Preface
PART 1: ELEMENTS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNCATION
Chapter 1 Communicating in the Workplace
How Important is Technical Communication?
What is Technical Communication?
Technical Communication: Actions, Words, Images
Technical Communication is Interactive and Adaptable
Technical Communication is Reader Centered
Technical Communication Relies on Teamwork
Technical Communication is Visual
Technical Communication Has Ethical, Legal, and Political
Dimensions
Technical Communication Is International and Cross Cultural
Your Career and Technical Communication
Help: How to Learn New Software Quickly
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 2 Readers and Context of Use
Profiling Your Readers
Identifying Your Readers
Profiling Your Readers’ Needs, Values, and Attitudes
Help: Profiling Readers with Search Engines
Profiling Contexts of Use
Identifying the Context of Use
International and Cross-Cultural Communication
Differences in Context
Difference in Organization
Differences in Style
Differences in Design
Listen and Learn: The Key to International and Cross-Cultural
Communication
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 3 Working in Teams
The Stages of Teaming
Forming: Strategic Planning
Step 1: Define the Project Mission and Objectives
Step 2: Identify Project Outcomes
Step 3: Define Team Member Responsibilities
Step 4: Create a Project Calendar
Step 5: Write Out a Work Plan
Step 6: Agree on How Conflicts will be Resolved
Storming: Managing Conflict
Running Effective Meetings
Mediating Conflicts
Firing a Team Member
Norming: Determining Team Roles
Revising Objectives and Outcomes
Help: Virtual Teaming
Identifying Team Roles
Using Groupware to Facilitate Work
Performing: Improving Quality
The Keys to Teaming
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 4 Ethics in the Technical Workplace
What are Ethics?
Where do Ethics Come From?
Personal Ethics
Social Ethics
Conservation Ethics
Help: Stopping Cyberbullying and Computer Harassment
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Confronting an Ethical Dilemma
Resolving an Ethical Dilemma
When You Disagree with the Company
Copyright Law in Technical Communication
Asking Permission
Copyrighting Your Work
Plagiarism
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 5 Starting Your Career
Setting Goals, Making a Plan
Setting Goals
Using a Variety of Job-Seeking Paths
Preparing a Résumé
Types of Résumés
Chronological Résumé
Functional Résumé
Designing the Résumé
Help: Designing a Scannable/Searchable Résumé
Writing Effective Application Letters
Content and Organization
Style
Revising and Proofreading the Résumé and Letter
Creating a Professional Portfolio
Collecting Materials
Organizing Your Portfolio
Assembling the Portfolio in a Binder
Creating and Electronic Portfolio
Interviewing Strategies
Preparing for the Interview
At the Interview
Writing Thank You Letters and/or E-mails
Exercises and Projects
PART 2: COMMUNICATING IN THE TECHNICAL WORKPLACE
Chapter 6 Researching and Managing Information
Beginning Your Research
Defining Your Research Subject
Narrowing Your Research Question
Formulating a Research Question or Hypothesis
Developing a Research Methodology
Mapping Out a Methodology
Describing Your Methodology
Using and Revising Your Methodology
Triangulating Materials
Using Electronic Sources
Using Print Sources
Using Empirical Sources
Managing Information and Taking Notes
Managing Information
Careful Note Taking
Documenting Sources
Help: Avoiding Junk Science on the Internet
Appraising Your Information
Is the Source Reliable?
How Biased is the Source?
Am I Biased?
Is the Source Up to Date?
Can the Information Be Verified?
Avoiding Plagiarism
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 7 Designing Documents and Interfaces
Five Principles of Design
Design Principle 1: Balance
Weighting a Page or Screen
Using Grids to Balance a Page Layout
Using Other Balance Techniques
Design Principle 2: Alignment
Design Principle 3: Grouping
Using Headings
Using Borders and Rules
Design Principle 4: Consistency
Choosing Typefaces
Labeling Graphics
Creating Sequential and Nonsequential Lists
Inserting Headers and Footers
Help: Using Styles and Templates
Design Principle 5: Contrast
Adding Shading and Background Color
Highlighting Text
Using Font Size and Line Length
Cross-Cultural Design
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 8 Creating and Using Graphics
Guidelines for Using Graphics
Guideline One: A Graphic Should Tell a Simple Story
Guideline Two: A Graphic Should Reinforce the Written Text, Not Replace It
Guideline Three: A Graphic Should be Ethical
Guideline Four: A Graphic Should be Labeled and Placed Properly
Displaying Data with Graphs, Tables, and Charts
Line Graphs
Bar Charts
Tables
Pie Charts
Gantt Charts
Using Pictures, Drawings, and Screen Shots
Photographs
Help: Making Visuals with a Spreadsheet Program
Inserting Photographs and Other Images
Illustrations
Screen Shots
Using Cross-Cultural Symbols
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 9 Websites and Social Networking (Web 2.0)
Creating a Website
Planning and Researching a Website
Organizing and Drafting the Website
Using Style in a Website
Designing the Website
Help: Using Web-Authoring Software
A Warning about Copyright and Plagiarism
Websites for International and Cross-Cultural Readers
Using Social Networking (Web 2.0)
Starting a Social Networking Site
Blogging and Microblogging
Updating Videos and Podcasts
Contributing to a Wiki
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 10 Preparing and Giving Presentations
Choosing the Right Presentation Technology
Organizing the Content of Your Presentation
Building the Presentation
The Introduction: Tell Them What You’re Going to Tell Them
Help: Giving Presentations with Your iPod, MP3, PDA, or Smartphone
The Body: Tell Them
The Conclusion: Tell Them What You Told Them
Preparing to Answer Questions
Choosing Your Presentation Style
Creating Visuals
Designing Visual Aids
Using Graphics
Slides to Avoid
Delivering the Presentation
Body Language
Voice, Rhythm, and Tone
Using Your Notes
Practicing and Rehearsing
Practice, Practice, Practice
Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
Working Cross-Culturally with Translators
Exercises and Projects
PART 3: GENRES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
Chapter 11 Letters, Memos, and E-Mail
Basic Features of Letters and Memos
Basic Features of E-Mail
Planning and Researching a Correspondence
Determining the Rhetorical Situation
Organizing and Drafting Letters, Memos, and E-Mails
Introduction with a Purpose and a Main Point
Body that Provides Need-to-Know Information
Conclusion that Restates the Main Point
Types of Letters, Memos, and E-Mails
Inquiries
Responses
Transmittal Letters and Memos
Claims or Complaints
Adjustments
Refusals
Using Style in Letters, Memos, and E-Mails
Strategies for Developing an Appropriate Style
Designing and Formatting Letters and Memos
Formatting Letters
Formatting Envelopes
Formatting Memos
Help: Using E-Mail Internationally
Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 12 Technical Descriptions
Basic Features of Technical Descriptions
Planning and Researching Technical Descriptions
Planning
Addressing ISO 9000/ISO 14000 Issues
Researching
Partitioning the Subject
Organizing and Drafting Technical Descriptions
Specific and Precise Title
Introduction with an Overall Description
Description by Features, Functions, or Stages in a Process
Description by Senses, Similes, Analogies, and Metaphors
Conclusion
Using Style in Technical Descriptions
Designing Technical Descriptions
Designing a Page Layout
Using Graphics
Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Revising for Conciseness
Help: Using Digital Photography in Descriptions
Editing and Proofreading for Accuracy
Exercises and Projects
Chapter 13 Instructions and Other Documentation
Basic Features of Documentation
Planning and Researching Documentation
Planning
Researching
Planning for Cross-Cultural Readers and Contexts
Verbal Considerations
Design Considerations
Organizing and Drafting Documentation
Specific and Precise Title
Introduction
List of Parts, Tools, and Conditions Required
Sequentially Ordered Steps
Safety Information
