Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job with 2020 APA Update

Thirteenth Edition

Publication Date: May 29, 2020

Paperback ISBN: 9781319361525

Pages: 672

For the changing professional landscape, a clear, practical guide

More than ever, Writing That Works is the right choice for the most up-to-date coverage of business writing. Real-world model documents are grounded in their rhetorical contexts to guide students in navigating the increasingly complex world of business writing. Now in full-color, the...

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Index of Sample Documents
About the Authors
Preface
Brief Contents

PART ONE    The Writing Process at Work
Chapter 1       Understanding the Workplace Writing Context: A Case Study
Writing Systematically
Determining Your Purpose
Assessing Your Audience’s Needs
Considering the Context
Generating, Gathering, and Recording Ideas and Facts
Establishing Your Scope
Organizing Your Ideas
Selecting the Medium
Writing for Results
Writing Persuasively
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 2     Planning, Drafting, and Revising Workplace Writing: A Case Study
Organizing Your Information
Traditional Roman Numeral Outline
Decimal Numbering System Outline
Essential Organizing Patterns
A Case Study Part I: How Audience and Purpose Shape Organization
Drafting a Document
    Beginning Your Rough Draft
Keeping Your Audience in Mind
    Accommodating Multiple Audiences
    Writing for an International Audience
Writing an Opening
Writing a Closing
A Case Study Part II: Drafting the Lifemaker Brochure
Revising a Document
Content and Organization
Coherence
    Paragraph Unity
    Transitions
Emphasis
     Active and Passive Voice
     Subordination
     Parallel Structure
     Lists
    Other Ways to Achieve Emphasis
Point of View
Style and Language
     Formal Writing Style
     Informal Writing Style
     Context and Word Choice
     Conciseness
     Bias
     Plain Language
Proofreading
Case Study Part III: Revising the Lifemaker Brochure
Exercises
Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

PART TWO    Methods and Design
Chapter 3        Collaborating on Content
Advantages and Disadvantages of Collaborative Writing
Functions of a Collaborative Writing Team
Planning
Research and Writing
Review and Revision
The Role of Conflict in Collaborative Writing
Leading a Collaborative Writing Team
Schedule
Review Transmittal Sheet
Collaborating with Other Departments
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 4    Conducting Research
Conducting Primary Research: Experience, Interviews, Observations, and Questionnaires
Beginning with Your Experience
Observing Firsthand
Using a Questionnaire
Conducting Secondary Research: The Workplace, the Library, and the Internet
Developing a Search Strategy
Workplace Sources of Information
Library Research
Searching the Web
Evaluating, Recording, and Acknowledging Research Sources
Evaluating Sources
Taking Notes
Quoting from Your Sources
Paraphrasing
Summarizing
Avoiding Plagiarism and Other Intellectual Property Violations
Copyrights
Patents
Trademarks
Documenting Sources
APA Style
MLA Style
Other Style Manuals
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 5    Designing Text and Visuals
Understanding Design Principles
Designing Documents
Typography
Highlighting Devices
Integrating Other Design Elements
Creating Visuals
Designing and Integrating Visuals with Text
Tables
Graphs
Drawings
Flowcharts
Organizational Charts
Maps
Photographs
Infographics
Using Visuals to Communicate Internationally
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 6    Writing in an Online Environment
Crafting Content for Rapid Consumption
Using the Inverted Pyramid
Using a Simple Style and an Appropriate Tone
Writing Concisely
Chunking Content
Highlighting Information
Using Headings and Subheadings
Using Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Giving Directional Cues
Providing Keywords for Content Retrieval
Using Graphics and Typography
Linking to Internal Content
Linking to External Content
Repurposing Existing Content
Documenting Sources of Information
Protecting User Privacy
Enhancing Access to Content
Ensuring Access for People with Disabilities
Considering International Users
Social and Collaborative Media in the Workplace
Blogs and Forums
Wikis
Podcasts
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Social Media
Summary
Exercises
Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

PART THREE    Messages and Models
Chapter 7             Writing E-mails, Memos, and Letters
Using Professional Style and Tone
Audience and Writing Style
Goodwill and the “You” Viewpoint
Structuring Effective Messages
Direct and Indirect Patterns
Openings
Closings
Developing Clarity and Emphasis
Lists
Headings
Subject Lines
Managing Your Email and Protocol
Review and Confidentiality
Writing and Design
Observing Protocol
Sending Text and Instant Messages
Designing Memos
Memo Format
Designing Letters
Letter Format
Heading
Inside Address
Salutation
Subject Line
Body
Complimentary Closing
Writer’s Signature Block
End Notations
Continuing Pages
Meeting the Deadline: The Time-Sensitive Message
Understand the Assignment
Gather Information
Organize Your Thoughts
Write the Draft
Polish the Draft
Take a Well-Deserved Break
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 8    Writing Routine and Sensitive Messages
Routine and Positive Messages
Cover Messages (or Transmittals)
Acknowledgments
Inquiries
Responses to Inquiries
Sales and Promotions
Sensitive and Negative Messages
Routine and High-Stakes Refusals
Complaints
Adjustments
Collections
Writing International Correspondence
Culture and Business-Writing Style
Cross-Cultural Examples
Meeting the Deadline: Writing a Sensitive Message
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 9    Writing Informal Reports
Planning and Writing Informal Reports
Considering Your Audience
Collecting Information
Parts of the Informal Report
Reaching Plausible Conclusions: Evaluating Cause and Effect
Types of Informal Reports
Progress and Periodic Reports
Investigative Reports
Incident Reports
Trip Reports
Test Reports
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 10    Writing Formal Reports
Transmittal Messages
Front Matter
Title Page
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword
Preface
List of Abbreviations and Symbols
Body
Executive Summary
Introduction
Text (Body)
Conclusions
Recommendations
Works Cited (or References)
Back Matter
Bibliography
Appendixes
Glossary
Index
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 11    Writing Instructions
Planning Instructions
Learn to Perform the Operation Yourself
Assess Your Audience and Purpose
Organize the Instructions
Writing Instructions
Write Directly to Your Reader
Include Warnings and Cautions
Using Illustrations and Design Principles
Illustrate for Clarity
Design for Ease of Use
Testing for Usability
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 12    Writing Proposals
Planning and Writing Proposals
Audience and Purpose
Project Management
Repurposing Content
Organization
Persuasive Writing
Internal Proposals
Routine Internal Proposals
Formal Internal Proposals
External Proposals
Solicited Proposals
Unsolicited Proposals
Grant and Research Proposals
Sales Proposals
Meeting the Deadline: The Time-Sensitive Proposal
Requests for Proposals
RFP Structure
Information about Your Company
Project Description
Delivery Schedule
Proposal Description
Vendor Qualifications
Proposal-Evaluation Criteria
Appendixes
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 13    Giving Presentations and Conducting Meetings
Preparing and Delivering Presentations
Determining Your Purpose
Analyzing Your Audience
Gathering Information
Structuring Your Presentation
Using Visual Aids
Practicing Your Presentation
Delivery Techniques that Work
Reaching Global Audiences
Meeting the Deadline: The Time-Sensitive Presentation
Part I: Planning Your Presentation
Part II: Creating Your Presentation
Part III: Practicing Your Presentation
Part IV: Delivering Your Presentation
Listening
Fallacies About Listening
Steps to More Effective Listening
Conducting Productive Meetings
Planning a Meeting
Chairing a Meeting
Chapter Summary
Exercises Collaborative Classroom Projects
Research Projects

Chapter 14    Finding the Right Job
Promoting Your Skills for a Successful Job Search
Establish Your Personal Brand
Post an Online Personal Profile
Create a Personal Website
            Conducting the Job Search
Networking
Campus Career Services
Strategic Web Searches
Job Advertisements
Trade and Professional Journal Listings
Private, Temporary, and Government Employment Agencies
Internships and Co-ops
Direct Queries and Informational Interviews
Job-Search Record Keeping
Preparing an Effective Résumé
Analyzing Your Background
Organizing Your Résumé
Digital Formats and Media Résumés
Sample Résumés
Writing an Effective Letter of Application
Opening Paragraph
Body Paragraphs
Closing Paragraph
Sample Letters
Completing a Job or an Internship Application
Doing Well in the Interview
Before the Interview
During the Interview
Sending Follow-up Correspondence
Sending a Resignation Letter or Memo
Chapter Summary
Exercises
Collaborative Classroom Projects Research Projects

Appendix A Revision Guide: Sentences, Punctuation, and Mechanics
Proofreaders’ Marks
  Sentences
Sentence Faults
Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
Sentence Fragments
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Nouns
Count and Mass Nouns
Articles
Prepositions
Pronouns
Pronoun Case
Pronoun Reference
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Adjectives and Adverbs
Comparatives and Superlatives
Placement
Usage
Verbs
Subject-Verb Agreement
Voice
Mood
Tense
Helping Verbs
Conditional Sentences
Gerunds and Infinitives
  Punctuation
Commas
Linking Independent Clauses
Introducing Elements
Enclosing Elements
Separating Elements
Using Commas with Other Punctuation
Avoiding Unnecessary Commas
Semicolons
Colons
Apostrophes
Showing Possession
Indicating Omission
Forming Plurals
Quotation Marks
Identifying Quotations
Setting Off Words, Phrases, and Titles
Using Quotation Marks with Other Punctuation
Periods
Question Marks
Exclamation Marks
Parentheses and Brackets
Hyphens
Linking Modifiers
Separating Prefixes and Suffixes
Other Uses
Dashes
Ellipses
Slashes
  Mechanics
Capitalization
Proper Nouns
Common Nouns
First Words
Specific Groups
Specific Places
Specific Institutions, Events, and Concepts
Titles of Works
Professional and Personal Titles
Abbreviations, Letters, and Units
Numbers
Words or Numerals
Plurals
Money
Measurements
Time and Dates
Addresses
Punctuation
Documents
Abbreviations
Names of Organizations
Measurements
Personal Names and Titles
Italics
Foreign Words and Phrases
Titles
Proper Names
Words, Letters, and Numerals
Subheads
Index

Almost 250 diverse annotated sample documents and visuals model successful workplace writing. Helpful annotations on real-world correspondence, proposals, presentations, formal reports, and résumés illustrate the characteristics of each document type.

Consistent focus on key rhetorical concepts as the foundation for workplace writing. Emphasizing process, Part 1 of the book applies seasoned advice on audience and purpose to guide students through planning, organizing, drafting, and revision of professional messaging.

Succinct checklists for considering audience and purpose, drafting, and designing documents summarize for students the nuts and bolts of ethical, effective communication.

Practical, thorough apparatus for student learning — in the classroom and online. End-of-chapter exercises, collaborative projects, and research projects provide starting points for engaging students in live, online, or hybrid courses and in their community.

LaunchPad Solo for Professional Writing offers online tutorials on today’s most relevant digital writing topics, from content management to personal branding. To add additional value, Team Writing by Joanna Wolfe and Document-Based Cases for Professional Communication by Roger Munger have been added to this LaunchPad Solo, giving your students the resources they need to become successful professional writers.

Increased focus on persuasive writing and context. Today’s professional communicators have to face a staggering array of contexts and to persuade audiences across a variety of media. Chapter 1, Understanding the Workplace Writing Context: A Case Study, has been revised to emphasize the decisions available to students and lay the foundation for the strategies they will learn over the course of working with Writing That Works.

New coverage on personal branding. This new coverage in Chapter 14, Finding the Right Job includes guidance for students on how to create an online professional profile and to create a persuasive personal brand that meets the needs of a student’s professional context and audience.

A new full-color design. The new, full-color design gives the book a fresh, engaging feel and better showcases the nuances of the model documents.

Up-to-date coverage on writing for the web. Previously covered in an appendix, guidance on writing for the web has been expanded and moved into a full chapter within the text (Chapter 6, Writing in an Online Environment), in order to reflect this topic as a primary concern for today’s business writers.

Streamlined coverage of the writing process. To better present a clear and cohesive writing process for students, Chapters 2-4 have been combined into a single chapter, Planning, Drafting, and Revising Workplace Writing: A Case Study. This chapter clarifies the connections between the key stages of professional writing and offers an engaging case study to model the key decisions at each writing stage.

"One of the best textbooks of its kind on the market. It meets all the major needs in business writing in the real world today."
—Will Zhang, Des Moines Area Community College

"This text balances foundational knowledge with the ongoing conversation of the changing climate of technology."
—William Garland, University of South Carolina

"My students tell me they use the text lessons right away on the job to help them shape their memos and craft instructions as part of their duties."
—Renee Rallo, St. Joseph College

"An iconic title that covers the various types of key documents and writing challenges in the world of work; it includes examples and models to underscore principles and best practices brought out in the text, and offers tips on how to get your message across effectively, succinctly, and clearly."
—Charles Warren, Salem State University

Walter E. Oliu

Walter E. Oliu served as Chief of the Publishing Services Branch at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he managed the agency’s printing, graphics, editing, and publishing programs, as well as the daily operations of the agency’s public Web site. He is the recipient of the agency’s Meritorious Service Award. He has also taught at Miami University of Ohio, Slippery Rock State University, Montgomery College, and George Mason University.

Charles T. Brusaw

Charles T. Brusaw served as a faculty member at NCR Corporation’s Management College, where he developed and taught courses in professional writing, editing, and presentation skills for the corporation worldwide. Previously, he worked in advertising, technical writing, public relations, and curriculum development. He was also a communications consultant, an invited speaker at academic conferences, and a teacher of business writing at Sinclair Community College. He passed away in 2015.

Gerald J. Alred

Gerald J. Alred is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Wisconsin– Milwaukee, where he is a teaching-award recipient and an adviser to the Professional Writing Program. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and several standard bibliographies on business and technical communication, and he is a founding member of the editorial board of the Journal of Business and Technical Communication. He is a recipient of the prestigious Jay R. Gould Award for “profound scholarly and textbook contributions to the teaching of business and technical writing.” He developed and manages the Web site InlandChorus.comTM.