Preface for Instructors Introduction for Writers Part 1 Working in the Technical-Communication Environment 1 Introduction to Technical Communication What Is Technical Communication? Understanding Purpose Understanding Audience Why Technical Communication Skills Are Important in Your Career The Challenges of Producing Technical Communication Audience-Related Factors Purpose-Related Factors Setting-Related Factors Document-Related Factors Process-Related Factors Thinking Visually: Characteristics of a Technical Document Thinking Visually: Measures of Excellence in Technical Documents Skills and Qualities Shared by Successful Workplace Communicators Guidelines: Communicating Professionally Focus on Process: Writing Technical Documents A Look at Three Technical Documents Exercises Case 1: Using the Measures of Excellence in Evaluating a Résumé 2 Understanding Ethical and Legal Obligations A Brief Introduction to Ethics Obligations to Your Employer Obligations to the Public Obligations to the Environment Your Legal Obligations Copyright Law Guidelines: Determining Fair Use Guidelines: Dealing with Copyright Questions Ethics Note: Distinguishing Plagiarism from Acceptable Reuse of Information The Role of Corporate Culture in Ethical and Legal Conduct Understanding Ethical and Legal Issues Related to Social Media Guidelines: Using Social Media Ethically and Legally Communicating Ethically Across Cultures Communicating with Cultures with Different Ethical Beliefs Document Analysis Activity: Presenting Guidelines for Using Social Media Communicating in Countries with Different Laws Thinking Visually: Principles for Ethical Communication Writer''s Checklist Exercises Case 2: The Ethics of Requiring Students to Subsidize a Plagiarism-Detection Service 3 Writing Collaboratively Thinking Visually: Advantages and Disadvantages of Collaboration Managing Projects Guidelines: Managing Your Project Conducting Meetings Listening Effectively Guidelines: Listening Effectively Setting Your Team''s Agenda Guidelines: Setting Your Team''s Agenda Ethics Note: Pulling Your Weight on Collaborative Projects Conducting Efficient Meetings Communicating Diplomatically Critiquing a Team Member''s Work Guidelines: Communicating Diplomatically Guidelines: Critiquing a Colleague''s Work Document Analysis Activity: Critiquing a Draft Clearly and Diplomatically Using Electronic Tools in Collaboration Word-Processing Tools Messaging Technologies Videoconferencing Guidelines: Participating in a Videoconference Wikis and Shared Document Workspaces Crowdsourcing Platforms Strategies for Online Communication: Jenny Gilbert on Crowdsourcing Data and Information Ethics Note: Maintaining a Professional Presence Online Gender and Collaboration Culture and Collaboration Writer''s Checklist Exercises Case 3: Accommodating a Team Member''s Scheduling Problems Part 2 Planning and Drafting the Document 4 Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose Understanding Audience and Purpose Using an Audience Profile Sheet Choices and Strategies: Responding to Readers'' Attitudes Techniques for Learning About Your Audience Determining What You Already Know About Your Audience Interviewing People Reading About Your Audience Online Searching Social Media for Documents Your Audience Has Written Analyzing Social-Media Data Thinking Visually: Determining the Important Characteristics of Your Audience Communicating Across Cultures Understanding the Cultural Variables "on the Surface" Understanding the Cultural Variables "Beneath the Surface" Considering Cultural Variables as You Write Guidelines: Writing for Readers from Other Cultures Using Graphics and Design for Multicultural Readers Applying What You Have Learned About Your Audience Document Analysis Activity: Examining Cultural Variables in a Business Letter Ethics Note: Meeting Your Readers'' Needs Responsibly Writing for Multiple Audiences Determining Your Purpose Writer''s Checklist Exercises Case 4: Focusing on an Audience''s Needs and Interests 5 Researching Your Subject Understanding the Research Process Guidelines: Planning for the Research Process Guidelines: Researching a Topic Choosing Appropriate Research Methods Choices and Strategies: Research Questions and Methods Conducting Secondary Research Understanding Research Tools Types of SEcondary Research Sources Using Social Media and Other Interactive Resources Evaluating the Information Guidelines: Evaluating Print and Online Sources Conducting Primary Research Analysis of Social-Media Data Document Analysis Activity: Evaluating Information from Internet Sources Observations and Demonstrations Inspections Experiments Field Research Interviews Guidelines: Conducting an Interview Inquiries Questionnaires Choices and Strategies: Choosing Types of Questions for Questionnaires Ethics Note: Reporting and Analyzing Data Honestly Writer''s Checklist Exercises Case 5: Revising a Questionnaire 6 Writing for Your Readers Presenting Yourself Effectively Guidelines: Creating a Professional Persona Using Conventional Patterns of Organization Choices and Strategies: Choosing Effective Organizational Patterns Writing Clear, Informative Titles Writing Clear, Informative Headings Guidelines: Revising Headings Writing Clear, Informative Paragraphs Structure Paragraphs Clearly Ethics Note: Avoiding Burying Bad News in Paragraphs Guidelines: Dividing Long Paragraphs Use Coherence Devices Within and Between Paragraphs Writing Grammatically Correct Sentences Avoid Sentence Fragments Avoid Comma Splices Avoid Run-On Sentences Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun References Compare Items Clearly Use Adjectives Clearly Maintain Subject-Verb Agreement Maintain Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Use Tenses Correctly Structuring Effective Sentences Emphasize New and Important Information Write Effective Sentence Lists Guidelines: Creating Effective Lists Choose an Appropriate Sentence Length Focus on the "Real" Subject Focus on the "Real" Verb Use Parallel Structure Use Modifiers Effectively Choosing the Right Words and Phrases Select an Appropriate Level of Formality Be Clear Use Active and Passive Voice Appropriately Ethics Note: Euphemisms and Truth Telling Be Concise Document Analysis Activity: Revising for Conciseness and Simplicity Use Inoffensive Language Guidelines: Avoiding Sexist Language Guidelines: Using the People-First Approach Writer''s Checklist Exercises Case 6: Emphasizing Important Information in a Technical Description Part 3 Designing User-Friendly Documents and Websites 7 Designing Print and Online Documents Goals of Document Design Planning the Design of Print and Online Documents Guidelines: Planning Your Design Understanding Design Principles Designing Print Documents Navigation Aids Choices and Strategies: Creating Navigation Aids Page Layout Guidelines: Understanding Learning Theory and Page Design Typography Tech Tip: Why and How To Format Columns Ethics Note: Using Type Sizes Responsibly Titles and Headings Other Design Features Tech Tip: Why and How To Create Borders and Screens Designing Online Documents Use Design To Emphasize Important Information Document Analysis Activity: Analyzing a Page Design Create Informative Headers and Footers Help Readers Navigate the Document Guidelines: Making Your Document Easy To Navigate Include Extra Features Your Readers Might Need Help Readers Connect with Others Consider Matters of Accessibility Guidelines: Designing Accessible Websites Design for Multicultural Audiences Ethics Note: Designing Legal and Honest Online Documents Aim for Simplicity Guidelines: Designing Simple, Clear Web Pages Make the Text Easy to Read and Understand Guidelines: Designing Easy-to-Read Text Create Clear, Informative Links Guidelines: Writing Clear, Informative Links Combining Print and Online Documents STRATEGIES FOR ONLINE COMMUNICATION: Calvin Jones on Using Multiple Modalities Writer''s Checklist Exercises Case 7: Designing a Flyer 8 Creating Graphics The Functions of Graphics Thinking Visually: Characteristics of an Effective Graphic Ethics Note: Creating Honest Graphics Understanding the Process of Creating Graphics Planning Graphics Producing Graphics Tech Tip: Why and How To Insert and Modify Graphics Revising Graphics Citing Sources o.