COMING SOON 14-February-2025

Technical Communication

Fourteenth Edition

Publication Date: February 14, 2025

Paperback ISBN: 9781319589721

Technical skills for an ever-changing digital world.

Markel’s Technical Communication prepares students for the transition from writing in college to writing in the workplace. It details clear and practical advice with real-world scenarios to equip students with the necessary skills to enter the job market.

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ISBN: 9781319591076
Technical Communication


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ISBN: 9781319589721
Technical Communication

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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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