Professional and Technical Writing

by VanAlstyne, Judith S.

• ISBN13: 9780131915206
• ISBN10: 0131915207
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780130412799
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-07
• Publisher: Pearson
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Comprehensive and easy-to-read, this award-winning reference for those in technical, engineering, and scientific fields emphasizes practical writing. Its presentation and applications offer simple guides that users can easily emulate. It combines instruction, sample papers, exercises and writing projects for manuals, correspondence, research and publication articles, and oral technical communications.The volume addresses general communication strategies, correspondence, preparing resumes, cover letters, and interviews, writing brief reports, producing professional papers, presentation strategies, verbal and visual communications, plus designing and managing web sites.For technical, engineering and scientific professionals interested in communicating more effectively.

Author Biography

Judith S. VanAlstyne taught English courses at Broward Community College for thirty years and was an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. She has served as an industry technical communications consultant and conducted technical-writing workshops and seminars throughout three South Florida counties. Ms. VanAlstyne initiated the Technical Writing Curriculum and Certificate Program at Broward Community College. She has authored numerous graphic design texts, instructional videos for technical writing, and technical workshop/seminar workbooks. In addition to teaching expository writing, creative writing, technical-writing, and literature courses, she introduced the technical-writing course curriculum to a private college in Malaysia. She has also published literary criticism, travel articles, and poetry.

Table of Contents

Preface	iii
PART ONE General Technical and Professional Communication Strategies
Explaining Professional and Technical Communications	3	(17)
Introduction	4	(1)
The Technical Writer	5	(1)
Technical Writing	6	(1)
Ethical Considerations	7	(9)
Legal Considerations	16	(3)
Writing Projects	19	(1)
Executing the Writing Process: Theory and Practice	20	(51)
Introduction	22	(1)
Basic Communication Theories	22	(2)
Sender: Individual or Collaborative Team	24	(5)
Audience/Receiver	29	(7)
Message	36	(1)
Prewriting	37	(2)
Writing the Draft	39	(10)
Postwriting	49	(2)
Signal Word Revisions	51	(1)
Word Choice Check	52	(1)
Usage Check	53	(7)
Channel	60	(1)
Noise	60	(1)
Encoding/Decoding	60	(1)
Interpretation	61	(1)
Feedback	61	(2)
Checklist	63	(4)
Exercises	67	(3)
Writing Projects	70	(1)
Utilizing Graphics and Visuals	71	(43)
Introduction	72	(1)
Purposes	73	(1)
Freehand, Computer Graphics, and Visuals	73	(1)
General Conventions	74	(3)
Tables	77	(4)
Figures	81	(26)
Final Word on Effectiveness	107	(2)
Checklist	109	(2)
Exercises	111	(1)
Writing Projects	112	(2)
Designing and Producing Documents and Presentations	114	(37)
Introduction	116	(1)
Document Design Options	116	(17)
Presentation Features	133	(7)
Production Decisions	140	(3)
Checklist	143	(2)
Exercises	145	(1)
Writing Projects	146	(5)
PART TWO Research Strategies
Accessing Information	151	(44)
Introduction	152	(1)
Researching Materials	153	(1)
Libraries	154	(10)
Computer Research	164	(6)
Bibliography Cards or Files	170	(2)
Note-Taking	172	(5)
Surveys and Questionnaires	177	(9)
Interviews	186	(2)
Other Primary Sources	188	(1)
Checklist	188	(5)
Exercises	193	(1)
Writing Projects	194	(1)
Documenting Research	195	(38)
Introduction	196	(2)
APA System	198	(9)
MLA System	207	(8)
Number Systems (CBE, ACS, AMS, and AIP)	215	(8)
Chicago Style	223	(3)
Checklist	226	(3)
Exercises	229	(1)
Writing Project	229	(4)
PART THREE Technical Strategies
Defining Terms	233	(23)
Introduction	234	(1)
Audience	235	(1)
Sources of Definitions	236	(1)
Methods	237	(2)
Definition Fallacies (Errors)	239	(1)
Extended Definitions	240	(11)
Checklist	251	(1)
Exercises	252	(1)
Writing Projects	253	(3)
Describing Mechanisms	256	(33)
Introduction	257	(1)
Audience	258	(1)
Organization	259	(24)
Checklist	283	(2)
Exercises	285	(1)
Writing Projects	286	(3)
Giving Instructions	289	(21)
Introduction	290	(1)
Definition	291	(1)
Legal Considerations	291	(1)
Audience Considerations	292	(1)
The Instructions	293	(8)
Visuals and Document Design	301	(5)
Checklist	306	(1)
Exercises	307	(1)
Writing Projects	308	(2)
Analyzing a Process	310	(30)
Introduction	311	(1)
Types of Analysis	312	(1)
Preliminary Considerations	313	(4)
Special Considerations	317	(5)
Graphics and Visuals	322	(12)
Checklist	334	(3)
Exercises	337	(1)
Writing Projects	338	(2)
Preparing Manuals and Product-Support Items	340	(33)
Introduction	341	(1)
Audience	342	(2)
Manual Preparation	344	(22)
Checklist	366	(2)
Exercise	368	(1)
Writing Projects	369	(4)
PART FOUR Professional Strategies
Composing Correspondence	373	(53)
Introduction	374	(7)
Electronic Mail	381	(5)
Letters	386	(9)
Envelopes	395	(1)
Content	396	(2)
Positive Letters	398	(9)
Negative or Bad-News Letters	407	(8)
Neutral Letters	415	(5)
Checklist	420	(2)
Exercises	422	(1)
Writing Projects	423	(3)
Preparing Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews	426	(37)
Introduction	427	(1)
Record-Keeping	428	(7)
The Resume	435	(10)
Cover Letter	445	(7)
The Employment Interview	452	(5)
Checklist	457	(2)
Exercises	459	(2)
Writing Projects	461	(2)
Writing Brief Reports	463	(37)
Introduction	464	(1)
Receiver/Audience	465	(1)
Format/Graphics	465	(1)
Analytical Reports	466	(16)
Evaluation Reports	482	(10)
Checklist	492	(3)
Exercises	495	(3)
Writing Projects	498	(2)
Devising Longer Reports and Proposals	500	(41)
Introduction	501	(1)
Audience	501	(1)
Presenting the Longer Report	502	(2)
Abstracts and Summaries	504	(7)
Proposals	511	(24)
Checklist	535	(2)
Exercises	537	(2)
Writing Projects	539	(2)
Producing Fliers, Brochures, and Newsletters	541	(37)
Introduction	542	(1)
Design Principles	542	(5)
Fliers	547	(2)
Brochures	549	(7)
Newsletters	556	(13)
Checklist	569	(6)
Exercises	575	(1)
Writing Projects	576	(2)
Producing Professional Papers	578	(41)
Introduction	579	(2)
The Technical Scientific Paper	581	(10)
Academic Papers	591	(20)
Checklist	611	(2)
Exercises	613	(2)
Writing Projects	615	(4)
PART FIVE Presentation Strategies
Performing Verbal Communications	619	(27)
Introduction	620	(1)
Telephone Conversations	620	(2)
Group Discussions	622	(1)
Appraisals and Reprimands	623	(1)
Oral Reports	624	(16)
Checklist	640	(4)
Exercises	644	(2)
Managing Visual Communications	646	(16)
Introduction	647	(1)
Types of Visuals	648	(6)
Source Attributions	654	(1)
Handling Visuals	654	(1)
Materials	655	(1)
Checklist	655	(6)
Exercises	661	(1)
Oral/Visual Projects	661	(1)
Designing and Managing Web Sites	662	(19)
Introduction	663	(1)
Web Site Steps	664	(6)
Jump Links	670	(5)
Checklist	675	(3)
Exercises	678	(1)
Projects	679	(2)
Appendix A Conventions of Construction, Grammar, and Usage	681	(28)
Appendix B Punctuation and Mechanical Conventions	709	(19)
Works Consulted	728	(9)
Index	737

Excerpts

The sixth edition of Professional and Technical Writing Strategies: Communicating in Technology and Scienceis the most up-to-date and complete technical writing textbook on the market. It is designed for students majoring in communications and technical and scientific fields, but it is helpful for all students who will share the writing responsibilities in any field of endeavor. Comprehensive and flexible, the text is suitable for college and university students at any level, technical school students, professional and technical writers, and others in technical/scientific employment seeking writing guidelines and models for a wide variety of technical writing strategies. The text covers technical writing ethics, theories and practices of communications,. graphics and visuals, document designs, research and documentation techniques, manual writing and production, professional letters including resumes and cover letters, brief and major reports, fliers, brochures, and newsletters as well as oral presentation strategies, visual communication tools, and Web site design and management. The materials have been tested in academic classes and in training workshops in a variety of businesses and technical industries. The book has won two professional awards: the Award of Distinction from the Everglades Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication and the Award of Achievement from the International Society of Technical Communication. College students of the twenty-first century are a heterogeneous group with a myriad of interests, needs, and skills. More often than not, they are computer literate and adept at word processing, graphics generation, document design, Internet research, and electronic mail. Their ages range from 17 to over 70. They major in every field from aviation to zoology. The text includes writing samples that illustrate actual writing demands in a cross-section of career fields: architecture, aviation, business, computer sciences, ecology, engineering, fire science, insurance, landscape technology, manufacturing, medicine and dentistry, nursing and paramedical fields, pest control technology, real estate, all of the sciences, and more. The samples in the text have been culled from students and professionals in a wide variety of fields. Major Revisions Some revisions in organization, expansions of previous subjects, and many new additions mark this sixth edition. The text covers the expanded role of the technical writer with'' extended coverage of global audience concerns including speakers of English as a second language and multicultural groups. These audience concerns are addressed in almost every chapter. Thirty-one new illustrative figures and page design options pave the way to enhanced documents that technical writers and other writers in business, industry, and the professions are. called upon to produce. The text contains updated instruction on accessing information including interview techniques. The section on The Technical Strategies has been reorganized with major expansion on producing manuals and their support materials. This edition contains a new chapter on producing fliers, brochures, and newsletters, the tasks of technical writers everywhere. The chapter on Web site design and management is expanded with new instructions and graphics. Each chapter has an expanded list of skills to be obtained, new and revised strategy guidelines and instruction, extensive samples, a writing checklist, updated exercises and writing projects. Organization Part 1 General Communication Strategies.Four chapters explain professional and technical communications discussing the role and duties of the technical writer, communication ethics and law, the writing process--theory and practice--with an emphasis on collaborative writing and expansion on international/multicultural concerns with coverage of speakers of English as a second language, organizing, revising, and editing documents, and explicating twelve techniques for the design and presentation of graphics, visuals, and documents. Part 2 The Research Strategies.Two chapters on accessing information and documenting research are included here to prepare students for the professional writing projects in the ensuing chapters--assignments which will require some Library, Internet, or primary research including surveys, questionnaires, and new coverage--interviewing techniques. These chapters include the use of library computer retrieval systems, specialized databases and search engines for accessing online materials, methods of evaluating sources, and 16 actual professional Web sites. The documentation chapter investigates four major systems for documenting sources (APA, MLA, CBE and variations of numbering systems, and the Chicago style) with coverage of plagiarism and Internet source in-text citations and final bibliography styles. Part 3 The Technical Strategies.This section has been revised to cover first the four major integral writing strategies involved in manual writing--defining terms, explaining mechanisms, giving instructions, and analyzing processes--with multiple new samples and graphics. The fifth greatly expanded chapter, Preparing Manuals and Product Support Items, explains the component parts of user guides with a variety of samples, describes the necessary options for manual appearance, and explores the product support items a technical writer may produce. A new complete user guide for a two-way radio is included. Part 4 The Professional Strategies.Five chapters cover composing professional correspondence, preparing resumes and cover letters plus interacting in employment interviews, writing a variety of brief reports, devising longer reports and proposals, producing professional papers, and preparing fliers, brochures, and newsletters. The correspondence chapter addresses electronic mail concerns as well as offers instruction on memos, faxes, and positive, negative, and neutral letters with samples throughout. Report samples, abstracts, and summaries illustrate the chapters on brief and longer reports. An entirely new chapter, Producing Fliers, Brochures, and Newsletters, examines the purposes of each, the audience concerns, the design and production matters, plus the content preparation of each. Samples are provided throughout the chapter. The professional paper chapter explains how to write papers for publication and advanced academic assignments with samples of each. Part 5 The Presentation Strategies.Three chapters expand on verbal and visual communications plus Web site design and management. Performing Verbal Communications includes telephone conversations, group discussions, appraisals and reprimands, and extemporaneous oral reports. Managing Visual Communications discusses twelve types of oral report visuals. This chapter also expands on videotaped and videoconferenced employment interviews. The final, greatly expanded chapter, Designing and Managing Web Sites, explores nine steps for creating and maintaining an effective personal or business Web site. Appendixes A Conventions of Construction, Grammar, and Usage and Appendix B Punctuation and Mechanical Conventions.The first appendix provides explanations and exercises on sentence elements and construction, basic sentence errors, agreement problems, and provides a usage glossary of often confused terms to aid the writer in document writing, revision, and editing. The second appendix covers all the marks of punctuation, mechanical conventions of abbreviation, capitalization, hyphenation, italics, numbers, and spelling with tables of common technical abbreviations and frequently misspelled words. Although the organization of the text is intended to offer cumulative skills, the instructor and the student may move about the text as freel