Technical Communication / Edition 12

by John M. Lannon, Laura J. Gurak

Overview

Technical Communication offers complete coverage of technical communication, business communication, and professional writing in a user-friendly writing style. The topics move from basic foundational concepts, to chapters on research, visuals, style, document design, usability, and finally to specific documents (basic workplace correspondence to more complex documents, technologies, and oral presentations). The appendix includes thorough coverage of MLA, APA, and CSE (Council of Science Editors) documentation styles, and a handbook of grammar, mechanics, and usage. All descriptions of and instructions for creating technical documents are accompanied by clear, annotated model documents. In addition, graphic illustrations appear throughout the book to make abstract concepts easy to understand. Checklists and Projects provide plentiful opportunities to learn and reinforce chapter topics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780205779642
Publisher:	Longman
Publication date:	11/15/2010
Series:	Pearson Custom Library English/the Mercury Reader Series
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	755
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

John Lannon is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Writing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he developed the undergraduate major in professional writing and later co-developed the M.A. program in professional writing.
He has also taught at Cape Cod Community College, University of Idaho, Southern Vermont College, and University of Strasbourg.
He has authored and coauthored five major textbooks in business communication, rhetoric, and technical communication, book reviews, filmstrips, and environmental documents and instructional software. He is the recipient of an NDEA Fellowship and Fulbright Lectureship. He holds a B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His initial training and work was in biomedical science and technology with the USAF. He has served as a communications consultant for various companies and government institutions. He worked seven years in medical laboratories.

Laura J. Gurak is professor and founding chair of the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota. She holds an M.S. in technical communication and a Ph.D. in communication and rhetoric from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is author of two books from Yale University Press (1997, 2001), the earlier of which was the first book-length work to study online communities and Internet-based social actions. Gurak is also co-editor of several edited collections and author on numerous conference presentations and papers; she is a recipient of the Society for Technical Communication’s Outstanding Article award. Gurak has authored and coauthored five textbooks in technical communication published by Pearson. She has worked as a technical writer and communications consultant for various companies and organizations.

Table of Contents

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

1. Introduction to Technical Communication.
Technical Communication Serves Practical Needs.
Writing Is Part of Most Careers.
Communication Has an Electronic and a Human Side.
Communication Reaches a Global Audience.
In Brief: Transferable Skills for the Twenty-First Century.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

I. COMMUNICATING IN THE WORKPLACE.

2. Problem Solving in Workplace Communication.
Technical Communicators Solve Interrelated Problems.
Problem Solving Requires Creative and Critical Thinking.
In Brief: Communication in a Virtual Company.
Guidelines for Writing with a Computer.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

3. Solving the Information Problem.
Assess the Audience's Information Needs.
Identify Levels of Technicality.
Develop an Audience and Use Profile.
In Brief: Human Factors in Communication Failure.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

4. Solving the Persuasion Problem.
Assess Political Realities.
Expect Audience Resistance.
Know How to Connect with the Audience.
Allow for Give-and-Take.
Ask for a Specific Response.
Never Ask for Too Much.
Recognize All Communication Constraints.
In Brief: "How You Speak Shows Where You Rank".
Support Your Claims Convincingly.
Consider the Cultural Context.
Guidelines for Making Your Case.
Checklist for Cross-Cultural Documents.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

5. Solving the Ethics Problem.
Recognize Unethical Communication.
Know the Major Causes of Unethical Communication.
Understand the Potential for Communication Abuse.
Rely on Critical Thinking for Ethical Decisions.
Anticipate Some Hard Choices.
Never Depend Only on Legal Guidelines.
In Brief: Ethical Standards Are Good for Business.
Decide Where and How to Draw the Line.
Guidelines for Ethical Communication.
Checklist for Ethical Communicators Exercises. Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

6. Solving the Collaboration Problem.
Examples of Successful Collaboration.
Guidelines for Organizing a Collaborative Team.
Sources of Conflict in Collaborative Groups.
Managing Group Conflict.
Overcoming Differences by Active Listening.
Guidelines for Active Listening.
Thinking Creatively.
Reviewing and Editing Others' Work.
Guidelines for Peer Reviewing and Editing.
Face-to-Face versus Electronically Mediated Collaboration.
In Brief: Ethical Issues in Workplace Collaboration.
Collaborative Projects.

II. RETRIEVING, ANALYZING, AND SYNTHESIZING INFORMATION.

7. Thinking Critically about the Research Process.
Asking The Right Questions.
Exploring a Balance of Views.
Achieving Adequate Depth in Your Search.
Evaluating Your Findings.
Interpreting Your Findings.
In Brief: The Role of Expert Opinion in Decision Making.
Guidelines for Evaluating Expert Information.
Exercises.

8. Exploring Hard Copy, Online, and Internet Sources.
Hard Copy versus Electronic Sources.
Hard Copy Sources.
In Brief: Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright of Hard Copy Information.
Online Sources.
In Brief: "Push" versus "Pull" Strategies for Distributing Information.
Internet Sources.
Keyword Searches Using Boolean Operators.
Guidelines for Researching on the Internet.
In Brief: Copyright Protection and Fair Use of Electronic Information.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

9. Exploring Primary Sources.
Informative Interviews.
Guidelines for Informative Interviews.
Surveys and Questionnaires.
Guidelines for Developing a Questionnaire.
Inquiry Letters, Calls, and Email Inquiries.
Public Records and Organizational Publications.
Personal Observation and Experiment.
Analysis of Samples.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

10. Evaluating and Interpreting Information.
Evaluate the Sources.
Guidelines for Evaluating Sources on the Web.
Evaluate the Evidence.
Interpret Your Findings.
Avoid Errors in Reasoning.
In Brief: How Standards of Proof Vary for Different Audiences.
Avoid Statistical Fallacies.
In Brief: Correlation versus Causation.
Interpret the Reality Behind the Numbers.
Acknowledge the Limits of Research.
Guidelines for Evaluating and Interpreting Information.
Checklist for the Research Process.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects

11. Summarizing and Abstracting Information.
Purpose of Summaries.
Guidelines for Summarizing Information.
What Users Expect from a Summary.
A Situation Requiring a Summary.
Forms of Summarized Information.
Placement of Summarized Information.
Usability Checklist for Summaries.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

III. STRUCTURAL AND STYLE ELEMENTS.

12. Organizing for Users.
Partitioning and Classifying.
Outlining.
Storyboarding.
Paragraphing.
Sequencing.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

13. Revising for Readable Style.
Revising for Clarity.
Revising for Conciseness.
Revising for Fluency.
Finding the Exact Words.
Adjusting Your Tone.
Guidelines for Finding the Right Tone.
Guidelines for Nonsexist Usage.
Guidelines for Inoffensive Usage.
Considering the Cultural Context.
Legal and Ethical Implications of Word Choice.
Avoiding Reliance on Automated Tools.

IV. VISUAL, DESIGN AND USABILITY ELEMENTS.

14. Designing Visuals.
Why Visuals Are Essential.
When to Use a Visual.
What Types of Visuals to Consider.
How to Select Visuals for Your Purpose and Audience.
Tables.
Graphs.
Charts.
Graphic Illustrations.
Computer Graphics.
How to Avoid Visual Distortion.
Guidelines for Fitting Visuals with Printed Text.
Usability Checklist for Visuals.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

15. Designing Pages and Documents.
Page Design in Workplace Writing.
Desktop Publishing.
Creating a Usable Design.
Audience Considerations in Page Design.
Designing On-Screen Pages.
Usability Checklist for Page Design.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

16. Adding Document Supplements.
Purpose of Supplements.
Cover.
Title Page.
Letter of Transmittal.
Table of Contents.
List of Tables and Figures.
Informative Abstract.
Glossary.
Appendixes.
Documentation.
Exercises.

17. Testing the Usability of Your Documents.
Why Usability Testing is Essential.
How Usability Testing is Done.
How Usability Criteria Are Determined.
Usability Issues in Online or Multimedia Documents.
Guidelines for Testing A Document's Usability.
General Checklist for Usability.
Collaborative Project.

V. SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS.

18. Memo Reports and Electronic Mail.
Purpose of Memo Reports.
Elements of a Usable Memo.
Interpersonal Consideration in Writing a Memo.
Common Types of Memo Reports.
Electronic Mail.
Guidelines for Using Electronic Mail.
Guidelines for Choosing Email versus Paper or the Telephone.
Usability Checklist for Memo Reports.
Exercises.
Collaborative Project.

19. Letters and Employment Correspondence.
Elements of Usable Letters.
Interpersonal Considerations in Workplace Letters.
Inquiry Letters.
Claim Letters.
Résumés and Job Applications.
In Brief: How Applicants Are Screened for Personal Qualities.
Electronic Job Hunting.
Support for the Application.
Guidelines for Surviving a Job Interview.
In Brief: How To Evaluate a Job Offer.
Usability Checklist for Letters.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

20. Web Pages and Other Electronic Documents.
Online Documentation.
Hypertext.
The Web.
In Brief: How Web Sites Enhance Workplace Transactions.
Elements of a Usable Web Site.
In Brief: How Site Needs and Expectations Differ Across Cultures.
Scripting a Web Document with HTML.
Guidelines for Creating a Web Site.
In Brief: Privacy Issues on the Web.
Checklist for Web Site Usability.

21. Technical Definitions.
Purpose of Definitions.
Levels of Detail in a Definition.
Expansion Methods.
Situations Requiring Definitions.
Placement of Definitions.
Usability Checklist for Definitions.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

22. Technical Descriptions and Specifications.
Purpose of Technical Description.
Elements of Usable Description.
A General Model for Technical Description.
A Situation Requiring Technical Description.
Specifications.
Usability Checklist for Descriptions.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

23. Procedures and Processes.
Purpose of Process-Related Explanation.
Faulty Instructions and Legal Liability.
Elements of Usable Instruction.
A General Model for Instructions.
A Situation Requiring Instructions.
A General Model for Process Analysis.
A Situation Requiring Process Analysis.
Usability Checklist for Instructions.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

24. Proposals.
Purpose of Proposals.
The Proposal Process.
Proposal Types.
Elements of a Persuasive Proposal.
A General Model for Proposals.
A Situation Requiring a Proposal.
Usability Checklist for Proposals.
Exercises.

25. Analytical Reports.
Purpose of Analysis.
Typical Analytical Problems.
Elements of a Usable Analysis.
A General Model for Analytical Reports.
A Sample Situation Requiring an Analytical Report.
Revision Checklist for Analytical Reports.
Exercises.
Collaborative Projects.

26. Oral Presentations.
Avoiding Presentation Pitfalls.
Planning Your Presentation.
Preparing Your Presentation.
Delivering Your Presentation.
In Brief: Oral Presentations for Cross-Cultural Audiences.
Exercises.

Appendix A: Recording and Documenting Research Findings.
Taking Notes.
Guidelines for Recording Research Findings.
Quoting the Work of Others.
Guidelines for Quoting the Work of Others.
Paraphrasing the Work of Others.
Guidelines for Paraphrasing.
What You Should Document.
How You Should Document.
MLA Documentation Style.
APA Documentation Style.
CBE Numerical Documentation Style.

Appendix B: The Problem-Solving Process Illustrated.
Critical Thinking in the Writing Process.
A Sample Writing Situation.
Your Own Writing Situation.

Appendix C: Editing for Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics.
Common Sentence Errors.
Effective Punctuation.
Transitions.
Effective Mechanics.