A Concise Guide to Technical Communication

(Each CHAPTER contains a "Review Checklist," "Exercises," "The collaboration window," "The global window," "Click on this," and "For More Information."). 1. An Introduction to Technical Communication. Communicating about technology. Main Characteristics of Technical Communication. Types of Technical Communication. Technical Communication in the Workplace. Technical Communication in an Electronic Age. Societal Dimensions of Technical Communication. Ethical Dimensions of Technical Communication. 2. A World of People and Purposes. People and Purposes. Analyzing Your Audience. Analyzing the Communication Purpose. Analyzing the Communication Context. Conducting an Audience/Purpose Interview. More Tools for Understanding Audience. Using Information from Your Analysis. Audiences Are Not Passive. Typical Audiences and Purposes for Technical Communication. 3. Designing Usable Information. Usability and Technical Information. Usability-During the Planning Stages. Usability-During the Writing and Design Process. Usability-After the Information Is Released. Writing and Organizing Information for Usability. 4. Performing Research for Technical Communication. Thinking Critically About Research. Primary Research. Internet Research. Other Electronic Research Tools. Hard Copy Research. 5. Technical Communication in a Digital World. Communicating in Digital Space. Technical Communication Principles Still Apply. Designing Information for the New Media. Online Documentation and Interface Design. Corresponding Over the Wires: Email Conventions. Working on the Wires. Presentation software. 6. Ethical Issues in Technical Communication. Ethics, Technology, and Communication. Case Examples of Ethical Issues in Technical Communication. Types of Ethical Choices. What Is Legal Is Not Always Ethical. Additional Ways in Which Actions Can Be Unethical. Types of Technical Communication Affected by Ethical Issues. Responding to Ethical Situations. 7. Copyright and Privacy. Why Technical Communicators Need to Understand Copyright and Privacy. Section One: Copyright. Copyright-An Overview. Documenting Your Sources. Electronic Technologies and Copyright. Section Two: Privacy. Privacy-An Overview. Computer Technologies, Privacy, and Technical Communication. 8. Page Layout and Document Design. Creating Visually Effective Documents. Typography. Page Layout. Creating an Effective Table of Contents and Index. Creating and Using Style Sheets. Organizational Style Guides. Using Word-Processing and Page Layout Software. Designing Electronic Documents. 9. Graphics and Visual Information. The Power of the Picture. When to Use Visuals. Different Visuals for Different Audiences. Text into Tables. Numbers into Images. Illustrations. Diagrams. Symbols and Icons. Wordless Instruction. Photographs. Maps. Visualization an Medical Imaging. Software and Web Based Images. Using Color. Avoiding Visual Noise. Visuals and Ethics. Cultural Considerations. TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS AND APPLICATIONS. 10. Everyday Communication Situations. Email. Memos. Letters. Short reports. Oral communication. 11. Product-Oriented Communication Situations. Specifications. Brief Instructions. Procedures. Documentation and Manuals. Technical Marketing Material. 12. Complex Communication Situations. Definitions and Descriptions. Long Reports. Proposals. Appendix A: Grammar. Grammar Issues. Appendix B: Documenting Sources. Quoting the Work of Others. How You Should Document. MLA Documentation Style. APA Documentation Style. References. Credits. Index.