Ch. 20: Types of Technical Descriptions

• Understand the role of audience and purpose in technical description
• Descriptions are for people who will use, operate, assemble, or manufacture a mechanism
• Decide why the audience needs a description
• Differentiate between product and process descriptions
• Product description
• readers can visualize the parts of the mechanism and the relationship between them
• Process description
• readers can visualize the sequence of events
• Appreciate the requirement for objectivity in such descriptions
• Descriptions have ethical implications
• Subjective descriptions represent a point of view
• Objective descriptions represent details any one could observe
• Recognize the main components of a technical description
• Clear and limiting title
• Appropriate level of detail and technicality
• Visuals
• Clearest descriptive sequence
• spatial
• functional
• chronological
• Write a product and/or process description
• Product Description
• Introduction: general description
• Description and function of parts
• Conclusion and operating description
• Process Description
• Introduction
• Stages in the process
• Conclusion
• Write a set of specifications
• Specifications
• methods
• materials
• size, shape, and weight
• testing, maintenance, inspection procedures
• Consider audience and purpose
• Use industry and government standards
• Include a brief introduction/ descriptive title
• List all parts and materials
• Use standard terms
• Write a technical marketing document
• Research your decision makers so that you can persuade those who will purchase it
• Use the product's name frequently
• Compare and contrast to related products
• Emphasize the appeal
• Use dynamic language
• Use visuals
• Provide any technical information you need

Ch. 19: Technical Definitions

• Appreciate the role of definition in technical communication
• Explain specialized terms/ concepts
• Definitions have to be precise for people in and out of the field
• Know how audience and purpose indicate the need for definition
• Determine how knowledgeable your audience is in that area
• Tool definitions to have appropriate technicality
• Define a term the first time you use it
• Consider the role of definitions within and beyond the workplace
• Definitions have legal, ethical, societal, and global implications.
• Legal- you are legally in charge of the documents you create
• Ethical- Just because something is right on paper doesn't mean it is ethical. Because of the bureaucracy in place, the Challenger shuttle exploded, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
• Societal- social issues
• Global implications- if your document is meant for a global audience, be mindful of what is acceptable in your document
• Be informative
• Differentiate among levels of detail in a definition
• Parenthetical
• synonyms and clarifying phrases
• Sentence
• more elaboration than a parenthetical
• Includes term, class, and distinguishing features
• Expanded
• longest explanation- ranges from a paragraph to several pages
• Select the right level of detail as your situation requires
• Definitions can be a few words or several pages
• The audience's familiarity with the subject could vary
• Write an expanded definition
• Methods of expansion
• Etymology
• History
• Negation
• Operating Principle
• Analysis of Parts
• Visuals
• Comparison and Contrast
• Required conditions
• Examples
• You can use more than one method
• Expansions might be required for semitechnical or nontechnical readers
• Place definitions effectively in your document
• The best definition is one that is easily accessible with little to no disruption to the reader
• A glossary can also be used if there are several terms that need definitions 

Ch. 18: Résumés and Other Job-Search Materials

• Identify your personal assets as a job applicant
• What skills can you offer to a potential employer?
• Search for a job systematically
• Make a plan
• Focus your search
• Use the internet
• Network with people
• Create an effective print résumé
• Include
• contact information
• career objectives
• education
• work experience
• personal data
• references
• Leave out
• desired salary/ benefits
• photographs
• List relevant experience
• Never lie about your credentials
• Use quality paper
• Always proofread!
• Adapt your print  résumé for scanning, emailing, or posting online
• Today, résumés are often submitted digitally
• Make sure your résumé is scannable
• Use standard print and avoid fancy highlighting
• All text should be flush to the left margin
• Save in "text only" or "rich text" format
• Use keywords
• If online, make sure the résumé can be downloaded quickly
• Write an effective application letter
• Develop a draft of the letter
• Customize each letter
• Never be vague and do not exaggerate
• Be enthusiastic
• Be concise
• Make several drafts before settling
• Prepare a dossier, portfolio, or webfolio
• A dossier contains credentials
• Portfolios and webfolios contain résumés and examples of your work
• Succeed in a job interview
• Don't show up unprepared
• Make a positive first impression
• Know the appropriate length for answers
• Be friendly, attentive, and smile
• Ask intelligent questions

Ch. 17: Workplace Letters

• Know when to correspond by letter instead of memo or email
• Consider audience and purpose
• Letters are appropriate for more formal and personal correspondance
• Identify the standard and optional parts of a standard letter
• Standard Parts
• Heading and date
• Inside address
• Salutation
• Text
• Complimentary Closing
• Signature
• Optional Parts
• Attention Line
• Subject Line
• Typists Notation
• Enclosure Notation
• Distribution Notation
• Postscript
• Follow a conventional letter format
• Letter Format: block or modified block
• Subsequent page headers
• Appreciate the importance of proper tone in any letter
• Establish and maintain a "you" perspective-put the reader first
• Be polite
• Use plain English
• Decide to be direct or indirect
• Understand that letters can have global and ethical implications
• As always: know your audience
• Learn about cultural preferences starting with the salutation
• Beware of controversial topics
• Know how to convey bad or unwelcome news
• Don't procrastinate
• Be considerate
• Be honest in your explanation
• If an apology is necessary, do so immediately
• Write inquiry letters, claim letters, sales letters and adjustment letters
• Inquiry Letters
• Ask questions and request a reply
• Claim Letters
• Complaint letter
• Routine claims- direct approach
• Arguable Claims- indirect approach
• Sales Letters
• Written to persuade
• Adjustment Letters
• Written in response to a claim letter
• Granting-start with good news
• Refusing- use indirect organizational plan

Ch. 16: Email and Instant Messaging

• Identify the components of a workplace email message
• Written workplace communication
• Used to efficiently address as many people as necessary
• Electronic paper trail
• Organize an email message
• Heading: To, From, Date, Subject
• Introduction, body, and conclusion
• Signature block at the end
• Emails are more casual- consider your audience. Emails can easily be forwarded
• Make sure the purpose is strictly work-related
• Write an email using a professional style and tone
• Watch spelling, grammar, and word choice
• Avoid text message abbreviations
• Don't let emails become excessively informal
• Emails are not made for AVOIDING awkward situations
• Some problems are too complicated to solve via email
• Decide if the situation requires an email
• Use basic fonts in black
• Recognize copyright and privacy issues affecting email use
• Copyright Issues
• Email is subject to copyright
• Privacy Issues
• You never know who might receive your e-mail. Don't send personal messages, chain mail, or inappropriate jokes.
• Write an email appropriate for a global audience
• Email can be sent to anyone in the world with an email address
• Avoid humor and slang
• Write short, simple sentences
• Be respectful and not too direct
• Consider other media that may be more appropriate 
• If the situation requires something more personal, make a phone call
• Email is not used for most formal correspondence
• Understand the uses of instant messaging in workplace settings
• Instant messages are a faster medium than email
• Consider your audience
• Schedule an IM conversation ahead of time
• Keep conversations separate and brief
• Maintain professional tone, style, and etiquette

Ch.15: Memos

• Appreciate the vital role of memos in the workplace
• Memos (memorandums) give directives, instruct, relay information, and make requests
• Internal document- distributed within an organization and not to people outside the company
• Picture a typical memo's audience and purpose
• Who will receive this memo?
• What is the purpose?
• E-mails are less formal than a memo and might be ignored in a crowded inbox. 
• Know the parts and format of a standard memo
• Memo or Memorandum is centered at the top of the page
• A left-aligned heading identifies the parties involved, date, and subject
• Distribution notation is located at the bottom- indicates if copies should be sent to anyone not listed in the "To" line
• The body focuses on one topic
• Use a short intro, a paragraph or two, and conclusion
• Consistent formatting is important- memos are meant to be read quickly
• Understand the importance of proper tone in all memos
• What do the recipients want to know?
• Avoid using a hostile, bossy, condescending, aggressive, or differential and passive tone.
• Use an appropriate approach to the subject. Direct vs. Indirect
• Informal, short memos can be sent digitally
• Write various common types of memos
• Transmittal Memo- accompanies a package of materials
• Summary or Follow-up Memo- provides written record of a meeting or conversation
• Routine Miscellaneous Memo- announcements, updates, request information/ action.
  These are more frequently being sent via e-mail 

Ch. 14: Designing and Testing Documents for Usability

• Know how usability testing helps your readers
• Usability testing makes sure the document allows people to do three things:
• locate information they need
• immediately understand information
• use that information safely and successfully
• Understand why a usable design is essential
• A usable design without flaws is essential for safety and/or correct product-use.
• More complicated products require usable documents
• Achieve a usable design
• Analyze the tasks involved, the people using the document, and the setting.
• Who are the readers? Research
• What should this accomplish? Performance Objectives
• Under what conditions will the document be used?
• Create a Design Plan appropriate for the document your are designing
• Write, test, and revise your document
• Draft the document, get someone to read it, and make changes based on what they find confusing. (Simplify the document)
• Edit for technical terms and either define them or replace them with something simpler
• Identify ethical and global issues that affect usability
• Document use is sometimes determined by society- IE: Car seats are usually handed down without a manual- the instructions are now glued on.
• Respect cultural differences in ethics 
• Differentiate usability of print versus online/ multimedia documents
• Online documents
• Used for "doing" things rather than reading long, detailed explanations
• Usually guide readers interactively
• More visual than a printed document (Things can be animated or interactive)
• Flexible organization
• More structure to sections of content