Power Tools for Technical Communication

Grounded in authentic workplace scenarios, the step-by-step approach of POWER TOOLS FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION prepares students for real world communication and workplace problem solving.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Technical Writing: An Introduction. Part I: PROJECT TOOLS FOR TECHNICAL WRITERS. 1. Description: Product Specifications and Informal Reports. Solar Power: Solar Automobiles. How Do You Write a Description? How Do You Write Product Specifications? How Do You Write Informal Reports? Practical Ethics: Biased Language. Workshop: Description. Technical Description: Workhorse Flashlight. Informal Report: Report on a Trip to the Ann Arbor Energy-Efficient Housing Study. 2. Processes: Instructions, Policies, and Procedures. Mars and the Human Exploration of Mars. What Is a Process? How Do You Write about Processes? How Do You Write Instructions? Practical Ethics: Making Ethical Decisions. How Do You Write Policies and Procedures? Workshop: Process, Instructions, Policies, and Procedures. Mars Polar Lander: Mission Overview. Eudora Lite 1. 5. 4 for Windows 95: Beginner''''s Guide. 3. Causes and Effects: Primary Research Reports (Lab Reports). Global Warming. How Do You Write about Causes and Effects? How Do You Write Primary Research Reports? Practical Ethics: Omission. Workshop: Causes, Effects, Primary Research Reports. Cause - Effect Discussion: Symptoms of Type I Schizophrenia. Primary Research Report: Bats Roosting in Deciduous Leaf Litter. 4. Comparison: Recommendation, Evaluation, and Feasibility Reports. Voice-Recognition Technologies. How Do You Write a Comparison? What Are Recommendation, Evaluation, and Feasibility Reports? How Do You Write a Recommendation Report? Practical Ethics: Anecdotal Evidence. How Do You Write Feasibility and Evaluation Reports? Workshop: Comparison and Recommendation Reports. Comparison: Mars and Earth. Voice Recognition Software: Recommendations for Medical Transcriptionists. Voice Recognition Software: Appendixes. 5. Definition and Classification: Background Reports. Nanotechnology: Molecular Circuitry. What is a Definition and How Do You Write One? What is a Classification and How Do You Write One? Practical Ethics: Manipulating Photos. How Do You Write Technical Background Reports? Workshop: Definition, Classification, Background Reports. Extended Definition: Molecular Manufacturing. Classification: Solar Water Heaters: An Introduction. 6. Persuasion: Proposals and Progress Reports. Recycling. What Are the Tools for Persuasion? How Do You Write Persuasively? Practical Ethics: The Good" Debate. How Do You Write a Proposal? How Do You Write a Progress Report? Workshop: Persuasion, Proposals, and Progress Report? Persuasive Technical Writing: Recycling: Not a Waste of Money or Time! Proposal: Role of Photolithography in Semiconductor Manufacturing. Proposal: Handbook on Communication and Swallowing Disorders in the Elderly. Progress Report: Audience Perception of Advertisement Images. Part II: DOCUMENT-DESIGN TOOLS. 7. Headings. Brain, Sleep, and Dream Research. What are Headings: What Are They Good For? How Do You Design Headings? How Do You Use Headings? How Do You Create Headings? Workshop: Headings. 8. Lists: Bulleted, Numbered, and Others. Human Genome Project. What Are Lists? What Are Lists Good For? What Are the Guidelines for Lists? How Do You Create Lists? Workshop: Lists. 9. Notices: Dangers, Warnings, and Cautions. El Niño and La Niña. What are Notices? How Do You Use Notices? How Do You Write Notices? How Do You Design and Create Notices? Workshop: Notices. 10. Tables, Graphs, and Charts. Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics. What Are They? When to Use Which? How Do You Design Tables, Graphs, and Charts? How Do You Create Tables, Graphs, and Charts? Workshop: Tables, Graphs, and Charts. 11. Illustrative Graphics. Fractals: The Ultimate Graphics. What Should Be Illustrated? What Are the Types of Illustrations? How Do You Find or Create Illustrations? How Do You Format Illustrations? How Do You Incorporate Graphics into Documents? How About the Old-Fashioned Way? How Do You Add Graphics to Web Pages? Workshop: Graphics. 12. Highlighting and Emphasis. Photovoltaics: Electricity from the Sun. What Is Highlighting and Emphasis? What Can Be Highlighted, and How? How Do You Plan a Highlighting Scheme? How Do You Add Highlighting and Emphasis? Workshop: Highlighting. Part III: DOCUMENT-DELIVERY TOOLS. 13. Business Communications: Letters, Memos, and Email. Communication Styles: International Business. How Do You Write Effective Letters, Memos, E-Mail? How Do You Format a Business Letter? How Do You Format a Memo? How Do You Create a Letter or Memo Template? What about E-Mail? How Do You Write Problem Communications? Practical Ethics: Murky Waters. Workshop: Business Letters, Memos, E-Mail. Complaint Letter: Digital Multimeter Problems. Inquiry Letter: Hardware Support for Red Hat Linux Version 5. 1. 14. Employment-Search Tools: Application Letters, Resumes. Employment Trends and Projections. How Do You Get Started on a Job Search? How Do You Write a Resume? How Do You Write an Application Letter? Workshop: Application Letters and Resumes. Application Letter: System Support Specialist. Résumé. Scannable Résumé. HTML Code for Web Résumé. 15. Formal Reports: Design, Format, Abstracts. Wind Energy. Designing Technical Documents. Formal Reports and Other Technical Documents. Practical Ethics: Association Guidelines. Summaries and Abstracts. Workshop: Document Design and Format. Formal Report Excerpts: Wind Energy and Photovoltaics: Renewable Energy for Rural Health Clinics. 16. Oral Presentations: Preparation, Visuals, and Delivery. Year 2000 Problem. How Do You Plan an Oral Presentation? How Do You Prepare Visuals for an Oral Presentation? Practical Ethics: Graphically Speaking. How Do You Use Presentation Software? How Do You Deliver an Oral Presentation? How Do You Evaluate Oral Presentations? Oral-Presentation Evaluation Form. Workshop: Oral Presentations. 17. Web Pages: HTML and Hypertext. Hypertext, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. How Do You Create Web Pages? What is Hypertext? How Do You Create a Hypertext Technical-Writing Project? Workshop: Web Pages and Hypertext. Part IV: TOOLS FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. 18. Reviewing and Revising. Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks. First Pass: Audience, Purpose, Content. Second Pass: Design and Format. Third Pass: Style, Grammar, Mechanics. Workshop: Reviewing and Revising. 19. Audience and Task Analysis. Genetic Engineering, Gene Therapy, and Cloning. Who Reads Technical Documents? Why Do They Read? What Are Their Tasks? How Do You Identify Tasks? How Do You Write for an Audience? How Do You Revise for an Audience? Workshop: Audiences and Tasks. 20. Finding Information: Print, Internet, Informal Sources Internet 2. How Do You Search for Information? What about the Internet? What about Encyclopedias and Other Reference Books? What about Books? What about Magazine, Journal, and Newspaper Articles? What about Government Documents? What about Brochures and Other Product Literature? What about Informal, Unpublished Sources? What about Surveys and Questionnaires? Workshop: Information Search. 21. Citing Sources of Borrowed Information. Extraterrestrial Intelligence and UFO''''s. Intellectual Property and Plagiarism. Number System (IEEE, CBE). Name - Year System (APA). Practical Ethics: Plagiarism. Name - Page System (MLA). Linking Citations and Bibliographic Entries on Web Pages. Workshop: Source Documentation. 22. Managing Team Projects. Virtual Reality. How Do Industry Writing Teams Work? Practical Ethics: Groupthink. How Do You Team-Write a Technical-Writing Project? Workshop: Teams. Part V: WRITING TOOLS: MECHANICS AND STYLE. Appendix A: Abbreviations, Symbols, and Numbers. Appendix B: Punctuation: Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Hyphens, Dashes, Apostrophes, and Quotation Marks. Appendix C: Grammar Favorites."

About the Author :
David A. McMurrey spent 11 years at IBM Corporation working as a writer, editor, and vendor coordinator in new products areas, in particular, areas involving the AIX, RISC, and Power technologies. He is the author of Processes in Technical Writing (Macmillan, 1988) and Power Tools for Technical Communication (Heinle, 2001) and co-author of Writing Fundamentals (Macmillan, 1985) and Writing as an Engineer (Wiley, 1996).

Review :
Preface. Technical Writing: An Introduction. Part I: PROJECT TOOLS FOR TECHNICAL WRITERS. 1. Description: Product Specifications and Informal Reports. Solar Power: Solar Automobiles. How Do You Write a Description? How Do You Write Product Specifications? How Do You Write Informal Reports? Practical Ethics: Biased Language. Workshop: Description. Technical Description: Workhorse Flashlight. Informal Report: Report on a Trip to the Ann Arbor Energy-Efficient Housing Study. 2. Processes: Instructions, Policies, and Procedures. Mars and the Human Exploration of Mars. What Is a Process? How Do You Write about Processes? How Do You Write Instructions? Practical Ethics: Making Ethical Decisions. How Do You Write Policies and Procedures? Workshop: Process, Instructions, Policies, and Procedures. Mars Polar Lander: Mission Overview. Eudora Lite 1. 5. 4 for Windows 95: Beginner's Guide. 3. Causes and Effects: Primary Research Reports (Lab Reports). Global Warming. How Do You Write about Causes and Effects? How Do You Write Primary Research Reports? Practical Ethics: Omission. Workshop: Causes, Effects, Primary Research Reports. Cause - Effect Discussion: Symptoms of Type I Schizophrenia. Primary Research Report: Bats Roosting in Deciduous Leaf Litter. 4. Comparison: Recommendation, Evaluation, and Feasibility Reports. Voice-Recognition Technologies. How Do You Write a Comparison? What Are Recommendation, Evaluation, and Feasibility Reports? How Do You Write a Recommendation Report? Practical Ethics: Anecdotal Evidence. How Do You Write Feasibility and Evaluation Reports? Workshop: Comparison and Recommendation Reports. Comparison: Mars and Earth. Voice Recognition Software: Recommendations for Medical Transcriptionists. Voice Recognition Software: Appendixes. 5. Definition and Classification: Background Reports. Nanotechnology: Molecular Circuitry. What is a Definition and How Do You Write One? What is a Classification and How Do You Write One? Practical Ethics: Manipulating Photos. How Do You Write Technical Background Reports? Workshop: Definition, Classification, Background Reports. Extended Definition: Molecular Manufacturing. Classification: Solar Water Heaters: An Introduction. 6. Persuasion: Proposals and Progress Reports. Recycling. What Are the Tools for Persuasion? How Do You Write Persuasively? Practical Ethics: The " Good" Debate. How Do You Write a Proposal? How Do You Write a Progress Report? Workshop: Persuasion, Proposals, and Progress Report? Persuasive Technical Writing: Recycling: Not a Waste of Money or Time! Proposal: Role of Photolithography in Semiconductor Manufacturing. Proposal: Handbook on Communication and Swallowing Disorders in the Elderly. Progress Report: Audience Perception of Advertisement Images. Part II: DOCUMENT-DESIGN TOOLS. 7. Headings. Brain, Sleep, and Dream Research. What are Headings: What Are They Good For? How Do You Design Headings? How Do You Use Headings? How Do You Create Headings? Workshop: Headings. 8. Lists: Bulleted, Numbered, and Others. Human Genome Project. What Are Lists? What Are Lists Good For? What Are the Guidelines for Lists? How Do You Create Lists? Workshop: Lists. 9. Notices: Dangers, Warnings, and Cautions. El Nino and La Nina. What are Notices? How Do You Use Notices? How Do You Write Notices? How Do You Design and Create Notices? Workshop: Notices. 10. Tables, Graphs, and Charts. Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics. What Are They? When to Use Which? How Do You Design Tables, Graphs, and Charts? How Do You Create Tables, Graphs, and Charts? Workshop: Tables, Graphs, and Charts. 11. Illustrative Graphics. Fractals: The Ultimate Graphics. What Should Be Illustrated? What Are the Types of Illustrations? How Do You Find or Create Illustrations? How Do You Format Illustrations? How Do You Incorporate Graphics into Documents? How About the Old-Fashioned Way? How Do You Add Graphics to Web Pages? Workshop: Graphics. 12. Highlighting and Emphasis. Photovoltaics: Electricity from the Sun. What Is Highlighting and Emphasis? What Can Be Highlighted, and How? How Do You Plan a Highlighting Scheme? How Do You Add Highlighting and Emphasis? Workshop: Highlighting. Part III: DOCUMENT-DELIVERY TOOLS. 13. Business Communications: Letters, Memos, and Email. Communication Styles: International Business. How Do You Write Effective Letters, Memos, E-Mail? How Do You Format a Business Letter? How Do You Format a Memo? How Do You Create a Letter or Memo Template? What about E-Mail? How Do You Write Problem Communications? Practical Ethics: Murky Waters. Workshop: Business Letters, Memos, E-Mail. Complaint Letter: Digital Multimeter Problems. Inquiry Letter: Hardware Support for Red Hat Linux Version 5. 1. 14. Employment-Search Tools: Application Letters, Resumes. Employment Trends and Projections. How Do You Get Started on a Job Search? How Do You Write a Resume? How Do You Write an Application Letter? Workshop: Application Letters and Resumes. Application Letter: System Support Specialist. Resume. Scannable Resume. HTML Code for Web Resume. 15. Formal Reports: Design, Format, Abstracts. Wind Energy. Designing Technical Documents. Formal Reports and Other Technical Documents. Practical Ethics: Association Guidelines. Summaries and Abstracts. Workshop: Document Design and Format. Formal Report Excerpts: Wind Energy and Photovoltaics: Renewable Energy for Rural Health Clinics. 16. Oral Presentations: Preparation, Visuals, and Delivery. Year 2000 Problem. How Do You Plan an Oral Presentation? How Do You Prepare Visuals for an Oral Presentation? Practical Ethics: Graphically Speaking. How Do You Use Presentation Software? How Do You Deliver an Oral Presentation? How Do You Evaluate Oral Presentations? Oral-Presentation Evaluation Form. Workshop: Oral Presentations. 17. Web Pages: HTML and Hypertext. Hypertext, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. How Do You Create Web Pages? What is Hypertext? How Do You Create a Hypertext Technical-Writing Project? Workshop: Web Pages and Hypertext. Part IV: TOOLS FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. 18. Reviewing and Revising. Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks. First Pass: Audience, Purpose, Content. Second Pass: Design and Format. Third Pass: Style, Grammar, Mechanics. Workshop: Reviewing and Revising. 19. Audience and Task Analysis. Genetic Engineering, Gene Therapy, and Cloning. Who Reads Technical Documents? Why Do They Read? What Are Their Tasks? How Do You Identify Tasks? How Do You Write for an Audience? How Do You Revise for an Audience? Workshop: Audiences and Tasks. 20. Finding Information: Print, Internet, Informal Sources Internet 2. How Do You Search for Information? What about the Internet? What about Encyclopedias and Other Reference Books? What about Books? What about Magazine, Journal, and Newspaper Articles? What about Government Documents? What about Brochures and Other Product Literature? What about Informal, Unpublished Sources? What about Surveys and Questionnaires? Workshop: Information Search. 21. Citing Sources of Borrowed Information. Extraterrestrial Intelligence and UFO's. Intellectual Property and Plagiarism. Number System (IEEE, CBE). Name ? Year System (APA). Practical Ethics: Plagiarism. Name ? Page System (MLA). Linking Citations and Bibliographic Entries on Web Pages. Workshop: Source Documentation. 22. Managing Team Projects. Virtual Reality. How Do Industry Writing Teams Work? Practical Ethics: Groupthink. How Do You Team-Write a Technical-Writing Project? Workshop: Teams. Part V: WRITING TOOLS: MECHANICS AND STYLE. Appendix A: Abbreviations, Symbols, and Numbers. Appendix B: Punctuation: Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Hyphens, Dashes, Apostrophes, and Quotation Marks. Appendix C: Grammar Favorites.