Technical Communication
Fourteenth Edition
Publication Date: February 14, 2025
Paperback ISBN: 9781319589721
Technical skills for an ever-changing digital world.
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ISBN: 9781319591083
Achieve for Technical Communication (2-Term Online; International Edition)
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ISBN: 9781319591076
Technical Communication
ISBN: 9781319589721
Technical Communication
Part 1 Understanding the Technical Communication Environment
1. Introduction to Technical Communication
- What Is Technical Communication?
- Why Technical Communication Skills Are Important in Your Career
- The Challenges of Producing Technical Communication
- Characteristics of a Technical Document
- Skills and Qualities Shared by Successful Workplace Communicators
- Exercises
2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
- A Brief Introduction to Ethics
- Your Ethical Obligations
- Obligations to Your Employer
- Obligations to the Public
- Obligations to the Environment
- Your Legal Obligations
- The Role of Corporate Culture in Ethical and Legal Conduct
- Understanding Ethical and Legal Issues Related to Social Media
- Communicating Ethically Across Cultures
- Communicating with Cultures with Different Ethical Beliefs
- Communicating in Countries with Different Laws
- Principles for Ethical Communication
- Abide by Relevant Laws
- Abide by the Appropriate Professional Code of Conduct
- Abide by Your Organization’s Policy on Social Media
- Take Advantage of Your Employer’s Ethics Resources
- Tell the Truth
- Don’t Mislead Your Readers
- Use Design to Highlight Important Ethical and Legal Information
- Be Clear
- Avoid Discriminatory Language
- Acknowledge Assistance from Others
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
3. Writing Technical Documents
- Planning
- Generating Ideas About Your Subject
- Researching Additional Information
- Devising a Schedule and a Budget
- Drafting
- Using Templates
- Revising
- Studying the Draft by Yourself
- Seeking Help from Technology
- Editing
- Proofreading
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
4. Writing Collaboratively
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Collaboration
- Advantages of Collaboration
- Disadvantages of Collaboration
- Managing Projects
- Conducting Meetings
- Listening Effectively
- Setting Your Team’s Agenda
- Conducting Efficient Meetings
- Communicating Diplomatically
- Critiquing a Team Member’s Work
- Using Electronic Tools in Collaboration
- Word-Processing Tools
- Messaging Tools
- Videoconferencing Tools
- Wikis and Shared Document Workspaces
- Crowdsourcing Platforms
- Gender and Collaboration
- Culture and Collaboration
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
Part 2 Planning the Document
5. Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
- Understanding Audience and Purpose
- Using an Audience Profile Sheet
- Determining the Important Characteristics of Your Audience
- Who Are Your Readers?
- Why Is Your Audience Reading Your Document?
- What Are Your Readers’ Attitudes and Expectations?
- How Will Your Readers Use Your Document?
- Techniques for Learning About Your Audience
- Determining What You Already Know About Your Audience
- Interviewing People
- Reading About Your Audience Online
- Searching Social Media
- Analyzing Social-Media Data
- Using Artificial Intelligence Tools
- Communicating Across Cultures
- Understanding Cultural Variables “on the Surface”
- Understanding Cultural Variables “Beneath the Surface”
- Considering Cultural Variables as You Write
- Using Graphics and Design for Multicultural Readers
- Applying What You Have Learned About Your Audience
- Writing for Multiple Audiences
- Determining Your Purpose
- Gaining Management’s Approval
- Revising Information for a New Audience and Purpose
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
6. Researching Your Subject
- Understanding the Research Process
- Choosing Appropriate Research Methods
- Conducting Secondary Research
- Understanding Research Tools
- Types of Secondary Research Sources
- Using Social Media and Other Interactive Resources
- Using AI Chatbots
- Evaluating the Information
- Conducting Primary Research
- Analysis of Social-Media Data
- Observations and Demonstrations
- Inspections
- Experiments
- Field Research
- Interviews
- Inquiries
- Questionnaires
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
7. Organizing Your Information
- Understanding Three Principles for Organizing Technical Information
- Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
- Using Conventional Patterns of Organization
- Displaying Your Organizational Pattern Prominently
- Understanding Conventional Organizational Patterns
- Chronological
- Spatial
- More Important to Less Important
- Comparison and Contrast
- Problem-Methods-Solution
- Cause and Effect
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
Part 3 Developing and Testing the Verbal and Visual Information
8. Communicating Persuasively
- Considering the Context of Your Argument
- Understanding Your Audience’s Broader Goals
- Working Within Constraints
- Crafting a Persuasive Argument
- Identifying the Elements of Your Argument
- Considering Opposing Viewpoints
- Using the Right Kinds of Evidence
- Using visuals as persuasive elements
- Appealing to Emotions Responsibly
- Deciding Where to Present the Claim
- Understanding the Role of Culture in Persuasion
- Avoiding Logical Fallacies
- Presenting Yourself Effectively
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
9. Emphasizing Important Information
- Writing Clear, Informative Titles
- Writing Clear, Informative Headings
- Writing Clear, Informative Lists
- Write Effective Paragraph Lists
- Write Effective Sentence Lists
- Writing Clear, Informative Paragraphs
- Structure Paragraphs Clearly
- Use Coherence Devices Within and Between Paragraphs
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
10. Writing Correct and Effective Sentences
- Writing Grammatically Correct Sentences
- Avoid Sentence Fragments
- Avoid Comma Splices
- Avoid Run-on Sentences
- Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun References
- Compare Items Clearly
- Use Adjectives Clearly
- Maintain Subject-Verb Agreement
- Maintain Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
- Use Tenses Correctly
- Structuring Effective Sentences
- Emphasize New and Important Information
- Choose an Appropriate Sentence Length
- Focus on the “Real” Subject
- Focus on the “Real” Verb
- Use Parallel Structure
- Use Modifiers Effectively
- Choosing the Right Words and Phrases
- Select an Appropriate Level of Formality
- Be Clear
- Understanding Simplified English for Nonnative Speakers
- Preparing Text for Translation
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
11. Designing Print and Digital Documents
- Goals of Document Design
- Understanding Design Principles
- Planning Your Design
- Analyze Your Audience and Purpose
- Determine Your Resources
- Designing Print Documents
- Size
- Paper
- Bindings
- NAVIGATIONAL AIDS
- Designing Print Pages
- Page Layout
- Other Design Features
- Designing Digital Documents
- Use Design To Emphasize Important Information
- Create Informative Headers and Footers
- Help Readers Navigate the Document
- Include Extra Features Your Readers Might Need
- Help Readers Connect with Others
- Designing Digital Pages
- Aim for Simplicity
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
12. Creating Graphics
- The Functions of Graphics
- The Characteristics of an Effective Graphic
- Understanding the Process of Creating Graphics
- Planning Graphics
- Producing Graphics
- Revising Graphics
- Citing Sources of Graphics
- Using Color Effectively
- Choosing the Appropriate Kind of Graphic
- Illustrating Numerical Information
- Illustrating Logical Relationships
- Illustrating Process Descriptions and Instructions
- Illustrating Visual and Spatial Characteristics
- Creating Effective Graphics for Multicultural Readers
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
13. Evaluating and Testing Technical Documents
- Understanding Usability Studies
- Assessing the need for a Usability Study
- Determining the Goals of the Study
- Studying Existing Documents Versus Prototypes
- Considering Study Settings
- Conducting Guided Evaluations of Technical Documents
- Choosing Document Evaluators
- Establishing Evaluation Guidelines
- Preparing Materials for the Evaluation
- Testing Documents in a Controlled Setting
- Preparing for the Test
- Conducting the Test
- Testing Documents in Context
- Preparing for a Site Visit
- Conducting a Test in Context
- Monitoring Documents Remotely
- Interpreting and Reporting Your Findings
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
Part 4 Learning Important Applications
14. Corresponding in Print and Online
- Understanding the Process of Writing Correspondence
- Selecting a Type of Correspondence
- Presenting Yourself Effectively in Correspondence
- Use the Appropriate Level of Formality
- Communicate Correctly
- Project the “You Attitude”
- Avoid Correspondence Clichés
- Communicate Honestly
- Writing Letters
- Elements of a Letter
- Common Types of Letters
- Writing Memos
- Writing Emails
- Writing Social-Media Posts
- Writing Correspondence to Multicultural Readers
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
15. Applying for a Job
- Understanding the Job-Application Process
- Establishing Your Professional Brand
- Finding the Right Position
- Planning The Job Search
- Understanding Job-Search Strategies
- Writing Résumés
- Considering Nontraditional Résumés
- Writing Job-Application Letters
- Preparing for a Job Interview
- Following Up After an Interview
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
16. Writing Proposals
- Understanding the Process of Writing Proposals
- The Logistics of Proposals
- The “Deliverables” of Proposals
- Persuasion and Proposals
- Writing a Proposal
- The Structure of the Proposal
- Sample Internal Proposal
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
17. Writing Informational Reports
- Understanding the Process of Writing Informational Reports
- Sample Progress Report
- Writing Incident Reports
- Writing Meeting Minutes
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
18. Writing Recommendation Reports
- Understanding the Role of Recommendation Reports
- Using a Problem-Solving Model for Preparing Recommendation Reports
- Writing Recommendation Reports
- Sample Recommendation Report
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
19. Writing Lab Reports
- Persuasion and Lab Reports
- Understanding the Process of Writing Lab Reports
- Understanding the Structure of the Lab Report
- Understanding the Role of Science and Engineering Articles
- Sample Lab Report
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
20 Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
- Writing Definitions
- Analyzing the Writing Situation for Definitions
- Determining the Kind of Definition To Write
- Deciding Where To Place the Definition
- Writing Descriptions
- Analyzing the Writing Situation for Descriptions
- Indicating Clearly the Nature and Scope of the Description
- Introducing the Description Clearly
- Providing Appropriate Detail
- Ending the Description with a Brief Conclusion
- A Look at Several Sample Descriptions
- Writing Instructions
- Understanding the Role of Instructional Videos
- Designing a Set of Written Instructions
- Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Instructions
- A Look at Several Sample Sets of Instructions
- Writing Manuals
- Writer’s Checklist
- Exercises
21 Making Oral Presentations
- Understanding the Role of Oral Presentations
- Understanding the Process of Preparing and Delivering an Oral Presentation
- Preparing the Presentation
- Analyzing the Speaking Situation
- Organizing and Developing the Presentation
- Preparing Presentation Graphics
- Choosing Effective Language
- Rehearsing the Presentation
- Delivering the Presentation
- Calming Your Nerves
- Using Your Voice Effectively
- Using Your Body Effectively
- Answering Questions After a Presentation
- Sample Evaluation Form
- Speaker’s Checklist
- Exercises
APPENDIX Reference Handbook
- A Skimming Your Sources and Taking Notes
- Paraphrasing
- B Documenting Your Sources
- APA Style
- IEEE Style
- MLA Style
- C Editing and Proofreading Your Documents
- Punctuation
- D Guidelines for Multilingual Writers (ESL)
- Cultural and Stylistic Communication Issues
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