Part 1: Elements of Technical Communication
Chapter 1Communicating in the Technical Workplace 1
Developing a Workplace Writing Process 2
Genres and the Technical Writing Process 4
Stage 1: Planning and Researching 5
Stage 2: Organizing and Drafting 7
Stage 3: Improving the Style 9
Stage 4: Designing 9
Stage 5: Revising and Editing 9
What Is Technical Communication? 10
Technical Communication Is Interactive and Adaptable 11
Technical Communication Is Reader Centered 12
Technical Communication Relies on Teamwork 12
Technical Communication Is Visual 13
Technical Communication Has Ethical, Legal, and Political
Dimensions 13
Technical Communication Is International and Cross-Cultural 15
How Important Is Technical Communication? 15
Chapter Review 16
Exercises and Projects 17
Chapter 2 Readers and Contexts of Use 19
Profiling Your Readers 20
Identifying Your Readers 22
Profiling Your Readers’ Needs, Values, and Attitudes 23
Profiling Contexts of Use 26
Identifying the Context of Use 26
Using Profiles to Your Own Advantage 27
International and Cross-Cultural Communication 28
Differences in Content 32
Differences in Organization 33
Differences in Style 34
Differences in Design 35
Listen and Learn: The Key to International and Cross-Cultural Communication 36
At Work: What Are Some Strategies for Communicating with People from Another Culture? 37
Chapter Review 38
Exercises and Projects 38
Case Study: Installing a Medical Waste Incinerator 40
Chapter 3 Working in Teams 44
The Stages of Teaming 45
Forming: Strategic Planning 45
Step 1: Define the Project Mission and Objectives 46
Step 2: Identify Project Outcomes 47
Step 3: Define Team Member Responsibilities 47
Step 4: Create a Project Calendar 48
Step 5: Write Out a Work Plan 48
Step 6: Agree on How Conflicts Will Be Resolved 49
Storming: Managing Conflict 54
Running Effective Meetings 54
Mediating Conflicts 56
Firing a Team Member 58
Norming: Determining Team Roles 58
Revising Objectives and Outcomes 58
Help: Virtual Teaming 59
Identifying Team Roles 61
Using Groupware to Facilitate Work 62
Performing: Improving Quality 63
The Keys to Teaming 63
Chapter Review 65
Exercises and Projects 65
Case Study: Not a Sunny Day 67
Chapter 4 Letters, Memos, and E-Mails 91
Features of Letters, Memos, and E-Mails 92
Planning and Researching 98
Determining the Rhetorical Situation 98
Ethics in the Technical Workplace 68
What Are Ethics? 69
Where Do Ethics Come From? 72
Personal Ethics 73
Social Ethics 73
Conservation Ethics 76
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas 77
Help: Stopping Cyberbullying and Computer Harassment 78
Confronting an Ethical Dilemma 80
Resolving an Ethical Dilemma 81
When You Disagree with the Company 82
Ethics in the Technical Workplace 85
Copyright Law 85
Trademarks 85
At Work: Why Should Technical Professionals Learn About Ethics? 86
Patents 86
Privacy 87
Information Sharing 87
Proprietary Information 87
Libel and Slander 88
Fraud 88
Chapter Review 88
Exercises and Projects 89
Case Study: This Company Is Bugging Me 90
Part 2: Genres of Technical Communication
Chapter 5 Organizing and Drafting 100
Introduction with a Purpose and a Main Point 100
Body That Provides Need-to-Know Information 103
Conclusion That Restates the Main Point 104
Types of Letters, Memos, and E-Mails 104
Inquiries 105
Responses 105
Claims or Complaints 105
Adjustments 108
Refusals 108
Using Style and Design 111
Strategies for Developing an Appropriate Style 111
Designing and Formatting Letters, Envelopes, and Memos 114
Using E-Mail Internationally 117
Microgenre: Texting at Work 120
Chapter Review 122
Exercises and Projects 122
Case Study: The Nastygram 126
Chapter 6 Technical Descriptions and Specifications 128
Planning and Researching 129
Planning 129
Quick Start: Technical Descriptions and Specifications 130
Researching 135
Partitioning the Subject 135
At Work: How Does Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD)
Help Write Descriptions? 136
Organizing and Drafting 140
Specific and Precise Title 140
Introduction with an Overall Description 140
Description by Features, Functions, or Stages 141
Description by Senses, Similes, Analogies, and Metaphors 142
Conclusion 144
Help: Using Digital Photography in Descriptions 144
Using Style and Design 146
Plain, Simple Style 146
Page Layout That Fits 146
Graphics That Illustrate 146
Microgenre: Technical Definitions 149
Chapter Review 153
Exercises and Projects 153
Case Study: In the Vapor 157
Chapter 7 Instructions and Documentation 159
Planning and Researching 160
Quick Start: Instructions and Documentation 161
Planning 162
Researching 171
Planning for Cross-Cultural Readers and Contexts 172
Verbal Considerations 173
Design Considerations 173
Organizing and Drafting 174
Specific and Precise Title 174
Introduction 174
List of Parts, Tools, and Conditions Required 175
Sequentially Ordered Steps 176
Safety Information 182
Conclusion That Signals Completion of Task 185
Using Style and Design 185
Help: On-Screen Documentation 187
Plain Style with a Touch of Emotion 188
Functional, Attractive Page Layout 189
Graphics That Reinforce Written Text 190
User-Testing Your Documentation 192
Microgenre: Emergency Instructions 192
Chapter Review 194
Exercises and Projects 195
Case Study: The Flame 197
Chapter 8 Proposals 198
Planning and Researching 199
Planning 199
Quick Start: Proposals 200
Researching 205
Organizing and Drafting 206
Writing the Introduction 206
Describing the Current Situation 208
Describing the Project Plan 209
Describing Qualifications 216
Concluding with Costs and Benefits 216
Using Style and Design 219
A Balance of Plain and Persuasive Styles 219
An Attractive, Functional Design 222
Microgenre: The Elevator Pitch 224
Chapter Review 226
Exercises and Projects 227
Case Study: The Mole 237
Chapter 9 Activity Reports 238
Types of Activity Reports 239
Progress Reports 239
Briefings and White Papers 239
Quick Start: Activity Reports 240
Incident Reports 242
Laboratory Reports 242
Planning and Researching 246
Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation 249
Organizing and Drafting 251
Writing the Introduction 251
Writing the Body 251
Writing the Conclusion 252
Using Style and Design 254
Using a Plain Style 254
Using Design and Graphics 254
Microgenre: The Status Report 255
Chapter Review 257
Exercises and Projects 257
Case Study: Bad Chemistry 259
Chapter 10 Analytical Reports 260
Types of Analytical Reports 261
Quick Start: Analytical Report 262
Planning and Researching 263
Planning 263
Researching 268
Organizing and Drafting 273
Writing the Introduction 273
At Work: What Is the Most Efficient Way to Write a Report? 274
Describing Your Methodology 275
Summarizing the Results of the Study 275
Discussing Your Results 276
Stating Your Overall Conclusions and Recommendations 276
Help: Using Google Drive to Collaborate with InternationalTeams 289
Drafting Front Matter and Back Matter 290
Developing Front Matter 290
Developing Back Matter 294
Using Style and Design 294
Using Plain Style in a Persuasive Way 294
A Straightforward Design 295
Microgenre: The Poster Presentation 299
Chapter Review 300
Exercises and Projects 301
Case Study: The X-File 303
Chapter 11 Starting Your Career 304
Setting Goals, Making a Plan 305
Setting Goals 305
Using a Variety of Job-Seeking Paths 305
Quick Start: Career Materials 306
Preparing a Résumé 310
Types of Résumés 310
Chronological Résumé 310
At Work: How Has the Internet Changed the Job Search Process? 316
Functional Résumé 319
Designing the Résumé 319
Writing Effective Application Letters 321
Content and Organization 321
Help: Designing a Scannable/Searchable Résumé 323
Style 325
Revising and Proofreading the Résumé and Letter 329
Creating a Professional Portfolio 329
Collecting Materials 330
Organizing Your Portfolio 331
Assembling the Portfolio in a Binder 331
Creating an Electronic Portfolio 332
Interviewing Strategies 333
Preparing for the Interview 333
At the Interview 334
Writing Thank You Letters and/or E-Mails 335
Microgenre: The Bio 337
Chapter Review 338
Exercises and Projects 339
Case Study: The Lie 341
Part 3: Researching, Designing, Presenting
Chapter 12 Researching and Research Methods 342
Beginning Your Research 344
Defining Your Research Subject 345
Narrowing Your Research Subject 346
Formulating a Research Question and Hypothesis 346
Developing a Research Methodology 347
Mapping Out a Methodology 347
Describing Your Methodology 347
Using and Revising Your Methodology 348
Triangulating Materials 349
Using Electronic Sources 350
Using Print Sources 351
Using Empirical Sources 353
Managing Information and Taking Notes 356
Managing Information 356
Careful Note Taking 356
Documenting Sources 360
Avoiding Plagiarism 362
Chapter Review 364
Exercises and Projects 364
Case Study: The Patchwriter 366
Chapter 13 Designing Documents and Interfaces 367
Five Principles of Design 368
Design Principle 1: Balance 368
Weighting a Page or Screen 369
Using Grids to Balance a Page Layout 372
Design Principle 2: Alignment 376
Design Principle 3: Grouping 377
Using Headings 378
Using Borders and Rules 381
Design Principle 4: Consistency 382
Choosing Typefaces 382
Labeling Graphics 384
Creating Sequential and Nonsequential Lists 384
Inserting Headers and Footers 386
Design Principle 5: Contrast 386
Adding Shading and Background Color 387
Cross-Cultural Design 388
Chapter Review 390
Exercises and Projects 391
Case Study: Scorpions Invade 393
Chapter 14 Creating and Using Graphics 397
Guidelines for Using Graphics 398
Guideline One: A Graphic Should Tell a Simple Story 399
Guideline Two: A Graphic Should Reinforce the Written Text, Not Replace It 400
Guideline Three: A Graphic Should Be Ethical 400
Guideline Four: A Graphic Should Be Labeled and Placed Properly 402
Displaying Data with Graphs, Tables, and Charts 403
Line Graphs 404
Bar Charts 405
Tables 406
Pie Charts 407
Flowcharts 409
Using Pictures and Drawings 410
Photographs 411
Inserting Photographs and Other Images 412
Illustrations 413
Using Cross-Cultural Symbols 414
Chapter Review 417
Exercises and Projects 417
Case Study: Looking Guilty 419
Chapter 15 Preparing and Giving Presentations 421
Planning and Researching Your Presentation 422
Defining the Rhetorical Situation 424
Allotting Your Time 426
Choosing the Right Presentation Technology 427
Organizing the Content of Your Presentation 430
Building the Presentation 430
The Introduction: Tell Them What You’re Going to Tell Them 431
Help: Giving Presentations with your iPod, MP3, or Mobile Phone 434
The Body: Tell Them 436
At Work: How Can I Overcome My Fear of Speaking in Public? 437
The Conclusion: Tell Them What You Told Them 439
Preparing to Answer Questions 441
Choosing Your Presentation Style 442
Creating Visuals 444
Designing Visual Aids 444
Using Graphics 446
Slides to Avoid 446
Delivering the Presentation 447
Body Language 447
Voice, Rhythm, and Tone 449
Using Your Notes 449
Rehearsing 450
Evaluating Your Performance 450
Working Cross-Culturally with Translators 452
Chapter Review 456
Exercises and Projects 456
Case Study: The Coward 458
Appendix A: Grammar and Punctuation Guide A-1
Appendix B: Documentation Guide A-19
References R-1
Credits C-1
Index I-1
Sample Documents Inside Back Cover