Technical and Professional Writing Commons^™

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.

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.

04.08: 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.

04.05: 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.

05.07: Basic Patterns And Elements Of The Sentence, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain and apply basic patterns of the sentence as they relate to technical writing.
2. Explain and apply basic elements of the sentence as they relate to technical writing.

This section is a quick review of the fundamentals of the sentence. If you encounter unfamiliar terminology in this textbook or in your class, refer to this section for help. For more on grammar, see the Purdue Online Writing Lab.

05.08: Common Grammar, Usage, And Punctuation Problems, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain and apply essential punctuation rules.
2. Explain and apply essential grammar rules.
3. Explain and apply essential capitalization rules.
4. Explain and apply essential numbering rules.
5. Explain and apply essential symbol and abbreviation rules.

05.11: Information Structures, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Define information structure.
2. Explain the contents and organization of different types of information structures.

05.10: Strategies For Peer-Reviewing And Team Writing, David Mcmurrey

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain and apply strategies for peer reviewing.
2. Explain and apply strategies for team writing.

05.12: Organizing Information, Tamara Powell

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to explain and apply common paragraph organization patterns.

05.13: Logic - Common Fallacies, Steve Miller, Cherie Miller

Open Technical Communication

Taken with kind permission from the book Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense by J. Steve Miller and Cherie K. Miller.

05.14: Logic - How To Do It Wrong, Steve Miller, Cherie Miller

Open Technical Communication

Taken with kind permission from the book Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense by J. Steve Miller and Cherie K. Miller.

05.15: Logic - Recognizing Fallacies, Steve Miller, Cherie Miller

Open Technical Communication

Taken with kind permission from the book Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense by J. Steve Miller and Cherie K. Miller.

06: Usability Testing, Cassandra Race

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain the characteristics of a usable document.
2. Conduct a usability test.

08: Technical Editing, Jonathan Arnett

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to:
1. Explain the general procedure for technical editing.
2. Explain the different levels of edit.
3. Explain the purposes of style guides and style sheets.
4. Use copyediting symbols appropriately.
5. Use proofreading symbols appropriately.

09: Introduction To Html, Tiffani Reardon

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to do the following:
1. Define HTML and identify what it stands for.
2. Build a simple web page using HTML coding.
• Identify and use common HTML tags.
• Explain and apply basic tag rules.
• Explain attributes and use them to stylize text and images.
• Embed videos and other embeddable items into HTML web pages.
3. Identify websites where readers can learn more and practice their HTML skills.

10: Examples, Cases, And Models Index, Tiffani Reardon

Open Technical Communication

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? (And then send it to us at [email protected])

07: Collaborative Writing, Monique Logan

Open Technical Communication

Upon completion of this chapter, readers will be able to do the following:
1. Define successful and effective collaborative writing.
2. Explain and employ strategies for effective collaboration.
3. Explain and employ strategies for dealing with differences and conflict.