Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies, and Readings Book

Thematic Table of Contents for Part 2 Readings

Directory of Models

Preface

NOTE: Chapters 1-16 end with

• Chapter Summary

• List of Supplemental Readings in Part 2 (where relevant)

• Endnotes

• Models

• Exercises

PART 1: Technical Writing: Ways of Writing

1 Technical Writing on the Job

Writing in Organizations

Diversity in Technical Writing

Reader/Purpose/Situation

Writing as a Process

One Writer’s Process

Stages of Writing

2 Collaboration and Ethics

Writing with Others

Writing with a Partner

Writing on a Team

Writing for Management Review

Writing for Multiple Reviewers

Writing with a Technical Editor

Writing with an Online Team

Writing Ethically

Plagiarism

Copyright

Social Networks

3 Audience

Analyzing Readers

Subject Knowledge

Position in the Organization

Personal Attitudes

Reading Style

Multiple Readers

International Readers

Finding Out about Readers

Informal Checking

Interviewing

Testing Reader-Oriented Documents

Readers Working as a Group

Readers Answering Questions

Readers Performing a Task

Readers Thinking Aloud

4 Organization

Sorting Information

Select Major Topics

Identify Subtopics

Constructing Outlines

Informal Outlines

Formal Outlines

Topic Outlines

Sentence Outlines

Developing Effective Paragraphs

Unity

Coherence

Development

Patterns for Presenting Information

5 Revision and Style

Creating a Final Draft

Global Revision

Fine-Tuning Revision

Revising On-Screen

Making Global Revisions

Content

Organization

Making Fine-tuning Revisions

Overloaded Sentences

Clipped Sentences

Lengthy Sentences

Passive Voice

Jargon

Sexist Language

Concrete versus Abstract Words

Gobbledygook

Wordiness

6 Document Design

Understanding Design Features

Purpose of Design Features

Design Principles

Creating Graphic Aids

Purpose of Graphic Aids

Tables

Figures

Using Format Elements

Written Cues

White Space

Color

Typographic Devices

7 Writing for the Web

Planning a Web Site

Organizing Web Pages

Homepage

Information Pages

Writing Effectively

Designing Elements for Special Groups

Senior Users

Special Needs Users

International Users

Evaluating Your Web Site

8 Definition

Understanding Definitions

Writing Informal Definitions

Writing Formal Sentence Definitions

Writing Expanded Definitions

Cause and Effect

Classification

Comparison and Contrast

Description

Development or History

Etymology

Examples

Method of Operation or Process

Negation

Partition

Stipulation

Placing Definitions in Documents

Within the Text

In an Appendix

In Footnotes

In a Glossary

9 Description

Understanding Description

Planning Descriptions

Subjects

Kinds of Information

Detail and Language

Graphic Aids

Writing Descriptions

Organization

Sections of a Technical Description

10 Instructions, Procedures, and Process Explanations

Understanding Instructions, Procedures, and Process Explanations

Instructions

Procedures

Process Explanations

Graphic Aids

Writing Instructions

Readers

Organization

Details and Language

Narrative Style Instructions

Troubleshooting Instructions

Writing Procedures

Procedures for One Employee

Procedures for Several Employees

Procedures for Handling Equipment and Systems

Writing Process Explanations

Readers

Organization

Details and Language

11 Formal Report Elements

Selecting Formal Report Elements

Writing Front Matter

Title Page

Transmittal Letter or Memo

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List Tables

Abstracts and Executive Summaries

Writing Back Matter

References

Glossary/List of Symbols

Appendixes

Documenting Sources

APA System: Citations in the Text

APA System: List of References

Number-Reference System

12 Short and Long Reports

Understanding Reports

Developing Short Reports

Opening-Summary Organization

Delayed-Summary Organization

Developing Long Reports

Planning Long Reports

Gathering Information

Evaluating Sources

Taking Notes

Interpreting Data

Drafting Long Reports

13 Types of Reports

Understanding Conventional Report Types

Writing a Feasibility Study

Purpose

Organization

Writing an Incident Report

Purpose

Organization

Writing an Investigative Report

Purpose

Organization

Writing a Progress Report

Purpose

Organization

Writing a Trip Report

Purpose

Organization

Writing a Proposal

Purpose

Organization

14 Letters, Memos, and Email

Understanding Letters, Memos, and Email

Letters

Memos

Email

Developing Effective Tone

Natural Language

Positive Language

You-Attitude

Organizing Letters, Memos, and Email

Direct Organization

Indirect Organization

Persuasive Organization

Writing Memos

Memos from Managers

Memos from Subordinates

Selecting Letter Format

Date Line

Inside Address

Salutation

Body

Close

Signature Block

Notations

Second Page

Envelope

Selecting Memo Format

Selecting Email Format

Using the Fax

15 Career Communication and Workplace Strategies

Looking for a Job

Writing Résumés

Traditional Résumés

Scannable Résumés

Email Résumés

Web-based Résumés

Writing Job-Application Letters

Writing Other Job-Related Letters

Followup Letters

Answers to a Job Offer

Understanding Workplace Culture

Communication Etiquette

Coworker Etiquette

Business Lunch Etiquette

16 Oral Presentations

Understanding Oral Presentations

Purpose

Advantages

Disadvantages

Types of Oral Presentations

Organizing Oral Presentations

Preparing for Oral Presentations

Delivering Oral Presentations

Rehearsal

Notes and Outlines

Voice

Professional Image

Gestures

Eye Contact

Questions

Using Visual Aids

Equipment

Presentation Software

Preparing Minutes of Meetings

Joining a Team Presentation

Facing International Audiences

PART 2: Technical Writing: Advice from the Workplace

Bagin, C.B., and Van Doren, J. “How to Avoid Costly Proofreading Errors”

Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”

Caher, J.M. “Technical Documentation and Legal Liability”

Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”

International Association of Business Communicators. “Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators”

Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”

Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”

Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”

Schafer, R.R. “Ten Tips for Writing Better Web-based Survey Questions”

Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”

Weiss, E.H. “Taking Your Presentation Abroad”

Wicclair, M.R., and Farkas, D.K. “Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework”

Appendix: Guidelines for Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics

Grammar

Dangling Modifiers

Misplaced Modifiers

Squinting Modifiers

Parallel Construction

Pronoun Agreement

Pronoun Reference

Reflexive Pronouns

Sentence Faults

Subject/Verb Agreement

Punctuation

Apostrophe

Colon

Comma

Dash

Exclamation Point

Hyphen

Parentheses

Question Mark

Quotation Marks

Semicolon

Slash

Mechanics

Acronyms and Initialisms

Brackets

Capital Letters

Ellipsis

Italics

Measurements

Numbers

Symbols and Equations

THEMATIC CONTENTS FOR PART 2 READINGS

Business Etiquette

Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”

Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”

Corporate Culture

International Association of Business Communicators. “Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators”

Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”

Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”

Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”

Wicclair, M.R., and Farkas, D.K. “Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework”

Document Design

Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”

Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”

Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”

Electronic Communication

Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”

Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”

Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”

Ethics

Caher, J.M. “Technical Documentation and Legal Liability”

International Association of Business Communicators. “Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators”

Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”

Wicclair, M.R., and Farkas, D.K. “Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework”

Graphics

Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”

International Communication

Weiss, E.H. “Taking Your Presentation Abroad”

Job Search

Humphries, A.C. “Business Manners”

Legal Liability in Technical Writing

Caher, J.M. “Technical Documentation and Legal Liability”

Raspberry, T.W. “The Buck Stops Here”

Listening

Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”

Meetings

Smith, G.M. “Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette”

Oral Presentations

Weiss, E.H. “Taking Your Presentation Abroad”

Proofreading

Bagin, C.B., and Van Doren, J. “How to Avoid Costly Proofreading Errors”

Style

Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”

Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye” Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”

Surveys

Schafer, R.R. “Ten Tips for Writing Better Web-based Survey Questions”

Usability and Web Design

Barefoot, D.K. “Ten Tips on Writing White Papers”

Nielsen, J. “First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye”

Nielsen, J. “Write for Reuse”

Schafer, R.R. “Ten Tips for Writing Better Web-based Survey Questions”