Preface.
Acknowledgments.
1.Introduction to Technical Communication.
Technical Communication Serves Practical Needs.
Writing is Part of Most Careers.
Communication Has an Electronic and a Human Side.
Communication Reaches a Global Audience.
I. COMMUNICATING IN THE WORKPLACE.
2. Preparing an Effective Technical Document.
Consider the Key Elements.
Rely on Creative and Critical Thinking.
3. Delivering the Essential Information.
Assess the Audience's Information Needs.
Identify Levels of Technicality.
Develop an Audience and Use Profile.
4. Making a Persuasive Case.
Identify Your Specific Goal.
Assess the Political Realities.
Expect Audience Resistance.
Know How to Connect with the Audience.
Allow for Give-and-Take.
Ask for a Specific Response.
Never Ask for Too Much.
Recognize All Communication Constraints.
Support Your Claims Convincingly.
Consider the Cultural Context.
Shape Your Argument.
5. Weighing the Ethical Issues.
Recognize Unethical Communication.
Know the Major Causes of Unethical Communication.
Understand the Potential for Communication Abuse.
Rely on Critical Thinking for Ethical Decisions.
Anticipate Some Hard Choices.
Never Depend Only on Legal Guidelines.
Learn to Recognize Plagiarism.
Decide Where and How to Draw the Line.
6. Working in Teams.
Examples of Successful Collaboration.
The Role of Project Management in Successful Collaboration.
Sources of Conflict in Collaborative Groups.
Managing Group Conflict.
Overcoming Differences by Active Listening.
Thinking Creatively.
Reviewing and Editing Others' Work.
Face-to-Face versus Electronically Mediated Collaboration.
Ethical Abuses in Workplace Collaboration.
II. THE RESEARCH PROCESS.
7. Thinking Critically about the Research Process.
Asking the Right Questions.
Exploring a Balance of Views.
Achieving Adequate Depth in Your Search.
Evaluating Your Findings.
Interpreting Your Findings.
8. Exploring Electronic and Hard Copy Sources.
Hard Copy versus Electronic Sources.
Internet Sources.
Keyword Searches Using Boolean Operators.
Other Electronic Sources.
Hard Copy Sources.
9. Exploring Primary Sources.
Informative Interviews.
Surveys and Questionnaires.
Inquiry Letters, Phone Calls, and Email Inquiries.
Public Records and Organizational Publications.
Personal Observation and Experiment.
Analysis of Samples.
10. Evaluating and Interpreting Information.
Evaluate the Sources.
Evaluate the Evidence.
Interpret Your Findings.
Avoid Errors in Reasoning.
Avoid Statistical Fallacies.
Interpret the Reality Behind the Numbers.
Acknowledge the Limits of Research.
11. Summarizing and Abstracting Information.
Purpose of Summaries.
What Users Expect from a Summary.
A Situation Requiring a Summary.
Forms of Summarized Information.
Placement of Summarized Information.
Usability Checklist for Summaries.
Ethical Considerations in Summarizing Information.
III. STRUCTURAL AND STYLE ELEMENTS.
12. Organizing for Users.
Partitioning and Classifying.
Outlining.
Storyboarding.
Paragraphing.
Sequencing.
13. Revising for Readable Style.
Revising for Clarity.
Revising for Conciseness.
Revising for Fluency.
Finding the Exact Words.
Adjusting Your Tone.
Considering the Cultural Context.
Legal and Ethical Implications of Word Choice.
Avoiding Reliance on Automated Tools.
IV. VISUAL, DESIGN, AND USABILITY ELEMENTS.
14. Designing Visuals.
Why Visuals Are Important.
How Visuals Work.
When to Use a Visual.
What Types of Visuals to Consider.
How to Select Visuals for Your Purpose and Audience.
Tables.
Graphs.
Charts.
Graphic Illustrations.
Computer Graphics.
Using Web Sites for Graphics Support.
How to Avoid Visual Distortion.
15. Designing Pages and Documents.
Page Design in Workplace Writing.
Desktop Publishing.
Creating a Usable Design.
Audience Considerations in Page Design.
Designing On-Screen Pages.
16. Adding Document Supplements.
Purpose of Supplements.
Cover.
Title Page.
Letter of Transmittal.
Table of Contents.
List of Tables and Figures.
Informative Abstract.
Glossary.
Appendixes.
Documentation.
17. Designing and Testing the Document for Usability.
Why a Usable Design Is Essential.
How to Achieve a Usable Design.
How to Test Your Document for Usability.
Usability Issues in Online or Multimedia Documents.
Usability Testing in the Classroom.
V. SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS.
18. Memo Reports and Electronic Mail.
Purpose of Memo Reports.
Elements of a Usable Memo.
Interpersonal Considerations in Writing a Memo.
Common Types of Memo Reports.
Electronic Mail.
19. Letters and Employment Correspondence.
Elements of Usable Letters.
Interpersonal Considerations in Workplace Letters.
Inquiry Letters.
Claim Letters.
Resumes and Job Applications.
Electronic Job Hunting.
Support for the Application.
20. Web Pages and Other Electronic Documents.
Online Documentation.
Hypertext.
The Web.
Elements of a Usable Web Site.
Scripting a Web Document with HTML.
Privacy Issues in Online Communication.
21. Technical Definitions.
Purpose of Technical Definitions.
Levels of Detail in a Definition.
Expansion Methods.
Situations Requiring Definitions.
Placement of Definitions.
22. Technical Descriptions and Specifications.
Purposes and Types of Technical Description.
Elements of a Usable Description.
A General Model for Product Description.
A Situation Requiring Product Description.
A General Model for Process Description.
A Situation Requiring Process Description.
Specifications.
Technical Marketing Literature.
23. Instructions.
Purpose of Instructional Documents.
Formats for Instructional Documents.
Faulty Instructions and Legal Liability.
Elements of Usable Instruction.
A General Model for Instructions.
A Situation Requiring Instructions.
24. Proposals.
How Proposals and Reports Differ in Purpose.
The Proposal Audience.
The Proposal Process.
Proposal Types.
Elements of a Persuasive Proposal.
A General Model for Proposals.
A Situation Requiring a Proposal.
25. Analytical Reports.
Purpose of Analysis.
Typical Analytical Problems.
Elements of a Usable Analysis.
A General Model for Analytical Reports.
A Situation Requiring an Analytical Report.
26. Oral Presentations.
Avoiding Presentation Pitfalls.
Planning Your Presentation.
Preparing Your Presentation.
Delivering Your Presentation.
VI. A BRIEF HANDBOOK WITH ADDITIONAL SAMPLE DOCUMENTS.
Appendix A. Recording and Documenting Research Findings.
Taking Notes.
Quoting the Work of Others.
Paraphrasing the Work of Others.
What You Should Document.
How You Should Document.
MLA Documentation Style.
APA Documentation Style.
CBE Numerical Documentation Style.
Appendix B. A Casebook of Sample Documents Illustrating the Writing Process.
Critical Thinking in the Writing Process.
An Everyday Writing Situation: The Evolution of a Short Report.
Your Own Writing Situation.
Documents for the Course Project: A Sequence Culminating in the Final Report.
Appendix C. Editing for Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics.
Common Sentence Errors.
Effective Punctuation.
Transitions.
Effective Mechanics.
Works Cited.
Index.
