16. Book Design Overview,
2016
Kennesaw State University
16. Book Design Overview, David Mcmurray
Sexy Technical Communications
The following provides an overview of the typical components of a printed technical book and the typical content, format, style, and sequence of those components. Certainly, no single user guide, technical reference manual, quick-reference document, or other such document would actually have all of these components designed and sequenced in precisely the way you are about to read. Instead, this review will give an overview of the possibilities—let's say the range of possibilities. Before you begin reading the following, grab a number of hardware and software books so that you can compare their content, style, format, and sequencing to what …
14.Ethics In Technical Communication,
2016
Kennesaw State University
14.Ethics In Technical Communication, Tamara Powell
Sexy Technical Communications
Virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e. the mean relative to us, this being determined by a rational principle, and by that principle by which the man of practical wisdom would determine it. Now it is a mean between two vices, that which depends on excess and that which depends on defect; and again it is a mean because the vices respectively fall short of or exceed what is right in both passions and actions, while virtue both finds and chooses that which is intermediate. Hence in respect of its substance and …
20. Special Notices,
2016
Kennesaw State University
20. Special Notices, David Mcmurray, Tamara Powell
Sexy Technical Communications
Special notices are an important feature of professional technical writing: they highlight special information readers need to know to understand what they are reading, to accomplish what they want to do, to prevent damage to equipment, and to keep from hurting themselves or others. Your task in this section is to learn the different types of special notices, their uses, and formats.
21. Tables, Charts, Graphs,
2016
Kennesaw State University
21. Tables, Charts, Graphs, David Mcmurray, Tamara Powell
Sexy Technical Communications
One of the nice things about technical writing courses is that most of the papers have graphics in them—or at least they should. A lot of professional, technical writing contains graphics—drawings, diagrams, photographs, illustrations of all sorts, tables, pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, flow charts, and so on. Graphics are important in technical communication. We learn more from a document when graphics are included (Gatlin, 1988). In fact, people learn about 1/3 more from a document with graphics than without (Levie and Lentz, 1982). A recent study found that readers learn faster and are better able to use the …
25. Audience Analysis,
2016
Kennesaw State University
25. Audience Analysis, David Mcmurray
Sexy Technical Communications
The audience of a technical report—or any piece of writing for that matter—is the intended or potential reader or readers. For most technical writers, this is the most important consideration in planning, writing, and reviewing a document. You "adapt" your writing to meet the needs, interests, and background of the readers who will be reading your writing. The principle seems absurdly simple and obvious. It's much the same as telling someone, "Talk so the person in front of you can understand what you're saying." It's like saying, "Don't talk rocket science to your six-year-old." Do we need a course in …
24. Writing Process: From Audience To Rough Draft,
2016
Kennesaw State University
24. Writing Process: From Audience To Rough Draft, David Mcmurray
Sexy Technical Communications
The writing process takes you from the very beginning of a writing project—finding topics and analyzing audience and purpose—all the way to the end—writing and revising the rough draft. The following chapters focus on some of the key phases of that process: Strategies for team-writing Audience Analysis Brainstorming and invention Narrowing Outlining Note-taking Libraries, Documentation, Cross-Referencing Strategies for Peer-Reviewing Power-Revision Techniques
26. Task Analysis And Task-Oriented Documentation,
2016
Kennesaw State University
26. Task Analysis And Task-Oriented Documentation, David Mcmurray, Tamara Powell
Sexy Technical Communications
When you write instructions, procedures, and "guide" or user-guide information (generally called documentation), you normally must use a task approach. That means providing steps and explanations for all the major tasks that users may need to perform. Of course, some instructions involve only one task—for example, changing the oil in a car. But we are concerned here with more complex procedures. While this chapter uses computer software as an example, these techniques can apply to any multi-task procedure—for example, operating a microwave oven. Chapter Objectives At the end of this chapter, students will be able to 1. Define documentation 2. …
28. Power-Revision Techniques,
2016
Kennesaw State University
28. Power-Revision Techniques, David Mcmurray, Jonathan Arnett
Sexy Technical Communications
The linked chapters here cover some of the most important aspects of writing—what's more important than the information you put in a document, how you organize it, how you link it all up together? When you look at all these powerful ways you can review (look for potential problems) and then revise (fix those problems), you might think they're tedious and time-consuming. They do take some time, but don't worry...this stuff becomes second nature rather quickly. If you spend some time analyzing writing in the ways outlined in this chapter, the way you write and the way you review what …
29. Searching Libraries, Documenting Borrowed Information, And Cross-Referencing,
2016
Kennesaw State University
29. Searching Libraries, Documenting Borrowed Information, And Cross-Referencing, David Mcmurray, Cassandra Race
Sexy Technical Communications
This section in this appendix focuses on: Libraries—Finding information libraries Documentation—Indicating sources of borrowed information Cross-referencing—Pointing to other information in your own documents and those of others.
31. Common Grammar, Usage, And Punctuation Problems,
2016
Kennesaw State University
31. Common Grammar, Usage, And Punctuation Problems, David Mcmurray
Sexy Technical Communications
In this chapter, we will cover only those grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling problems that give people the biggest headaches. Technical writing professionals try to simplify grammar rules as much as possible without hurting the language or putting themselves in straitjackets. Typically, they work in teams and frequently move in and out of projects—so that the same document may be worked on by different writers and editors during the space of just a few years. That's why any guidelines based on interpretation or personal style or judgment must be avoided.
36. Logic: How To Do It Wrong,
2016
Kennesaw State University
36. Logic: How To Do It Wrong, Steve Miller, Cherie Miller
Sexy Technical Communications
To the mind that's yet to be "enhanced" by some strains of modern thought, the above quote probably comes across as amusing, but useless. After all, who would deny something as basic as the law of non-contradiction or the basic laws of logic? If saying "My roommate annoys me" is no different than saying "My roommate doesn't annoy me," then how can we ever say anything meaningful? Moreover, the very act of denying non-contradiction assumes the law to be true. Yet, some argue that our brains, like our opposable thumbs and other body parts, evolved not to perfect our logic, …
39. Collaborative Writing,
2016
Kennesaw State University
39. Collaborative Writing, Monique Logan
Sexy Technical Communications
Perhaps you are just beginning your collegiate career, or you may be finishing it up. Either way, whether you’re someone new to college or someone who has been around the block for a period of time, you’ve probably had some experience working in a group or on a team of some sort. You’ve probably been a part of an athletic or academic team. Perhaps not. Perhaps you have some group experience from being a cheerleader, a boy scout or girl scout or a member of the 4H Club. Either way, I’m sure you’re familiar with the inner workings of a …
40. Technical Editing,
2016
Kennesaw State University
40. Technical Editing, Jonathan Arnett
Sexy Technical Communications
This chapter focuses on editing technical documents. In particular, this chapter will address some of the most common types of technical editing you can do, as well as processes, resources, and techniques you can use. Overview of technical editing General procedure for editing Contracts Levels of edit Editors' resources Strategies for writing comments Strategies for marking up technical materials Hard-copy editing marks Special ideas for editing visual materials Special ideas for editing websites
43. Examples, Cases, And Models Index,
2016
Kennesaw State University
43. Examples, Cases, And Models Index
Sexy Technical Communications
The following are links to the examples and models of the kinds reports, letters, and other documents discussed in this book. (Some of the items are excerpts.) True, many of these examples are as much as twenty years old. However, the point here is technical writing, format, organization, style—not up-to-date technology. Even so, why not write a technology update on blood glucose monitoring systems, voice recognition software, laptop computers, wind power systems?
41. Introduction To Html,
2016
Kennesaw State University
41. Introduction To Html, Tiffani Reardon
Sexy Technical Communications
At the end of this chapter and the practice activities, readers will be able to: Goal 1: define HTML and identify what it stands for Goal 2: build a simple web page using HTML coding Objective 1: identify and use common HTML tags Objective 2: explain and apply basic tag rules Objective 3: explain attributes and use them to stylize text and images Objective 4: embed videos and other embeddable items into HTML web pages Goal 3: identify websites where readers can learn more and practice their HTML skills
2. Business Correspondence And Resumes,
2016
Kennesaw State University
2. Business Correspondence And Resumes, David Mcmurray
Sexy Technical Communications
This chapter focuses on business correspondence--general format and style for business letters as well as specific types of business letters. Specifically: Overview of business correspondence: format and style Inquiry letters Complaint and adjustment letters Application letters Resumes
5. Proposals,
2016
Kennesaw State University
5. Proposals, David Mcmurray, Jonathan Arnett
Sexy Technical Communications
This chapter focuses on the proposal—the kind of document that gets you or your organization approved or hired to do a project
6. Progress Reports,
2016
Kennesaw State University
6. Progress Reports, David Mcmurray
Sexy Technical Communications
You write a progress report to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress you've made on a project over a certain period of time. The project can be the design, construction, or repair of something, the study or research of a problem or question, or the gathering of information on a technical subject. You write progress reports when it takes well over three or four months to complete a project.
7. Writing Instructions,
2016
Kennesaw State University
7. Writing Instructions, David Mcmurray, Jonathan Arnett
Sexy Technical Communications
The focus for this chapter is one of the most important of all uses of technical writing—instructions. As you know, instructions are those step-by-step explanations of how to do something: how to build, operate, repair, or maintain things. When you finish this chapter you will be able to: Analyze and evaluate a set of technical instructions Write clear and accurate instructions with an introduction and conclusion Develop and design an instruction manual for a specific audience
10. Recommendation And Feasibility Reports,
2016
Kennesaw State University
10. Recommendation And Feasibility Reports, David Mcmurray, Jonathan Arnett
Sexy Technical Communications
This chapter addresses a loosely defined group of report types that examine a situation, evaluate the evidence, and render a judgment. Some Rather Fine Distinctions... The reports in this loosely defined category are variously called feasibility reports, recommendation reports, evaluation reports, assessment reports, and who knows what else. They all do roughly the same thing—provide carefully studied opinions and, sometimes, recommendations. There are some subtle differences among some these types.
