Practical strategies for technical communication 2nd edition pdf download

Practical strategies for technical communication 2nd edition pdf download

Practical strategies for technical communication 2nd edition pdf download,【スーパーセール】 花罰 蓮 【70着限定】GAKKIN パンツ 新品 BUDS LOTUS M サルエルパンツ

Student Site Several free and open resources for Practical Strategies for Technical Communication are integrated into the text through cross-references in the margins: • Document Analysis Activities • Tutorials on evaluating online sources, creating presentation slides, designing documents, designing Web sites, and creating effective graphics • Downloadable cases for every chapter in the book • Downloadable forms for use in completing assignments • Links to all of the Web resources Web19/09/ · In Practical Strategies for Technical Communication, Mike Markel gives students the essentials they'll need to communicate successfully in today's workplace. Webmech_Markel_PracticalStrategies2e_SE_ Mike Markel FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION Practical Strategies S E C O N D E D I T I O N Practical Strategies Web28/02/ · C H A P T E R Barriers to Communication 2 OBJECTIVES You should study the chapter to know • what communication barriers are and what causes them • how to WebDownloads Practical Strategies For Technical Communication 2nd Edition December 6th, - Technical communication TC students who are familiar with component ... read more

Enter it exactly as it appears below, including any dashes, and follow the instructions. For technical support: bfwpub. Permissions Manager: Kalina K. Ingham Senior Art Director: Anna Palchik Text Design: Books By Design, Inc. Wydra Presidents, Macmillan Higher Education: Joan E. Feinberg and Tom Scotty Editor in Chief: Karen S. Henry Director of Marketing: Karen R. Soeltz Production Director: Susan W. Brown Associate Production Director: Elise S. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except as may be expressly permitted by the applicable copyright statutes or in writing by the Publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America. Practical Strategies focuses on the essential topics, writing strategies, and skills students need to succeed in the course and in their professional lives.

Its streamlined and reorganized chapters make it more concise than the larger book, but it remains an accessible and thorough introduction to planning, drafting, designing, and revising technical documents. Practical Strategies also offers detailed advice on the most common applications such as proposals, reports, and instructions. Evident throughout this book is a focus on the expanding role of social media in the world of technical communication. Today, almost everyone in the working world understands that customers and other stakeholders— including the general public, government regulators, and suppliers—play an enormous role in shaping organizations, their products, and their ser­ vices.

Through social media, organizations seek to form relationships with their stakeholders, drawing customers into a community that helps set the values of the organization. Social-media tools also shape the professional identities and roles of technical communicators. Within individual organizations, technical professionals are no longer merely members of one or two project groups. Rather, they offer ideas, comments, and insights to many other people in the organization, thus enlarging the talent pool that contributes to every project. Practical Strategies for Technical Communication reflects these many exciting developments through many discussions related to how social media have changed the opportunities and responsibilities of workplace communicators.

For instance, the first chapter focuses on a new role for everyone in an organization: providing information and resources for others. The chapter on research includes a discussion of how to use social media to learn more about a subject. And the chapter on collaboration offers advice for using social-media tools in collaborative projects. From designing Web sites to writing correspondence and other kinds of applications, the text offers guidance in how to use social media responsibly and effectively. Help with the writing process is integrated throughout the book in the form of two prominent features. These charts summarize various writing and design strategies and help students choose the one that best suits their specific audience and purpose. Each Focus on Process box in Part 4 relates back to a complete overview of the writing process in Chapter 1 see page Students receive access to e-Pages automatically with the purchase of a new print book or Bedford e-Book to Go.

Students who do not buy a new book can purchase access at. See the inside back cover for more details; see the Index of Features on the inside front cover for a complete listing of e-Pages. Some were written by my students at Boise State University. Some were written by engineers, scientists, health-care providers, and businesspeople with whom I have worked as a consultant for more than 35 years. Because much of the information in these documents is proprietary, I have silently changed brand names and other identifying information. I thank the dozens of individuals—students and professionals alike—who have graciously allowed me to reprint their writing. They have been my best teachers. Practical Strategies for Technical Communication has benefited greatly from the perceptive observations and helpful suggestions of my fellow instructors throughout the country.

Carrie has helped me improve the text in many big and small ways. I also want to express my appreciation to Joan Feinberg, Denise Wydra, Karen Henry, and Leasa Burton for assembling the first-class team that has worked so hard on this edition, including Andrea Cava, Regina Tavani, Anna Palchik, Judith Riotto, Naomi Kornhauser, Caryn Burtt, and Nancy Benjamin. The people there have been endlessly encouraging and helpful. I hope they realize the value of their contributions to this book. My greatest debt is, as always, to my wife, Rita, who over the course of many years has helped me say what I mean. A FINAL WORD I am more aware than ever before of how much I learn from my students, my fellow instructors, and my colleagues in industry and academia.

If you have comments or suggestions for making this a better book, please get in touch with me at the Department of English, Boise State University, Boise, ID You can phone me at , or you can send an e-mail to. I hope to hear from you. For details, visit. For more details, visit. To order the loose-leaf edition, use ISBN Value Packages Add more value to your text by packaging one of the following resources with Practical Strategies for Technical Communication. Document-Based Cases for Technical Communication, Second Edition, by Roger Munger, Boise State University, offers realistic writing tasks based on seven context-rich scenarios with more than 50 examples of documents that students are likely to encounter in the workplace.

To order the textbook packaged with Document-Based Cases for Technical Communication, Second Edition, for free, use ISBN Team Writing by Joanna Wolfe, University of Louisville, is a print supplement with online videos that provides guidelines and examples of collaborating to manage written projects by documenting tasks, deadlines, and team goals. Two- to five-minute videos correspond with the chapters in Team Writing to give students the opportunity to analyze team interactions and learn about communication styles. Practical troubleshooting tips show students how best to handle various types of conflicts within peer groups. To order the textbook packaged with Team Writing, use ISBN ix visual exercises for tech comm by Cheryl E. Ball, Illinois State University, and Kristin L.

Each of the nine exercises progresses through a three-part sequence, helping students develop a critical vocabulary and method to read and compose all kinds of technical communication. To order the textbook packaged with ix visual exercises for tech comm for free, use ISBN For quick reference, many of the following features are indexed on five labels. When includes the inside front cover of this book. you click on a label, Annotated Examples make it easier for you to learn from the many model documents, illustrations, and screen shots throughout the text.

Figure Here we see the expanded description of the regenerative braking system. Videos are used frequently in Web-based descriptions This Web-based description and instructions. includes five labels. When This page shows repetition used effectively as a design element. Different colors, typefaces, and type sizes are used for the headings, figures, and definitions in the margin. For instance, the two graphics use the same beige background and the same typeface, style, and color for the titles and captions. you click on a label, you see an expanded description, complete with an embedded video, that explains more about the system. Videos are used frequently in Web-based descriptions and instructions. Graphic with Linked Detailed Graphics and Descriptions Source: Trek Bicycle, In the main text, the two headings and subheadings use the same typefaces, sizes, and colors.

Conclude the Description A typical description has a brief conclusion that summarizes it and prevents readers from overemphasizing the part or step Conclude the Description A typical description has a brief conclusion that discussed last. summarizes it and prevents readers from overemphasizing the part or step A common technique for concluding descriptions of mechanisms and of discussed last. A common technique for concluding and of 7. A process de- Figure Source: Myers, , p. A process desome objects is to state briefly how the parts function usually has a brief conclusion: a short paragraph summarizing the scription usually has a brief conclusion: a short paragraph scription summarizing the principal steps or discussing the importance or implications of the process.

principal steps or discussing the importance or implications of the process. e-Pages notes in the margin of the book Contrast A Look at Several Sample Descriptions The principle of contrast works in several different ways in technical docu- A look at some sample descriptions will give you an idea of how different refer you to additional examples that ments Web sites. audience For example, black print is easiest to see against a writers adapt basic approaches forand a particular and purpose. A Look at use Several Sample Descriptions background; larger letters stand description out among smaller ones; information Figure The topic is a household solar array.

The audience is e-Pages tion printed in black. Figure 7. To analyze a mechanism generaldifferent reader. andsample other multimedia Seean idea ofthehow A look at some descriptionstechniques. will give you description that uses Figure animated graphics, visit the inside back cover book for into useful fuels and other products. your code. The audience is the general reader. e-Pages To analyze a mechanism description that uses animated graphics, visit. Online versions and additional activities are available on the companion Web site at. Analyzing a Page Design The following page is from a government report. The accompanying questions ask you to think about page design as discussed on pp. Describe the use of proximity as a design principle on this page. How effective is it? Describe the use of alignment as a design principle on this page. Describe the use of repetition as a design principle on this page. Describe the use of contrast as a design principle on this page.

On the Web To submit your responses to your instructor, click on Document Analysis Activities for Ch. Source: U. Agency for International Development, In This Book For more about documenting your sources, see Appendix, Part A. Write to the source, stating what portion of the work you wish to use and the publication you wish to use it in. The source is likely to charge you for permission. Citing sources fulfills your ethical obligation and strengthens your writing by showing the reader the range of your research. Copyright law is complex. Obviously, it is plagiarism to borrow, buy, or steal graphics, video or audio media, written passages, or entire documents, and then use them without attribution. Web-based sources are particularly vulnerable to plagiarism, partly because people mistakenly think that if information is on the Web it is free to borrow and partly because it is so easy to copy, paste, and reformat it.

For instance, companies write press releases when they wish to publicize news. These descriptions, sometimes called boilerplate, are simply copied and pasted from previous press releases. Because these descriptions are legally the intellectual property of the company, reusing them in this way is completely honest. Similarly, companies often repurpose their writing. That is, they copy a description of the company from a press release and paste it into a proposal or an annual report. This reuse also is acceptable. When tions. you When write you a proposal, write a proposal, for example, for example, readers who readers proposals proposals can findcan the fi information nd the information they want they in want your document in your document if you put if you it put it where others wherehave others puthave similar putinformation.

similar information. The Choices The Choices and Strategies and Strategies box box below explains below explains the relationship the relationship betweenbetween organizational organizational patternspatterns and the and the kinds ofkinds information of information you want you to want present. to present. Does thisDoes mean this that mean technical that technical communication communication is merelyisthe merely process the of process fill- of fillOn the Web On the Web For For a of discussion organizing of organizing ing in the ing blanks? in the No. You need No. You to assess need tothe assess writing thesituation writing situation continuously continuously as as a discussion information,information, see Paradigm see Paradigm you work.

you If you work. think If you you think can you communicate can communicate your ideas your better ideas bybetter modifying by modifying a a Online Writing Online Assistant. WritingClick Assistant. Click conventional conventional pattern or pattern by devising or by devising a new pattern, a new pattern, do so. Long, do so. complex Long, complex argu- arguon Links Library on Links for Ch. Library 6 onfor Ch. ments often ments require oftenseveral requireorganizational several organizational patterns. For instance, For instance, one partone of apart of. a document document might bemight a causal be aanalysis causal analysis of a problem, of a problem, and another and another might bemight a be a comparison comparison and contrast and contrast of two options of two for options solving forthat solving problem.

that problem. ConsiderConsider using this using this organizational organizational pattern pattern For example For example Explain events Explainthat events that Chronological. You describe the process the you process usedyou to used to Chronological. Most of the Most time, of the youtime,You youdescribe occurredoccurred or mightor occur, might occur, diagnosediagnose the problem the with problem the accountwith the accountpresent information present information in chronological in chronological or tasks or thetasks reader theisreader to is to Sometimes, ing software. ing software. In a job résumé, In a job you résumé, you order. Sometimes, however,however, you use you use carry outcarry in sequence out in sequence describe describe your more-recent your more-recent jobs before jobs before reverse chronology. reverse chronology. your less-recent your less-recent ones. DescribeDescribe a physical a physical Spatial.

You You describe You describe the threethe buildings three buildings that that Spatial. choose Youan choose organizing an organizing object orobject scene,orsuch scene, as such as will makewill up make the new up production the new production facility. principle principle such as top-to-bottom, such as top-to-bottom, easteasta deviceaordevice a location or a location to-west, or to-west, inside-to-outside. or inside-to-outside. Explain aExplain complex a complex General General Youthe explain majorthe changes major changes in and in and to specifito c. specifi You present c. You presentYou explain situationsituation or idea, such or idea, such the cdetails theofdetails the lawofmandating the law mandating the use the use general information general information first, thenfispecifi rst, then c specifi as the factors as thethat factors led to that led to of a new of refrigerant a new refrigerant in coolinginsystems.

cooling systems. Understanding Understanding the big the big a problem a problem or the theory or the theory picture helps picture readers helpsunderstand readers understand the the that underlies that underlies a process a process details. Present a Present set of factors a set of factors When you When launch youa launch new product, a new product, you you More important More important to less important. to less important. discuss market discussniche, market competition, niche, competition, and and You discuss Youthe discuss most the important most important issue issue then pricing. then pricing. first, thenfithe rst, next then most-important the next most-important issue, and issue, so forth.

and so In technical forth. You wantYou to present want tothe present the most important most important information information first. The Logistics of Proposals Focus on Process boxes in Part 4 highlight aspects of the writing process that require special consideration when writing specific types of technical communication. Each Focus on Process box in Part 4 relates back to the complete overview of the writing process in Chapter 1. Focus on Process When writing a proposal, pay special attention to these steps in the writing process. For a complete process for writing technical documents, see page Also consider whether you have the personnel, facilities, and equipment to do what you propose to do.

Collaboration is critical in large proposals because no one person has the time and expertise to do all the work. See Chapter 3 for more about collaboration. In writing the proposal, follow the instructions in any request for proposal RFP or information for bid IFB from the prospective customer. If there are no instructions, follow the structure for proposals outlined in this chapter. External proposals usually have a firm deadline. Build in time to revise the proposal thoroughly and still get it to readers on time. Understanding the Process of Creating Graphics Tech Tips for using basic software tools give you step-by-step, illustrated instructions on topics such as tracking changes, creating graphics, and formatting pages. Keywords in each Tech Tip help you use the Help menu in your word-processing software to find additional information.

This tab allows you to modify the appearance, size, these four terms. and layout of a picture. external want submitted to another organization. graphic and then select the Picture button in the Illustrations group on the Insert tab. Buttons in the Arrange group allow you to position your graphic and control how text wraps around it. Internal You Proposals internal proposal is an argument, submitted within can also insert clip An art, shapes, charts, screenshots, and SmartArt. KEYWORDS: an organization, for carrying out an activity that format tab, arrange group, picture style, size, adjust, insert picture, format picture, modify picture, will benefit the organization. An internal proposal picture style, picture toolbar might recommend that the organization conduct research,If purchase a product, or change some asyou wish to publish a graphic that is protected by copyright even if you External have revised it , you to obtain written permission from the copyright pect of its policies or need procedures.

Related to the issue of permission is the issue of citation. Of course, In This Book For example, one day, while working on a you do not have to cite a graphic if you created it yourself, from scratch, or if Proposals For more about copyright, see your organization owns theyou copyright. project in the laboratory, realize that if you had In all other cases, however, you should include a citation, even if the a fiber-curl measurement system, you could do Citing graphdocument is a course assignment and will not be published. Internal even those you have revised substantially, shows your instructor that your job ics, better and faster.

The increased productivyou understand professional conventions and your ethical responsibilities. If you your are following a style manual, check to whether it presents a Figure indd 13 format for citing graphics. See the Tech Tip on page xiv Introduction for Writers Ethics Notes remind you to think about the ethical considerations and implications of your writing. For example, to submit a proposal on February 10, you must complete the outline by January 25, the draft by February 1, and the revision by February 8. These dates are called milestones. Team members have a right to know how their work will be evaluated. In college, students often evaluate themselves and other team members. But in the working world, managers are more likely to do the evaluations. ETHICS NOTE Pulling Your Weight on Collaborative Projects Collaboration involves an ethical dimension. If you work hard and well, you help the other members of the team. When problems occur, inform the other team members as soon as possible.

Be honest about what happened. Suggest ways you might make up for missing a task. If you communicate clearly, the other team members are likely to cooperate with you. If you are a member of a team that includes someone who is not participating fully, keep records of your attempts to get in touch with that person. When you do make contact, you owe it to that person to try to find out what the problem is and suggest ways to resolve it. Your goal is to treat that person fairly and to help him or her do better work, so that the team will function more smoothly and more effectively. Exercises book refer you to free resources on the companion Web site, including tutorials, quizzes, downloadable cases, Document Analysis Activities, annotated links, and more.

Does your reader have any o such as impaired vision, that would affe your document? than 30 a year-old social media? For an audience profile sheet, from others? One reader might hate to see the firstDid you avoid using For an audience profile sheet, audience characteristics, On the Web On the Web notes in the margins of the On the Web To download a workschedule form and evaluation forms, click on Forms for Technical Communication on. person pronoun I in technical documents. Another might prefer one p. As discussed p. As discussed later characteristics can affect virtually every ethical for you to apply for the job without mentiontions of three categories of readers: site of a company or other organization that has a ing this fact? Why or why not? If you feel it is unsion orof document and perception of th prominent role in your community youra academic ethical to withhold the information that you plan to In This Book For more about memos, see Ch.

On the Web Why Is Your Audience feel contains untrue or misleading information. Write a memo to your instructor describing the ad and Reading Your Document? Itabout is late April, and you need a summer job. In a local For more audience analyzing the unethical techniques. How might the you see anFor ad for a potential The analysis, newspaper, see Writing each of your job. most important readers, consider why he or she is honestly? Ininformation have been presented more Guidelines for Engineering only problem is that thereading ad specifically mentions Some writers find it helpful to classify readers into your document. clude a photocopy or a printout of the ad with and Science Students. categories — such as primary, secondary, and tertiary — each of which idention Links Library for Ch. Is it. GROUP EXERCISE groups. Often, orethically apply? Be prepared to share your ideas in bers, who assisted in carryingganizations out an analysis a new serverinconfi gurapresentof this information sections called class.

The headaudience of the how the organization can pay forsection the project. in presenting information that goes beyond bookstore wishes toanalysis, stock Simplesee StudyWriting Guides, a general statements behavior important? Her tions of three categories of readers: Guidelines forinbookstores, Engineering second group member could identify the section yses of classic literary works. the sale of Simple Study yields annual profi ts Click to the document. on legal behavior seriously? Can you get a clear idea signed a statement on condemning idea. the Should you 4 and tives from marketing legal departments, who need to check from the description whether the organization support the bookstore head or the academic depart. Be prepared to discuss your answer in class. tices and with relevant legal standards, such as antidiscrimination or dures, and resources available for employees who 3.

INTERNET EXERCISE Find anintellectual-property article or advertisement laws. wish to discuss ethical and legal issues? Technical communication is the process of finding, using, and sharing information. In fact, every professional spends most of every workday reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Think of it this way: a professional is a person who communicates with others about a technical subject. An engineer is a person who communicates about engineering. An architect is a person who communicates about architecture.

Professionals create, design, and transmit technical information so that people can understand it easily and use it safely, effectively, and efficiently. The purpose of this book is to help you improve your skills in the process of technical communication finding information and developing ideas on your own and with others and in the applications of technical communication the reports, blogs, and other kinds of documents you will write. Technical communication relies on many of the principles you have studied in your earlier writing courses. The biggest difference between technical communication and the other kinds of writing you have done is that technical communication has a somewhat different focus on audience and purpose. In most of your previous academic writing, your audience has been your instructor, and your purpose has been to show your instructor that you have learned some body of information or skill. Your purpose will be to reinforce or change their attitudes toward the subject you are writing about, motivate them to take particular actions, or help them do their own jobs.

For example, suppose you are a public-health scientist working for a federal agency. You have just completed a study showing that, for most adults, moderate exercise provides as much health benefit as strenuous exercise. In each case, you will present the key information in different ways to meet the needs of the various audiences. What Are Your Roles as a Communicator? On the Web For a good introduction to technical communication, see the STC introduction to the subject. Click on Links Library for Ch. You will be the main author of documents and oral presentations. As a member of a team, you will likely participate in writing documents for various audiences. You will communicate with your co-workers when they seek advice and information. This book focuses on the strategies, techniques, and tools that you will use in all three of these roles. Technical Communication and Your Career Employers in every industry stress the importance of communication skills.

A survey by the Plain English Network found that 96 percent of the nation's 1, largest employers say employees must have good communication skills to get ahead A study of over U. The following ad from an organization that manufactures medical instruments is typical: Design Assurance Engineer. BSEE or biology degree preferred. This typical job ad mentions not only computer skills but also communication skills. In This Book For more about job-application materials, see Ch. Fifty percent of all companies in all industries consider writing skills in making promotion decisions. Almost percent of companies use e-mail, and more than 80 percent use PowerPoint presentations. companies offer or require training for professionals who cannot write well. The facts of corporate life today are simple: if you cannot communicate well, you are less valuable; if you can, you are more valuable.

Addresses Particular Readers In This Book For more about addressing a particular audience, see Ch. Technical documents address particular readers. These factors help you decide what kind of document to write, how to structure it, how much detail to include, and what sentence style and vocabulary to use. Even if you do not know your readers personally, you can try to create a profile of them. For example, if readers of your brochure are police officers responsible for purchases, you know that they share a police background and a common responsibility for approving expenditures. Your writing might also be read by people you never intended as your audience: managers and executives in your organization, the public, or the press.

Avoid writing anything that will embarrass you or your organization if other audiences read it. Often, you will write for people from different cultures or whose native language is different from yours. These readers will react differently to the design, organization, and writing style of documents than people from your own culture will. Therefore, you should consider cultural differences as you write. A good first step is to read a full-length discussion of intercultural communication, such as one or more of the following respected resources: Hofstede, G. Cultures and organizations: Software for the mind 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Jandt, F. An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community 7th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Lustig, M. Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures 7th ed. Neuliep, J. Intercultural communication: A contextual approach 5th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Samovar, L.

Intercultural communication: A reader 13th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Another valuable resource is the Intercultural Communication Institute www. The articles, training, and resource lists available through this nonprofit organization offer a helpful introduction to the subject. In other words, you watch it because you need information to analyze a situation and solve a problem. For example, a state government department that oversees vocational-education programs submits an annual report to the state legislature, as well as a lot of technical information for the public: flyers, brochures, pamphlets, radio and television ads, and course materials.

These documents help the department secure its funding and reach its audience. For example, many organizations encourage their employees to blog about their areas of expertise. Blogging can help an organization establish an identity based on producing high-quality products, using green energy and protecting the environment, helping the community, and many other values. Is Produced Collaboratively Although you will work alone in writing short documents, you will probably work as part of a team in producing more-complicated documents because no one person has all the information, skills, or time to create a large document. Collaboration can range from having a colleague review your two-page memo to working with a team of a dozen technical professionals and technical communicators on a page catalog.

Social media such as wikis, blogs, and microblogs such as Twitter make it convenient for professionals to collaborate inside and outside their own organizations. In This Book For more about collaboration, see Ch. If it is attractive and creates a positive impression, you are more likely to accomplish your goal. Design features such as headings, color, and highlighting help readers see where they are and get to where they want to be. indd 7 In This Book For more about design, see Ch. The questions ask you to consider how technical communication combines words and graphics. How has the company used words and graphics to communicate different kinds of information? Robust multifunction performance that easily keeps up with the busy pace of your entire office. The Phaser laser printer gets your jobs out quickly.

Very quickly. Intuitive control panel makes copy, fax and scan functions easy to use, and also displays job status and toner levels. One-button copying makes walkup use quick and easy. No need navigating a menu just to make a copy. How has the company used design to help readers understand that this page describes two different products? How has the company used color to help readers understand the messages that it wishes to communicate? Phaser MFP control panel Source: Xerox, If all the safety warnings in a manual appear in a color and size different from the rest of the text, readers will be better able to recognize the importance of the information. Figure 1. Department of Agriculture, Elsewhere on the poster this concept is communicated in more detail.

The page explains how the software is easy to use and shows the user interface. This white paper focuses on usability: making the product easy to use. The explanations, the image, and the marginal quotation all focus on this goal. It was created by the product experts, with the help of technical communicators. The words explain the argument; the graphic shows what the words say. Introduction to Technical Communication ACT! by Sage While creating ACT! Our first focus area was on navigation. Navigation is the act of finding your way around in a software product. Similar to navigating when traveling by car, there sometimes are easy paths and sometimes difficult paths depending on the route and the signs provided.

Our goal was to make navigation as effortless as possible. In addition, we added a persistent Lookup box, so you can search for information more quickly Figure 1. This new screen is a navigational aid and a touchpoint for beginning ACT! It is also a place for all ACT! users to discover important features and how to use them. It exposes advanced features and provides assistance to experienced users who need to access infrequently used functionality. It also provides a view tailored specifically for Administrators. by Sage Delivering on Usability and Productivity 5 Figure 1. Measures of Excellence in Technical Communication Eight measures of excellence characterize all technical communication: honesty, clarity, accuracy, comprehensiveness, accessibility, conciseness, professional appearance, and correctness.

It was created by a writer, with the help of a photographer, a videographer, a designer, and a Web specialist. This page is well designed, with navigation information spanning the top and a balanced three-column design in the main content area of the screen. Like much technical communication, this Web page consists of words and images such as the photographs, logos, and video. Honesty The most important measure of excellence in technical communication is honesty. Technical communication is meant to help people make wise choices as they live and work in a high-tech culture. Misinforming your readers or deliberately omitting important information can defraud, injure, or kill people. ETHICS NOTE You will find Ethics Notes throughout this book. These notes will describe typical ethical problems related to technical communication and suggest ways to think about them. Clarity Your goal is to produce a document that conveys a single meaning the reader can understand easily.

A carelessly drafted building code, for example, could tempt contractors to use inferior materials or techniques. com, Accuracy You need to get your facts straight. A slight inaccuracy can confuse and annoy your readers; a major inaccuracy can be dangerous and expensive. In another sense, accuracy is a question of ethics. Technical documents must be as objective and unbiased as you can make them. Comprehensiveness A good technical document provides all the information readers need to follow the discussion and carry out any required tasks. It refers to supporting materials clearly or includes them as attachments. Comprehensiveness is crucial because readers need a complete, selfcontained discussion to use the information safely, effectively, and efficiently.

A document also often serves as the official company record of a project, from its inception to its completion. Because few people will read a document from the beginning to the end, your job is to make its various parts accessible. That is, readers should not be forced to flip through the pages or click links unnecessarily to find the appropriate section. In This Book For more about making documents accessible, see Chs. Conciseness A document must be concise enough to be useful to a busy reader. You can shorten most writing by 10 to 20 percent simply by eliminating unnecessary phrases, choosing shorter words, and using economical grammatical forms. Your job is to figure out how to convey a lot of information economically. In This Book For more about writing concisely, see Ch. Professional Appearance You start to communicate before anyone reads the first word of your document. If the document looks neat and professional, readers will form a positive impression of it and of you.

Your document should adhere to the format standards of your organization or your professional field, and it should be well designed and neatly printed. For example, a letter should follow one of the traditional letter formats and have generous margins. Correctness A correct document is one that adheres to the conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage. Sometimes, incorrect writing can confuse readers or even make your writing inaccurate. The more typical problem, however, is that incorrect writing makes you look unprofessional. If your writing is full of errors, readers will wonder if you were also careless in gathering, analyzing, and presenting the technical information.

If readers doubt your professionalism, they will be less likely to accept your conclusions or follow your recommendations. A Process for Writing Technical Documents Although every technical document is unique, in most of your writing you will likely carry out the tasks described in the Focus on Process box on page Who are your readers? What are their attitudes and expectations? How will they use the document? See Ch. After they have read the document, what do you want your readers to know or to do? Ask journalistic questions who, what, when, where, why, and how , brainstorm, freewrite, talk with someone, or make clustering or branching diagrams.

How much time will you need to complete each task of the project? Will you incur expenses for travel, research, or usability testing? Get comfortable. Check that their design is appropriate and that they help you communicate your information effectively to your readers. Styles are like small templates that apply to the design of elements such as headings and bullet lists. They help you present the elements of your document clearly and consistently. See the Tech Tip on p. Revising Look again at your draft to see if it works. If the answer to any of these questions is yes, what changes should you make to the content and style of your document? Editing Check your revised draft to improve six aspects of your writing: grammar, punctuation, style, usage, diction word choice , and mechanics matters such as use of numbers and abbreviations.

See Appendix, Part B, for more information about these topics. Proofreading Check to make sure you have typed what you meant to type. They will miss some errors and flag correct words and phrases. See Appendix, Part B, for more information about proofreading. The frustrating part of writing, however, is that these five steps are not linear. At any step, you might double back to do more planning, drafting, or revising. As you backtrack, you will have one eye on the clock, because the deadline is sneaking up on you.

A technical writer stops working on a user manual because she has to get it off to the print shop. So, when you read about how to write, remember that you are reading about a messy process that goes backward as often as it goes forward and that, most likely, ends only when you run out of time. Later chapters will discuss how to vary this basic process in writing various applications such as proposals, reports, and descriptions. The Focus on Process boxes at the beginning of Chapters 9 to 15 will highlight important steps in this process for each application. Should you use the process described here? But your goal should be to devise a process that enables you to write effective documents that is, documents that accomplish what you want them to efficiently without taking more time than necessary. Identify two or three examples of each characteristic on the home page of the site. indd 15 who are considering enrolling.

Be prepared to share your findings with the class. In a memo to your instructor, describe and evaluate the manual. To what extent does it meet the measures of excellence discussed in this chapter? In what ways does it fall short? Submit a copy of the document or a representative portion of it with your memo. Then evaluate the effectiveness of the document. Write your response in a memo to your instructor. Submit a copy of the document or a representative portion of it with your assignment. E thical and legal issues are all around you in your work life. If you look at the Web site of any bike manufacturer, you will see that bicyclists are always shown wearing helmets. One thing is certain: there are many serious ethical and legal issues related to technical communication, and all professionals need a basic understanding of them.

A Brief Introduction to Ethics Ethics is the study of the principles of conduct that apply to an individual or a group. Others see ethics in terms of their own religion or the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like them to treat you. Ethicist Manuel G. Everyone agrees, for example, that people have a right to a reasonably safe workplace. When we buy a product, we have a right to expect that the information that accompanies it is honest and clear. However, not everything that is desirable is necessarily a right. For example, in some countries high-quality health care is considered a right. That is, the government is required to provide it, regardless of whether a person can afford to pay for it. In other countries, health care is not considered a right. This standard concerns how the costs and benefits of an action or a policy are distributed among a group. For example, justice requires that people doing the same job receive the same pay, regardless of whether they are male or female, black or white.

This standard concerns the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has, will have, or might have on others. One tricky part in thinking about utility is figuring out the time frame to examine. This standard concerns the relationships we have with other individuals. We owe care and consideration to all people, but we have greater responsibilities to people in our families, our workplaces, and our communities. The closer a person is to us, the greater care we owe that person. Therefore, we have greater obligations to members of our family than we do to others in our community. Therefore, they cannot provide a systematic method of resolving ethical conflicts. Take the case of a job opportunity in your company. You are a member of the committee that will recommend which of six applicants to hire. One of the six is a friend of yours who has recently gone through a divorce and is currently unemployed.

He needs the health benefits the job provides because he has a daughter with a chronic condition who requires expensive medications. Unfortunately, you have concluded that he is less qualified for the position than some of the other applicants. How can the four standards help you think through the situation? According to the rights standard, lobbying for your friend or against the other applicants would be wrong because all applicants have a right to an evaluation process that considers only their qualifications to do the job. Looking at the situation from the perspective of justice yields the same conclusion: it would be wrong to favor your friend.

Only according to the care standard does lobbying for your friend seem reasonable. As you think about this case, you have to consider another related question: should you tell the other people on the hiring committee that one of the applicants is your friend? Yes, because they have a right to know about your personal relationship so that they can better evaluate your contributions to the discussion. You might also offer to recuse yourself that is, not participate in the discussion of this position , leaving it to the other committee members to decide whether your friendship with a candidate represents a conflict of interest. Most people do not explore the conflict among rights, justice, utility, and care when they confront a serious ethical dilemma; instead, they simply do what they think is right. Perhaps this is good news. However, the depth of ethical thinking varies dramatically from one person to another, and the consequences of superficial ethical thinking can be profound.

For these reasons, ethicists have described a general set of principles that can help people organize their thinking about the role of ethics within an organizational context. These principles form a web of rights and obligations that connect an employee, an organization, and the world in which the organization is situated. For example, in exchange for their labor, employees enjoy three basic rights: fair wages, safe and healthy working conditions, and due process in the handling of such matters as promotions, salary increases, and firing. The following discussion outlines four sets of obligations: to your employer, to the public, to the environment, and to copyright holders. Competence refers to your skills; you should have the training and experience to do the job adequately. Diligence simply means hard work.

Although generosity might sound like an unusual obligation, you are obligated to help your co-workers and stakeholders outside your organization by sharing your knowledge and expertise. If a customer or supplier contacts you, make the time to respond helpfully. You should not steal from your employer. You should not divulge company business outside of the company. If a competitor finds out that your company is planning to introduce a new product, it might introduce its own version of that product, robbing you of your competitive advantage. For the same reason, it is unethical to accept bribes or kickbacks. However, you do not owe your employer absolute loyalty; if your employer is acting unethically, you have an obligation to try to change that behavior, even, if necessary, by blowing the whistle. Obligations to the Public Every organization that offers products or provides services is obligated to treat its customers fairly. As a representative of an organization, and especially as an employee communicating technical information, you will frequently confront ethical questions.

In general, an organization is acting ethically if its product or service is both safe and effective. The product or service must not injure or harm the consumer, and it must fulfill its promised function. However, these commonsense principles provide little guidance in dealing with the complicated ethical problems that arise routinely. According to the U. Courts frequently rule that manufacturers are responsible for providing adequate instrucMagnetic fields present. tions for their products Pacemaker wearers and for warning conshould remain at sumers about safety least 1 foot away from this device. Figure 2. A SLSOL. COM No. CWHYD person who operates a chainsaw without readFigure 2. The warning helps the company do the operation of the saw.

a manufacturer that Source: Safety Label Solutions, Unfortunately, such ideas do not outline a rational theory that can help companies understand how to act ethically in fulfilling their obligations to the public. Therefore, in designing, manufacturing, testing, and communicating about a product, the manufacturer has to make sure the product will be safe and effective when used according to the instructions. However, the manufacturer is not liable when something goes wrong that it could not have foreseen or prevented. Obligations to the Environment We know that we are polluting and depleting our limited natural resources at an unacceptably high rate. Our excessive use of fossil fuels not only deprives future generations of their use but also causes possibly irreversible pollution problems, such as global warming. But what does this have to do with you? Or you might help write an environmental impact statement. As communicators, we should treat every actual or potential occurrence of environmental damage seriously.

We should alert our supervisors to the situation and work with them to try to reduce the damage. The difficulty, of course, is that protecting the environment can be expensive. Clean fuels cost more than dirty ones. Disposing of hazardous waste properly costs more in the short run than merely dumping it. Organizations that want to reduce costs may be tempted to cut corners on environmental protection. Obligations to Copyright Holders On the Web For more about copyright law, see the U. Без рубрики. To ask other readers questions about Practical Strategies for Technical Communication--Instructor's Edition , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list ». Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. All Languages. More filters. Sort order. Hadi rated it it was amazing Jan 19, Julia rated it really liked it Mar 10, Sai Sujaya marked it as to-read Aug 13, Rodney Manuel marked it as to-read Aug 04, Markel, Mike.

Martin's , This specific ISBN edition is currently not available. View all copies of this ISBN edition:. Synopsis About this title In Practical Strategies for Technical Communication , Mike Markel gives students the essentials they'll need to communicate successfully in today's workplace. Practical Strategies for Technical Communication is now available with LaunchPad— a customizable course space featuring an ebook and an exciting array of digital resources including a test bank, adaptive quizzing, multimedia Document Analysis Activities, and more. About the Author : Mike Markel was director of technical communication at Boise State University, where he taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. Review : "A concise, well-organized, and visually inviting text that covers all the necessities in technical communication. Buy New Learn more about this copy. Other Popular Editions of the Same Title.

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves. Extended embed settings. You have already flagged this document. Thank you, for helping us keep this platform clean. The editors will have a look at it as soon as possible. Magazine: Download PDF Practical Strategies for Technical Communication Books full. EN English Deutsch Français Español Português Italiano Român Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Türkçe Suomi Latvian Lithuanian český русский български العربية Unknown. Self publishing. Login to YUMPU News Login to YUMPU Publishing. TRY ADFREE Self publishing Discover products News Publishing. Share Embed Flag. ePAPER READ DOWNLOAD ePAPER. TAGS strategies technical communication markel download thisbooks sinopsys essentials communicate successfully. You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

START NOW. NOW YOU READ Practical Strategies for Technical Communication YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOKS SINOPSYS In Practical Strategies for Technical Communication, Mike Markel gives students the essentials they'll need to communicate successfully in today's workplace. The book offers concise and accessible yet thorough coverage of audience and purpose, research, style, and document design, and strategies for designing all of the major document types. For the second edition, Markel has worked with organizations to choose sample documents and annotate them with insights and advice from the employees who developed them. Throughout the text, a new set of engaging graphics provides visual explanations of key concepts.

Practical Strategies for Technical Communication is now available with LaunchPad? a customizable course space featuring an ebook and an exciting array of digital resources including a test bank, adaptive quizzing, multimedia Document Analysis Activities, and more. To order or purchase the print book packaged with LaunchPad, use ISBN More documents Similar magazines Info. NOW YOU READPractical Strategies for Technical CommunicationYOU WANT TO READ THIS Page 2: BOOKS SINOPSYSIn Practical Strategi. Share from cover. Share from page:. Copy Download PDF Practical Strategies for Technical Communication Books full Extended embed settings. Flag as Inappropriate Cancel. Delete template? Are you sure you want to delete your template? Cancel Delete. no error. Cancel Overwrite Save. products FREE adFREE WEBKiosk APPKiosk PROKiosk. com ooomacros. org nubuntu. Company Contact us Careers Terms of service Privacy policy Cookie policy Cookie settings Imprint.

Terms of service. Privacy policy. Cookie policy. Cookie settings. Change language. Made with love in Switzerland. Choose your language ×. Main languages. English Deutsch Français Italiano Español. العربية български český Dansk Nederlands Suomi Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Latina Latvian Lithuanian Norsk. Português Român русский Svenska Türkçe Unknown. Revert Cancel. Saved successfully! Ooh no, something went wrong!

11+ Strategies For Technical Communication In The Workplace 2Nd Edition Pdf,Newest Books

WebTechnical communication encompasses a set of activities that people do to discover, shape, and transmit information. Technical communication uses the four basic downloads practical strategies for technical communication 2nd edition best practice features of modern technical documents. wireless communications principles and practice 19/09/ · In Practical Strategies for Technical Communication, Mike Markel gives students the essentials they'll need to communicate successfully in today's workplace. The book offers WebPractical Strategies for Technical Communication is now available with LaunchPad— a customizable course space featuring an ebook and an exciting array of digital resources Downloads Practical Strategies For Technical Communication 2nd Edition are faced with one or one thousand people Textbooks Books on Google Play December 28th, - This Downloads Practical Strategies For Technical Communication 2nd Chapter 1 Introduction to Technical CommunicationsEdition December 23rd, - The main point in this chapter is ... read more

In the United States, 40 million people are only marginally literate. Obviously, it is plagiarism to borrow, buy, or steal graphics, video or audio media, written passages, or entire documents, and then use them without attribution. For instance, many organizations create their policies on using social media by setting up wikis and inviting employees to write and edit what others have written. Add this book to your favorite list ». The headaudience of the how the organization can pay forsection the project.

Revert Cancel. indd 43 In This Book For more about writing e-mail, see Ch. In most Western cultures, women play a much greater role in the workplace than they do in many Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. The goal is to build a formal relationship between the two organizations. Disagreements about the project can lead to a better product.