Technical and Professional Writing Commons^™

Communicating In Crisis: Rhetorical (De)Stabilization During The Covid-19 Pandemic., Brittany Nicole Smart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the role of rhetoric in crisis—how rhetoric can contribute to both the stabilization and destabilization of a worldwide health emergency. Specifically, I utilize the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to investigate how institutional rhetorics exacerbated the ongoing burnout epidemic amongst healthcare workers. Through a feminist, materialist take on institutional ethnography (Fullagar & Pavlidis, 2021; Griffith & Smith, 2014), I show how, while institutions like the CDC were under pressure to contain the spread of the virus, in the chaos of communicating safety regulations to healthcare professionals, they inadvertently subverted clinician autonomy and expertise by “coordinating” (LaFrance, …

Making A Case For Political Technical Communication (Pxtc), Ryan Cheek

English and Technical Communication Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Article, I Argue that the Accelerated Adoption of Political Technology during the COVID-19 Pandemic Evinces Exigency for a Rhetorically Grounded Framework to Teach, Research, and Practice Political Technical Communication (PxTC) as a Sub-Discipline. as a Starting Point, I Use a Rhetorical Genre Studies Approach to Identify Political Social Actions that Separate Political Communication Technologies into Four Distinct Genres: Election, Electioneering, Constituent Services, and Punditry.

Final Master's Portfolio, Carol V. Grinage

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This is the final master's portfolio for a Master's in English with an emphasis on professional writing and rhetoric.

Pursuing Personal And Professional Passions: A Final Master's Portfolio, Eileen Tse

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

As an English Language Arts teacher at the secondary level with some publishing experience looking to expand my professional writing repertoire, I sought to expand and transfer my knowledge and skills in rhetoric and technical writing in different realms of interests and areas of my life. The following is my final portfolio for the Master of Arts in English, fusing my various intellectual interests and professional pursuits. My first substantive project explores the technical communication that occurs in casual online spaces by exploring the documentation and interactions in an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Facebook fan group. The project blends my …

Reviewing The Review Process: Designing Better Review Forms For Student Editors Of Undergraduate Research Publications, Meluso Rosaria Meluso

MSU Graduate Theses

In 1998, the Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University suggested that undergraduate students should be involved in research to improve their learning. Undergraduate research publications arose partially as a response to this suggestion because they allow students to engage in experiential learning. They also allow students to see research as serving a larger purpose rather than simply satisfying a requirement for a grade. Students, especially undergraduates, often serve as editors on undergraduate publications, but it is unclear what they understand about research, both as it applies to their own work as well as work from different disciplines, …

Zombie Ent(R)Ailments In Risk Communication: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Cdc’S Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness Campaign, Ryan Cheek

English and Technical Communication Faculty Research & Creative Works

Apocalypticism is a powerful brew of eschatological belief and political imagination that is extremely persuasive. This article addresses the intersections between apocalyptic rhetoric and the technical communication of risk, disease outbreak, and disaster preparedness by analyzing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's zombie apocalypse preparedness campaign. Specifically, I argue that the framing of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's campaign relies on and extends problematic iterations of apocalypticism and undermines the educational objectives of disaster preparedness and response. I conclude with suggestions for how technical communicators designing public awareness and outreach campaigns can use existential risk rhetoric for …

Community Engagement In Writing Programs: Preparing Students For Success In Professional Settings, Courtney Bradford

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This practicum focused on looking into the history of the foster care system, its development, and its modern iteration and on working with a nonprofit that supports the foster care system. The internship with Advocates for Children in Cartersville, Georgia, provided primary research into (1) how work on community-based engagement projects prepared me to explore careers in the nonprofit sector, (2) what kinds of writing, research, and other deliverables are needed by nonprofits supporting the foster care system and how the MAPW program prepared me to produce those deliverables, and (3) how having a strong understanding of the history and …

Open Access Textbooks In A Professional Communication Classroom: A Pilot Study, Sherena Huntsman, Avery C. Edenfield, Erin L. Davis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

In this paper, we share our findings from a curricular innovation project: a small pilot study replacing a conventional professional communication textbook with an open access book. Results showed that students received the change favorably and a final grade comparison showed no variation between similar courses that used conventional books and those that used open access books. While far from definitive, this study demonstrates the promise of open access books and open educational resources (OER), and that further study is needed in this area.

Rhetsec_ | Rhetorical Security, Jennifer Mead

Culminating Projects in English

Rhetsec_ examines the rhetorical situation, the rhetorical appeals, and how phishing emails simulate "real" emails in five categories of phishing emails. While the first focus of cybersecurity is security, you must also understand the language of computers to know how to secure them. Phishing is one way to compromise security using computers, and so the computer becomes a tool for malicious language (phishing emails and malware) to be transmitted. Therefore to be concerned with securing computers, then you must also be concerned with language. Language is rhetoric's domain, and the various rhetorical elements which create an identity of the phisher …

02.13: Memos And Emails, Tamara Powell, Tiffani Reardon

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Identify basic memo and email formats.
2. Describe the key differences between basic memo and basic email formats.
3. Explain cc, bc, and attachment functions and when to use them.

02.10: Handbooks, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain the three types of information found in handbooks.
2. Explain and apply the guidelines for handbook format and style.

A handbook, as we are defining it here, is a combination of concept, instruction, and reference information focused on a specific topic for a specific audience's needs.

02.09: Recommendation And Feasibility Reports, David Mcmurrey, Jonathan Arnett

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to do the following:
1. Explain the differences between recommendation, feasibility, and evaluation reports.
2. Define the common components of recommendation and feasibility reports.
3. Explain and apply organization strategies for reports.

02.12: Oral Presentations, David Mcmurrey, Cassandra Race

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Plan and prepare a talk or presentation.
2. Deliver the presentation.
3. Create presentation materials that reflect standards of effective presentation.
4. Evaluate presentations delivered by others, including classmates.

02.14: Technical Definitions And Descriptions, Jonathan Arnett

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain and apply the 5 primary characteristics of technical definitions.
2. Write a definition using appropriate content, descriptors, details, length, placement, and audience analysis.
3. Avoid common technical definition problems.
4. Explain and apply the 5 primary characteristics of technical descriptions.
5. Write a description using the 6 common parts.
6. Organize a description according to the 3 common organizational patterns.

02.11: Titles, Abstracts, Introductions, And Conclusions, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Summarize strategies for writing effective document titles.
2. Define abstract and explain the different types of abstracts.
3. Explain the purposes of different types of introductions and summarize the common elements of them.
4. Explain the components and purposes of conclusions.

04.03: Page Design, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain and apply design guidelines for heading and list use in technical documents.
2. Explain and apply design guidelines for including notices in technical documents.
3. Explain and apply design guidelines for table and figure use in technical documents.
4. Explain and apply design guidelines for text highlighting and alignment in technical documents.
5. Explain and apply design guidelines for font and color in technical documents.

04.04: Headings, David Mcmurrey, Cassandra Race

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Identify the uses of headings.
2. Distinguish between the different levels of headings.
3. Evaluate the use of headings in technical documents.
4. Use the Styles tool in Microsoft Word to create custom headings.
5. Create and use headings in your own documents.

03: Ethics, Tamara Powell

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to do the following:
1. Define ethics.
2. Analyze a situation with regard to utility, right, justice, and care.
3. Explain the importance of ethical behavior.
4. Explain copyright law, why it is important, and how to make ethical decisions regarding it.
5. Explain how to ethically analyze data.
6. Explain how biases can lead to unethical decisions/behavior in technical communication.

04.01: Report Design, David Mcmurrey, Jonathan Arnett

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to do the following:
1. Explain the importance of effective report design.
2. Explain the purpose of a letter of transmittal.
3. Define when covers and labels are appropriate for reports.
4. Explain the purposes of and write a descriptive abstract and executive summary for a report.
5. Apply design principles of tables of contents and figures.
6. Apply basic design considerations on the body of a report.
7. Define the appropriateness of a conclusion, appendix, and information sources.

04.07: Tables, Graphs, And Charts, David Mcmurrey, Tamara Powell

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Distinguish between tables, charts, and graphs.
2. Identify chief characteristics of tables, charts, and graphs.
3. Identify and apply best practices in creating tables, charts, and graphs in technical communication.

04.08: Graphics, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain and apply the various uses of graphics in technical documents.
2. Create and format appropriate graphics for technical documents.

04.02: Book Design, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Recognize the standard components of a front cover, back cover, and title page.
2. Recognize the common front matter of a book including edition notices, disclaimers, trademarks, warranties, safety notices, and communication statements.
3. Recognize the common organization strategies of books including tables of contents, tables of figures, a preface, and body chapters.
4. Explain and apply typical book layout and design.

04.05: Lists, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Distinguish between different types of lists in technical documents and explain appropriate situations for using each.
2. Explain and apply general guidelines for formatting different types of lists.
3. Use Microsoft Word to style lists appropriately.

04.06: Special Notes, David Mcmurrey, Tamara Powell

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Distinguish between the four most common types of special notices.
2. Explain and apply the appropriate use for each type of special notice.
3. Explain and apply standard format guidelines for each type of special notice.

05.01: Writing Process - From Audience To Rough Draft, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Brainstorm and narrow down topics for a report.
2. Create an outline for a report.

05.02: Audience Analysis, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Identify the four common categories of audience and explain the differences between them.
2. Analyze your audience and explain how to tailor your writing to that audience.

05.03: Task Analysis, David Mcmurrey, Tamara Powell

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Define documentation.
2. Identify and analyze tasks in order to create documentation.
3. Differentiate between function and task orientation and explain the pros and cons of each approach.
4. Explain how to begin writing documentation.

04.09: Indexing, Cassandra Race

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to create an index using Microsoft Word.

05.04: Articulating Technical Information, David Mcmurrey, Jonathan Arnett, Tamara Powell

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to do the following:
1. Explain and apply strategies for articulating technical discussions to nonspecialist readers.
2. Use audience analysis to decide what information to include or exclude from a document and how to discuss that information.

05.05: Power-Revision Techniques, David Mcmurrey, Jonathan Arnett

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Revise common structure-level problems in technical writing.
2. Revise common sentence-level problems in technical writing.