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