Full Description
This compact but complete guide shows that less is more—with fewer extraneous details getting in the way of students trying to learn on the run, it allows them to focus on the most important principles of effective technical communication. The Concise Guide takes a rhetorical approach to technical communication; instead of setting up a list of rules that you should apply uniformly to all writing situations, it introduces students to the bigger picture of how the words they write can affect the people intended to use them. Assignments and exercises are integrated throughout to reinforce and test knowledge.
Contents
Preface
Note to Instructors
Note to Students
AcknowledgmentsChapter One: Audience, Purpose, Genre, and Medium
What Is Technical Communication?
How Does Technical Communication Differ from Other Types of Communication?
Medium: When Does the Media Used for Communication Change It Substantially?
Audience
Purpose: Why Are You Writing?
What Is Genre?
Why Does Genre Matter?
What Are Genre Sets?
Chapter Two: Ethical Issues of Technical Communication
Ethics Frameworks
Ethics for Students
How Is Ethics Related to Technical Communication?
Writing Ethically
Chapter Three: Researching Technical Subjects
Primary Research: Interviewing
Primary Research: Conducting Surveys
Secondary Research: Libraries and Other Online Sources
Summarizing and Citing Researched Sources
Chapter Four: Writing Technical Prose
Clarity, Cohesion, Concision
Defining, Describing, and Explaining
Chapter Five: Visual Technical Communication
Using Visuals to Communicate Effectively
Chapter Six: Essentials of Workplace Communication
Audience: Who Are Your Readers?
Purpose: Goals for Workplace Communication
Genre: Writing Short Messages (Email, Memos, Letters)
Writing Messages
Chapter Seven: Progress Reports, White Papers, and Recommendation Reports
Status or Progress Reports
White Papers or Information Reports
Recommendation Reports
Chapter Eight: Reporting Technical Information
The Laboratory Report
Chapter Nine: Technical Communication Online
Use Structured Documentation
Converting Documents to Portable Document File (PDF) Format
Sharing Documents Electronically
Shared Folders and Documents Posted Online
Writing and Digital Media: Online Documents, Video, Screencasts, and Podcasts
Chapter Ten: Presenting Technical Information Orally
Common Speaking Occasions
Common speaking occasions
Small group presentations
Formal speaking engagements
Presentation slide that shows an example
Guidelines for Preparing Presentations
Guidelines for Creating Slides
Guidelines for Giving Presentations
