Technical Communication

Markel's Technical Communication prepares students for the transition from writing in college to writing in the workplace. It details clear and practical advice with real-world scenarios to equip students with the necessary skills to enter the job market.

Mike Markel; Stuart Selber

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