Mike Markel, Stuart Selber

Practical Strategies for Technical Communication

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Practical Strategies is the best way to keep up with all types of writing required in today's constantly changing workplace. It covers everything you need to know about audience and purpose, document design, research, style, and more.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bedford Books
• 4th edition
• Seitenzahl: 544
• Erscheinungstermin: 17. September 2021
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 201mm x 18mm
• Gewicht: 726g
• ISBN-13: 9781319245023
• ISBN-10: 1319245021
• Artikelnr.: 67979343

Inhaltsangabe

Part 1 Working in 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
* Thinking Visually: Characteristics of a Technical Document
* Thinking Visually: Measures of Excellence in Technical Documents
* Skills and Qualities Shared by Successful Workplace Communicators
* A Look at Three Technical Documents
* Exercises
2 Understanding Ethical and Legal Obligations
* A Brief Introduction to Ethics
* 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
* Thinking Visually: Principles for Ethical Communication
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
3 Writing Collaboratively
* Thinking Visually: Advantages and Disadvantages of Collaboration
* Managing Projects
* Conducting Meetings
* Using Electronic Tools in Collaboration
* Strategies for Online Communication: Jenny Gilbert on Crowdsourcing
Data and Information
* Gender and Collaboration
* Culture and Collaboration
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
Part 2 Planning and Drafting the Document
4 Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
* Understanding Audience and Purpose
* Using an Audience Profile Sheet
* Techniques for Learning About Your Audience
* Thinking Visually: Determining the Important Characteristics of Your
Audience
* Communicating Across Cultures
* Applying What You Have Learned About Your Audience
* Writing for Multiple Audiences
* Determining Your Purpose
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
5 Researching Your Subject
* Understanding the Research Process
* Choosing Appropriate Research Methods
* Choices and Strategies: Research Questions and Methods
* Conducting Secondary Research
* Using AI Chatbots
* Conducting Primary Research
* Choices and Strategies: Choosing Types of Questions for
Questionnaires
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
6 Writing for Your Readers
* Presenting Yourself Effectively
* Using Conventional Patterns of Organization
* Choices and Strategies: Choosing Effective Organizational Patterns
* Writing Clear, Informative Titles
* Writing Clear, Informative Headings
* Writing Clear, Informative Paragraphs
* Writing Grammatically Correct Sentences
* Structuring Effective Sentences
* Choosing the Right Words and Phrases
* Use Inoffensive Language
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
Part 3 Designing User-Friendly Documents and Websites
7 Designing Print and Online Documents
* Goals of Document Design
* Planning the Design of Print and Online Documents
* Understanding Design Principles
* Designing Print Documents
* Designing Digital Documents
* Consider Matters of Accessibility
* Design for Multicultural Audiences
* Combining Print and Digital Documents
* Strategies for Online Communication: Calvin Jones on Using Multiple
Modalities
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
8 Creating Graphics
* The Functions of Graphics
* Thinking Visually: Characteristics of an Effective Graphic
* Understanding the Process of Creating Graphics
* Using Color Effectively
* Choosing the Appropriate Kind of Graphic
* Choices and Strategies: 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
Part 4 Learning Important Applications
9 Corresponding in Print and Online
* Understanding the Process of Writing Correspondence
* Choices and Strategies: Choosing 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
* Elements of a Letter
* Common Types of Letters
* Writing Memos
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
10 Applying for a Job
* Establishing Your Professional Brand
* Understanding Job Search Strategies
* Elements of the Chronological Résumé
* Elements of the Skills Résumé
* Preparing a Plain-Text Résumé
* Writing Job-Application Letters
* Preparing for a Job Interview
* Writing Follow-up Letters or Emails After an Interview
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
11 Writing Proposals
* The Logistics of Proposals
* Internal and External Proposals
* Solicited and Unsolicited Proposals
* The "Deliverables" of Proposals
* Research Proposals
* Goods and Services Proposals
* Persuasion and Proposals
* Understanding Contexts
* Describing What You Plan To Do
* Demonstrating Your Professionalism
* The Structure of the Proposal
* Summary
* Introduction
* Proposed Program
* Qualifications and Experience
* Budget
* Appendixes
* Task Schedule
* Description of Evaluation Techniques
* Sample Internal Proposal
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
12 Writing Informational Reports
* Organizing Progress and Status Reports
* Concluding Progress and Status Reports
* Sample Progress Report
* Writing Incident Reports
* Writing Meeting Minutes
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
13 Writing Recommendation Reports
* Understanding the Role of Recommendation Reports
* Using a Problem-Solving Model for Preparing Recommendation Reports
* Identify the Problem or Opportunity
* Establish Criteria for Responding to the Problem or Opportunity
* Determine the Options
* Study Each Option According to the Criteria
* Draw Conclusions About Each Option
* Formulate Recommendations Based on the Conclusions
* Writing Recommendation Reports
* Writing the Body of the Report
* Writing the Front Matter
* Writing the Back Matter
* Sample Recommendation Report
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
14 Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
* Writing Definitions
* Analyzing the Writing Situation for Definitions
* Writing Sentence Definitions
* Writing Extended Definitions
* 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
* Strategies for Online Communication: Suzanne Barnhill on Moderating
User Forums
* Understanding the Role of Instructional Videos
* Designing a Set of Instructions
* Drafting Effective Instructions
* Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Instructions
* A Look at Several Sample Sets of Instructions
* Writing Manuals
* Writer's Checklist
* Exercises
15 Making Oral Presentations
* Understanding the Role of Oral Presentations
* Preparing the Presentation
* Analyzing the Speaking Situation
* Organizing and Developing the Presentation
* Preparing Presentation Graphics
* During a Presentation
* Choosing Effective Language
* Rehearsing the Presentation
* Thinking Visually: Delivering the Presentation
* Presenting to All Audiences
* Answering Questions After a Presentation
* Speaker's Checklist
* Exercises
Appendix: Reference Handbook
A Documenting Your Sources
* APA Style
* IEEE Style
* MLA Style
B Editing and Proofreading Your Documents