Synopses & Reviews
The sixth edition of this successful text is suitable for college and university students at any level. The materials have been tested in academic classes and in training workshops in a variety of businesses and technical industries.
The author includes writing samples from students and professionals that illustrate actual writing demands in a cross-section of career fields: architecture, aviation, business, computer sciences, ecology, engineering, fire science, insurance, landscape technology, manufacturing, medicine and dentistry, nursing and paramedical fields, pest control technology, real estate, and all of the sciences.
Each chapter begins with a list of skills to be acquired and ends with a checklist to be used with the end-of-chapter exercises and writing projects offering individual and collaborative writing options. New to the Sixth Edition:
- New Chapter 16 on producing fliers, brochures, and newsletters
- New 31 illustrative figures and page design options
- New Exercises and writing options throughout
- Expanded discussion of global audience concerns
- Expanded coverage of speakers of English as a second language and multicultural concerns
- Expanded coverage of document designs
- Updated chapter on accessing information, including interview techniques
- Reorganized section on The Technical Strategies with expansion of Producing Manuals and Product Support Items
- Expanded chapter on website design and management
Companion Website: Book-specific features include online quizzes with coaching and instant scoring, essay questions that test students' critical thinking skills, and web links to online resources. Visit
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Synopsis
Comprehensive and easy-to-read, this award-winning reference for those in technical, engineering, and scientific fields emphasizes practical writing. Its presentation and applications offer simple guides that users can easily emulate. It combines instruction, sample papers, exercises and writing projects for manuals, correspondence, research and publication articles, and oral technical communications. The volume addresses general communication strategies, correspondence, preparing resumes, cover letters, and interviews, writing brief reports, producing professional papers, presentation strategies, verbal and visual communications, plus designing and managing web sites. For technical, engineering and scientific professionals interested in communicating more effectively.
About the Author
Judith S. VanAlstyne taught English courses at Broward Community College for thirty years and was an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. She has served as an industry technical communications consultant and conducted technical-writing workshops and seminars throughout three South Florida counties. Ms. VanAlstyne initiated the Technical Writing Curriculum and Certificate Program at Broward Community College. She has authored numerous graphic design texts, instructional videos for technical writing, and technical workshop/seminar workbooks. In addition to teaching expository writing, creative writing, technical-writing, and literature courses, she introduced the technical-writing course curriculum to a private college in Malaysia. She has also published literary criticism, travel articles, and poetry.
Table of Contents
I. GENERAL TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES. 1. Explaining Professional and Technical Communications. 2. Executing The Writing Process: Theory and Practice.
3. Utilizing Graphics and Visuals.
4. Designing and Producing Documents and Presentations.
II. THE RESEARCH STRATEGIES. 5. Accessing Information.
6. Documenting Research.
III. THE TECHNICAL STRATEGIES. 7. Defining Terms.
8. Describing Mechanisms.
9. Giving Instructions.
10. Analyzing a Process.
11. Preparing Manuals and Product Support Items.
IV. THE PROFESSIONAL STRATEGIES. 12. Composing Correspondence.
13. Preparing Résumés, Cover Letters, Interviews.
14. Writing Brief Reports.
15. Devising Longer Reports, Proposals.
16. Producing Fliers, Brochures, and Newsletters.
17. Producing Professional Papers.
V. THE PRESENTATION STRATEGIES. 18. Performing Verbal Communications.
19. Managing Visual Communications.
20. Designing and Managing Websites.
Appendix A: Conventions of Construction, Grammar, and Usage.
Appendix B: Punctuation and Mechanical Conventions.
Works Consulted.
Index.