Technically-Write! / Edition 6

by Ronald S. Blicq, Lisa Moretto, Ron Blicq

Overview

This complete, “on-the-job” exploration of both written and oral communication concentrates on the most effective techniques for the types of communications most frequently encountered in today's business world. This new edition updates coverage to accurately reflect the techniques used to write today's professional correspondence and reports. The book uses the example of two employees involved in two technically-oriented companies, the type of work they perform, and some typical situations that call for them to communicate with clients, suppliers, and each other, to drive home the concepts presented. Topics include: letters, memos, and e-mail; short, informal reports; larger informal and semiformal reports; formal reports; technical proposals; communicating with prospective employers; and technical writing. For any employee whose responsibilities include preparing reports and documents; also for those where speaking at meetings and seminars is a necessary part of their jobs. This book can serve as an excellent reference for job-hunters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780131148789
Publisher:	Pearson
Publication date:	12/09/2003
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Ron Blicq and Lisa Moretto are Senior Consultants with RGI International, a consulting company specializing in oral and written communication. They teach workshops, based on the Pyramid Method of Writing presented in this book, to audiences all over the world. In 2001, they opened a second company—RGI Learning Inc.—specifically to deliver their courses on the Web. Their web site is www.rgilearning.com.

Ron is Senior Consultant at RGI's Canadian office. He has extensive experience as a technical writer and editor with the Royal Air Force in Britain and CAE Industries Limited in Canada, and taught technical communication at Red River College from 1967 to 1990. Ron has authored five books with Pearson Education and has written and produced six educational video programs, such as Sharpening Your Business Communication Skills and So, You Have to Give a Talk? He is a Fellow of both the Society for Technical Communication and the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing, and a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. Ron lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Lisa is Senior Consultant at RGI's United States office. She has experience as an Information Developer for IBM in the US and as a Learning Products Engineer for Hewlett-Packard in the UK. Lisa holds a B.S. in Technical Communication from Clarkson University in New York, and an M.S. in User Interface Design from the London Guildhall University in England. Her specialties include developing online interactive information, designing user interfaces, and writing product documentation. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. Lisa lives in Rochester, New York.

Read an Excerpt

This book presents all aspects of technical communication that you, as a technician, technologist, engineer, scientist, computer and environmental specialist, or technical manager, are likely to encounter in industry. It contains numerous examples of letters, reports, and proposals, all based on the unique "pyramid" method for structuring information, a technique that has helped countless technical people overcome "writer's block."

With each previous edition of Technically-Write!, changes were introduced to reflect the way technical professionals were currently presenting information in the various industries and in engineering consulting firms. This edition is no exception—in fact we have made more changes than ever before. Here are some of the most noticeable revisions:

• There is a new, opening chapter that traces how, over 100 years ago, the engineering community recognized that more attention needed to be placed on increasing a technical professional's ability to communicate effectively, and how lecturers at universities and colleges responded.
• Chapter 3 has more information on how to plan and write email messages.
• Chapter 4 now includes a personal progress report which helps keep managers informed of the writer's activities.
• There is a comprehensive new chapter (Chapter 7) on how to write informal and semiformal proposals.
• The chapter on writing resumes and attending interviews (Chapter 11) has been enlarged to include new techniques for submitting electronic resumes.
• The glossary has been enlarged to include more computer-related terms.

If you have seen previous editions, you will have noticed that the shape of the book has also changed. The shape will seem slimmer because we have reduced the number of pages by about 7%. We did this partly to help reduce the cost for purchasers, and partly to place some of the assignments and exercises in an instructor's manual and for electronic delivery.

Information about the two companies—H. L. Winman and Associates and Macro Engineering Inc.—has been removed, but many of the model letters and reports, and end-of-chapter assignments, still retain these two companies to provide a logical environment for the documents and exercises.

Along the way, we have very much appreciated the friendly advice and many helpful suggestions from users of the book, both teachers and students, and the advice of reviewers. In particular, we would like to thank the following reviewers: John Roberts (Mohawk College), Lisa WolanskiMcGirr (Keewatin College), George Scott (Seneca College), Alexa Campbell (Red River College), Elizabeth Smyth and Joe Benge (Camosun College). Their ideas have guided us in preparing this sixth edition. We are also celebrating, for it's 32 years since the first edition of Technically-Write! was published!

Table of Contents

Preface.


People as Communicators.


1. Why Technical People Need to Write Well.


2. A Technical Person's Approach to Writing.


3. Letters, Memos and Email.


4. Short Informal Reports.


5. Longer Informal and Semiformal Reports.


6. Formal Reports.


7. Technical Proposals.


8. Other Technical Documents.


9. Illustrating Technical Documents.


10. Technically-Speak!


11. Communicating With Prospective Employers.


12. The Technique of Technical Writing.


Glossary of Technical Usage.


Index.


Marking Control Chart.

Preface

This book presents all aspects of technical communication that you, as a technician, technologist, engineer, scientist, computer and environmental specialist, or technical manager, are likely to encounter in industry. It contains numerous examples of letters, reports, and proposals, all based on the unique "pyramid" method for structuring information, a technique that has helped countless technical people overcome "writer's block."

With each previous edition of Technically-Write!, changes were introduced to reflect the way technical professionals were currently presenting information in the various industries and in engineering consulting firms. This edition is no exception—in fact we have made more changes than ever before. Here are some of the most noticeable revisions:

• There is a new, opening chapter that traces how, over 100 years ago, the engineering community recognized that more attention needed to be placed on increasing a technical professional's ability to communicate effectively, and how lecturers at universities and colleges responded.
• Chapter 3 has more information on how to plan and write email messages.
• Chapter 4 now includes a personal progress report which helps keep managers informed of the writer's activities.
• There is a comprehensive new chapter (Chapter 7) on how to write informal and semiformal proposals.
• The chapter on writing resumes and attending interviews (Chapter 11) has been enlarged to include new techniques for submitting electronic resumes.
• The glossary has been enlarged to include more computer-related terms.

If you have seen previous editions, you will have noticed that the shape of the book has also changed. The shape will seem slimmer because we have reduced the number of pages by about 7%. We did this partly to help reduce the cost for purchasers, and partly to place some of the assignments and exercises in an instructor's manual and for electronic delivery.

Information about the two companies—H. L. Winman and Associates and Macro Engineering Inc.—has been removed, but many of the model letters and reports, and end-of-chapter assignments, still retain these two companies to provide a logical environment for the documents and exercises.

Along the way, we have very much appreciated the friendly advice and many helpful suggestions from users of the book, both teachers and students, and the advice of reviewers. In particular, we would like to thank the following reviewers: John Roberts (Mohawk College), Lisa WolanskiMcGirr (Keewatin College), George Scott (Seneca College), Alexa Campbell (Red River College), Elizabeth Smyth and Joe Benge (Camosun College). Their ideas have guided us in preparing this sixth edition. We are also celebrating, for it's 32 years since the first edition of Technically-Write! was published!