Technical Writing Principles, Strategies, and Readings
, by Reep, Diana C.
- ISBN: 9780205721504 | 0205721508
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 10/24/2010
Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies and Readingsoffers a flexible combination of instructional chapters and readings that reflect today's technical writing classroom. The fifteen instructional chapters offer a comprehensive introduction to technical communication, while articles from professional journals and Web siteswhich comprise about one-fourth of the textoffer insight and advice on specific communication topics, including writing for the Web. Each concise, self-contained instructional unit includes extended models and exercises which can be used in class or for collaborative or homework assignments. Students who study technical writing as part of their career preparation in science, business, engineering, social services and technical fields will find this text particularly useful.
A former Department Chair, and Full Professor of the English Department at the University of Akron, Dr. Diana Reep is on the Editorial Review Board of the _Journal of Business Communication_, and specializes in business and technical communication and film studies. She is the author of several publications, including _The Educator's Writing Handbook_ and _Business and Technical Writing: An Annotated Bibliography of Books from 1880-1980_. Her books of literary criticism are _Margaret Deland and the Rescue and Romance_. She has also published a novel and numerous articles on television and gender roles, soap operas, the saloon in western films, Anne Rice's _Interview with the Vampire_, and issues of business and technical communication.
Thematic Table of Contents for Part 2 Readings
Directory of Models
Preface
NOTE: Chapters 1-16 end with
- Chapter Summary
- List of Supplemental Readings in Part 2 (where relevant)
- Endnotes
- Models
- Exercises
PART 1: Technical Writing: Ways of Writing
1 Technical Writing on the Job
Writing in Organizations
Diversity in Technical Writing
Reader/Purpose/Situation
Writing as a Process
One Writer’s Process
Stages of Writing
2 Collaboration and Ethics
Writing with Others
Writing with a Partner
Writing on a Team
Writing for Management Review
Writing for Multiple Reviewers
Writing with a Technical Editor
Writing with an Online Team
Writing Ethically
Plagiarism
Copyright
Social Networks
3 Audience
Analyzing Readers
Subject Knowledge
Position in the Organization
Personal Attitudes
Reading Style
Multiple Readers
International Readers
Finding Out about Readers
Informal Checking
Interviewing
Testing Reader-Oriented Documents
Readers Working as a Group
Readers Answering Questions
Readers Performing a Task
Readers Thinking Aloud
4 Organization
Sorting Information
Select Major Topics
Identify Subtopics
Constructing Outlines
Informal Outlines
Formal Outlines
Topic Outlines
Sentence Outlines
Developing Effective Paragraphs
Unity
Coherence
Development
Patterns for Presenting Information
5 Revision and Style
Creating a Final Draft
Global Revision
Fine-Tuning Revision
Revising On-Screen
Making Global Revisions
Content
Organization
Making Fine-tuning Revisions
Overloaded Sentences
Clipped Sentences
Lengthy Sentences
Passive Voice
Jargon
Sexist Language
Concrete versus Abstract Words
Gobbledygook
Wordiness
6 Document Design
Understanding Design Features
Purpose of Design Features
Design Principles
Creating Graphic Aids
Purpose of Graphic Aids
Tables
Figures
Using Format Elements
Written Cues
White Space
Color
Typographic Devices
7 Writing for the Web
Planning a Web Site
Organizing Web Pages
Homepage
Information Pages
Writing Effectively
Designing Elements for Special Groups
Senior Users
Special Needs Users
International Users
Evaluating Your Web Site
8 Definition
Understanding Definitions
Writing Informal Definitions
Writing Formal Sentence Definitions
Writing Expanded Definitions
Cause and Effect
Classification
Comparison and Contrast
Description
Development or History
Etymology
Examples
Method of Operation or Process
Negation
Partition
Stipulation
Placing Definitions in Documents
Within the Text
In an Appendix
In Footnotes
In a Glossary
9 Description
Understanding Description
Planning Descriptions
Subjects
Kinds of Information
Detail and Language
Graphic Aids
Writing Descriptions
Organization
Sections of a Technical Description
10 Instructions, Procedures, and Process Explanations
Understanding Instructions, Procedures, and Process Explanations
Instructions
Procedures
Process Explanations
Graphic Aids
Writing Instructions
Readers
Organization
Details and Language
Narrative Style Instructions
Troubleshooting Instructions
Writing Procedures
Procedures for One Employee
Procedures for Several Employees
Procedures for Handling Equipment and Systems
Writing Process Explanations
Readers
Organization
Details and Language
11 Formal Report Elements
Selecting Formal Report Elements
Writing Front Matter
Title Page
Transmittal Letter or Memo
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List Tables
Abstracts and Executive Summaries
Writing Back Matter
References
Glossary/List of Symbols
Appendixes
Documenting Sources
APA System: Citations in the Text
APA System: List of References
Number-Reference System
12 Short and Long Reports
Understanding Reports
Developing Short Reports
Opening-Summary Organization
Delayed-Summary Organization
Developing Long Reports
Planning Long Reports
Gathering Information
Evaluating Sources
Taking Notes
Interpreting Data
Drafting Long Reports
13 Types of Reports
Understanding Conventional Report Types
Writing a Feasibility Study
Purpose
Organization
Writing an Incident Report
Purpose
Organization
Writing an Investigative Report
Purpose
Organization
Writing a Progress Report
Purpose
Organization
Writing a Trip Report
Purpose
Organization
Writing a Proposal
Purpose
Organization
14 Letters, Memos, and Email
Understanding Letters, Memos, and Email
Letters
Memos
Developing Effective Tone
Natural Language
Positive Language
You-Attitude
Organizing Letters, Memos, and Email
Direct Organization
Indirect Organization
Persuasive Organization
Writing Memos
Memos from Managers
Memos from Subordinates
Selecting Letter Format
Date Line
Inside Address
Salutation
Body
Close
Signature Block
Notations
Second Page
Envelope
Selecting Memo Format
Selecting Email Format
Using the Fax
15 Career Communication and Workplace Strategies
Looking for a Job
Writing Résumés
Traditional Résumés
Scannable Résumés
Email Résumés
Web-based Résumés
Writing Job-Application Letters
Writing Other Job-Related Letters
Followup Letters
Answers to a Job Offer
Understanding Workplace Culture
Communication Etiquette
Coworker Etiquette
Business Lunch Etiquette
16 Oral Presentations
Understanding Oral Presentations
Purpose
Advantages
Disadvantages
Types of Oral Presentations
Organizing Oral Presentations
Preparing for Oral Presentations
Delivering Oral Presentations
Rehearsal
Notes and Outlines
Voice
Professional Image
Gestures
Eye Contact
Questions
Using Visual Aids
Equipment
Presentation Software
Preparing Minutes of Meetings
Joining a Team Presentation
Facing International Audiences
PART 2: Technical Writing: Advice from the Workplace
Bagin, C.B., and Van Doren, J. “How to Avoid Costly Proofreading Errors”
Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”
Caher, J.M. “Technical Documentation and Legal Liability”
Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”
International Association of Business Communicators. “Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators”
Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”
Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”
Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”
Schafer, R.R. “Ten Tips for Writing Better Web-based Survey Questions”
Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”
Weiss, E.H. “Taking Your Presentation Abroad”
Wicclair, M.R., and Farkas, D.K. “Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework”
Appendix: Guidelines for Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics
Grammar
Dangling Modifiers
Misplaced Modifiers
Squinting Modifiers
Parallel Construction
Pronoun Agreement
Pronoun Reference
Reflexive Pronouns
Sentence Faults
Subject/Verb Agreement
Punctuation
Apostrophe
Colon
Comma
Dash
Exclamation Point
Hyphen
Parentheses
Question Mark
Quotation Marks
Semicolon
Slash
Mechanics
Acronyms and Initialisms
Brackets
Capital Letters
Ellipsis
Italics
Measurements
Numbers
Symbols and Equations
THEMATIC CONTENTS FOR PART 2 READINGS
Business Etiquette
Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”
Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”
Corporate Culture
International Association of Business Communicators. “Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators”
Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”
Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”
Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”
Wicclair, M.R., and Farkas, D.K. “Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework”
Document Design
Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”
Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”
Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”
Electronic Communication
Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”
Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”
Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”
Ethics
Caher, J.M. “Technical Documentation and Legal Liability”
International Association of Business Communicators. “Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators”
Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”
Wicclair, M.R., and Farkas, D.K. “Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework”
Graphics
Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”
International Communication
Weiss, E.H. “Taking Your Presentation Abroad”
Job Search
Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”
Legal Liability in Technical Writing
Caher, J.M. “Technical Documentation and Legal Liability”
Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”
Listening
Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”
Meetings
Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”
Oral Presentations
Weiss, E.H. “Taking Your Presentation Abroad”
Proofreading
Bagin, C.B., and Van Doren, J. “How to Avoid Costly Proofreading Errors”
Style
Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”
Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye” Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”
Surveys
Schafer, R.R. “Ten Tips for Writing Better Web-based Survey Questions”
Usability and Web Design
Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”
Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”
Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”
Schafer, R.R. “Ten Tips for Writing Better Web-based Survey Questions”
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