digital and Ethical Considerations in Summarizing Information -- Checklist Summaries -- Projects -- 10.Organizing for Readers -- The Typical Shape of Workplace Documents -- Outlining -- An Outlining Strategy -- The Formal Outline -- Guidelines for Outlining -- Storyboarding -- Paragraphing -- The Support Paragraph -- The Topic Sentence -- Paragraph Unity -- Paragraph Coherence -- Paragraph Length -- Chunking -- Providing an Overview -- Organizing for Global Audiences -- Checklist Organizing Information -- Projects -- 11.Editing for a Professional Style andTone -- Editing for Clarity -- Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun References -- Avoid Ambiguous Modifiers -- Unstack Modifying Nouns;Machine generated contents note: 1.Introduction to Technical Communication -- What Is Technical Communication? -- Technical Communication Is a Digital and a Human Activity -- Technical Communication Reaches a Global Audience -- Technical Communication Is Part of Most Careers -- Technical Communicators Play Many Roles -- Main Features of Technical Communication -- Reader-Centered -- Accessible and Efficient -- Often Produced by Teams -- Delivered in Paper and Digital Versions -- Purposes of Technical Communication -- Documents that Inform -- Documents that Instruct -- Documents that Persuade -- Preparing Effective Technical Documents -- Case Providing Information Readers Can Use -- Case Being Persuasive -- Case Considering the Ethical Issues -- Case Working on aTeam and Thinking Globally -- Projects -- 2.Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences -- Analyze Your Document's Audience and Purpose -- Primary and Secondary Audiences -- Your Relationship to Your Readers;Note continued: Falsifying or Fabricating Data -- Using Visual Images That Conceal the Truth -- Stealing or Divulging Proprietary Information -- Withholding Information People Need for Their Jobs -- Exploiting Cultural Differences -- Consider Ethical Issues and Digital Information -- Rely on Critical Thinking for Ethical Decisions -- Reasonable Criteria for Ethical Judgment -- Ethical Dilemmas -- Anticipate Some Hard Choices -- Case A Hard Choice -- Learn to Recognize Legal Issues and Plagiarism -- Learn to Recognize Plagiarism -- Blatant versus Unintentional Plagiarism -- Plagiarism and the Internet -- Plagiarism and Your Career -- Consider This Ethical Standards Are Good for Business -- Decide When and How to Report Ethical Abuses -- Checklist Ethical Communication -- Guidelines for Ethical Communication -- Projects -- 5.Teamwork and Global Considerations -- Teamwork and Project Management -- Virtual Teamwork -- Guidelines for Managing a Collaborative Project;Note continued: Checklist Supporting Materials -- Projects -- 17.Technical Definitions -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Legal, Ethical, Societal, and Global Implications -- Types of Definition -- Parenthetical Definitions -- Sentence Definitions -- Expanded Definitions -- Methods for Expanding Definitions -- Etymology -- History -- Negation -- Operating Principle -- Analysis of Parts -- Visuals -- Comparison and Contrast -- Required Conditions -- Examples -- Situations Requiring Expanded Definitions -- An Expanded Definition for Semitechnical Readers -- An Expanded Definition for Nontechnical Readers -- Placing Definitions in a Document 408 Guidelines for Definitions -- Checklist Definitions -- Projects -- 18.Technical Descriptions, Specifications, and Marketing Materials -- Considering Audience and Purpose -- Types of Technical Descriptions -- Objectivity in Technical Descriptions -- Elements of Descriptions -- Clear and Limiting Title