Essentials of Technical Communication

Detailed Contents Checklists Preface Acknowledgments Part One: Principles 1. Characteristics of Writing at Work Writing at Work versus Writing at School Requires acute awareness of security and legal liability Requires awareness that documents may be read by unknown readers Achieves job goals Addresses a variety of readers who have different perspectives Requires a variety of written documents The Foundations of Effective Writing at Work The Qualities of Good Technical Writing Exercises 2. Writing for Your Readers Understand Your Readers-The Heart of the Planning Process Keep in mind that business readers want answers now Determine your readers and their perspectives Determine your purpose Understand your role as a writer Plan the content Anticipate the context in which your writing will be received The Basic Parts of the Composing Process Analyzing the writing situation-purpose, readers, and context Choosing/discovering information Arranging information Drafting Revising Editing Exercises 3. Writing Ethically Your Professional Obligations Codes of Conduct and Standards of Practice Recognizing Unethical Communication Plagiarism and theft of intellectual property Promotion of prejudice Failing to make information accessible Uncritical use of information Managing Unethical Situations Exercises 4. Achieving a Readable Style a. The Paragraph Examples for study Basic Principles of Effective Style Determine your readers' knowledge of the subject Determine whether a particular style will be expected Adjust the style to the readers, the purpose, and the context Keys to Building Effective Sentences Watch sentence length Keep subjects and verbs close together Avoid pompous language; write to express, not to impress Avoid excessive use of is/are verb forms Use active voice for clarity Word Choice Squeaky Clean Prose Exercises 5. Designing Documents Understanding the Basics of Document Design Know what decisions are yours to make Choose a design that fits your situation Plan your design from the beginning Make your design accessible Reveal your design to your readers Keep your design consistent Designing Effective Pages and Screens Use blank space to frame and group information Choose a type design that is legible Space the lines of text for easy reading Adjust the line length to the size of the page or screen Use a ragged right margin Position words and illustrations in a complementary relationship Helping Readers Locate Information Use frequent headings Write descriptive headings Design distinctive headings Use page numbers and headers or footers Testing Your Design Exercises 6. Designing Illustrations Creating Illustrations Tables Bar and column graphs Circle graphs Line graphs Organization charts Flow charts Project schedule charts Diagrams Photographs Infographics Video Clips Designing Illustrations Ethically Testing Your Illustrations Exercises Part Two: Applications 7. E-mails, Texts, Memos, and Letters E-mail and Text Messages Memos and Letters Guidelines for Ensuring Quality Appropriate Tone in E-mails, Texts, Memos, and Letters Guidelines for Dealing with Tone Writing for Social Media Planning and Writing Correspondence Exercises 8. Technical Reports Kinds of Reports Report Categories-Informal and Formal Informal Report Headings Subject line Reference Action required Distribution list Parts of an Informal Technical Report Introduction Summary Discussion Conclusion Recommendations Attachments Developing Reports Elements of Formal Reports Prefatory elements Abstracts and summaries Discussion, or body of the report Collecting and grouping information Letter Reports Writing Collaboratively The team leader Requirements of team leaders Requirements of team members Example Report for Study Exercises 9. Proposals and Progress Reports Proposals The context of proposal development Effective argument in proposal development Standard sections of proposals Structure of progress reports Online submission of progress reports Style and Tone of Proposals and Progress Reports Exercises 10. Instructions, Procedures, and Policies Instructions versus Procedures Critical Role of Instructions and Procedures in the Workplace Planning Instructions and Procedures Structure and Organization Introduction Theory governing the procedure or instruction Warnings, cautions, hazards, and notes regarding safety or quality Conditions under which the task should be performed Name of each step Online Instructions Testing Your Instructions Exercises 11. Oral Reports Understanding the Speaking-Writing Relationship Analyzing the Audience Determining the Goal of Your Presentation Choosing and Shaping Content Analyzing the Context Choosing the Organization Introduction Body Conclusion Choosing an Appropriate Speaking Style Designing the Slides to Enhance Your Purpose and Your Meaning Planning Your Presentation-Questions You Need to Ask Audience Purpose Context Content Illustrations Style Speaking to Multicultural Audiences Designing Each Segment Choose an interesting title Develop your presentation around three main divisions Focus the introduction Organize the body Fortify the conclusion Choosing an Effective Delivery Style Techniques to Enhance Audience Comprehension Designing and Presenting the Scripted Presentation Structuring the scripted presentation Writing the script Practicing the presentation Exercises 12. Resumes and Job Applications The Correspondence of the Job Search Letter of application The resume Follow-up letters Your Social Media Profile Interviewing The interview Negotiation Before and after the interview Exercises Appendix A: Brief Guide to Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage Appendix B: Using Sources of Information Appendix C: Report for Study and Analysis Index

Este título pertence ao(s) assunto(s) indicados(s). Para ver outros títulos clique no assunto desejado.

• Comunicação e apresentação do negócio
• Guias para escrita de textos técnicos
• Estudos de comunicação