Effective Technical Communication
"Effective Technical Communication - specifically targeting the undergraduate students of engineering, technology and science majors, endeavors to help them develop documents of all kinds they are most likely to write when they begin their profession. Students and academicians, especially in the Indian sub-continent may find this book thoroughly relevant and useful, as it addresses all aspects of professional communication. By helping students of engineering programmes achieve a practical grasp of the foundations of technical communication, forms, and models, we hope to make them effective communicators in their careers. The book will also aid them in smoothly fulfilling the requirements of the engineering programme - understanding the lectures delivered in English, making presentations, and writing assignments, scientific research papers and project reports. As it introduces all essential information on technical communication, including writing definitions, descriptions, instructions, reports, proposals, manuals and oral presentations, this new book will go a long way in reaching its zenith of effectiveness in terms of critical learner-centered pedagogy. "
Table of Content
"1. Technical Communication: Basics 1 Technical Communication: Some definitions............................................................1 Technical Communication - Nature and Purpose....................................................2 Special Features of Technical Communication..........................................................4 The Importance of Technical Communication..........................................................8 Types of Technical Documents Produced by Engineering Professionals..............8 Writing Collaboratively .......................................................................................14 Technical Communication for Specific Audience.............................................15 Model Technical Passages....................................................................................18 Advanced Technical Communication................................................................20 Exercises.........................................................................................................................23 2. Information Design and Development 25 Information Design......................................................................................................25 Why information design matters?.............................................................................26 Information Design: An Overview............................................................................28 Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................xi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................xv A01_Effective Technical Communication_FM.indd 5 21-07-2022 17:03:04 vi Contents Patterns of Organization.............................................................................................28 Strategies for Organization.........................................................................................33 Factors Affecting Information and Document Design...........................................34 Information Management: Stages.............................................................................36 Information Design in Technical Communication..................................................37 Different Kinds of Technical Documents..................................................................38 Role of Information Design in Achieving Usability, Documenting Procedures and Designing..............................................................................................................38 Exercises.........................................................................................................................38 3. Oral Communication 41 Communication Defined............................................................................................41 Functions of Communication.....................................................................................44 Building Communication Competence....................................................................47 Oral communication....................................................................................................50 Importance of Oral Communication.........................................................................51 Types of Communication............................................................................................52 Intrapersonal communication....................................................................................53 Dyadic/Interpersonal Communication....................................................................54 Small Group..................................................................................................................55 Public Communication...............................................................................................56 Types of Public Communication - Oral Presentation and Public Speaking.......58 Planning a Presentation..............................................................................................60 Group Discussion........................................................................................................68 Interview Skills.............................................................................................................72 Tasks ..........................................................................................................................75 A01_Effective Technical Communication_FM.indd 6 21-07-2022 17:03:04 Contents vii 4. Functional Grammar 77 Part I: Basic Grammar.................................................................................................77 Articles....................................................................................................................78 Prepositions...........................................................................................................82 Forms of Tenses.....................................................................................................83 Active and Passive Voice.....................................................................................86 Comparatives........................................................................................................91 Conditional Sentences..........................................................................................93 Conjunctions..........................................................................................................95 Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences......................................................97 Part II: Advanced Grammar.....................................................................................103 Cohesion and Coherence...................................................................................103 Discourse Markers..............................................................................................106 Gender Neutral Language.................................................................................107 Use of Positive Language.................................................................................. 113 5. Academic Writing 119 Understanding Academic Writing Expectations...................................................120 What's Their Problem?..............................................................................................122 The Mechanics of Writing........................................................................................123 Preparing an Outline.................................................................................................133 Organizing One's Writing........................................................................................136 Paragraph Writing.....................................................................................................142 The Essay....................................................................................................................146 Technology and Education.......................................................................................147 Paraphrasing..............................................................................................................150 Task ........................................................................................................................153 A01_Effective Technical Communication_FM.indd 7 21-07-2022 17:03:04 viii Contents 6. Technical Writing 157 Technical Writing.......................................................................................................157 Technical Writing: Some Definitions................................................................157 Technical Writing Today....................................................................................158 Features of Technical Writing............................................................................159 Language Use in Technical Writing..................................................................159 The Writing Process............................................................................................160 The Technical Writer's Skills.............................................................................160 Writing Definitions, Descriptions and Instructions..............................................161 Technical Report Writing..........................................................................................175 Business/Technical Proposals..................................................................................180 Technical Manuals.....................................................................................................189 Scientific Writing ................................................................................................205 Writing a Scientific Paper ..................................................................................207 Exercise 208 7. Business Communication 211 Part I: Business Correspondence............................................................................. 211 Language Used in Business Communication 211 Business Letters 212 Exercise ........................................................................................................................225 Part II: Employment Communication....................................................................231 Writing a Resume................................................................................................231 Cover Letter.........................................................................................................235 Exercise ........................................................................................................................239 A01_Effective Technical Communication_FM.indd 8 21-07-2022 17:03:04 Contents ix 8. Self-Development and Assessment 241 Self-Actualization......................................................................................................241 Self-Assessment.........................................................................................................243 Self-Awareness...........................................................................................................244 Perception and Attitude............................................................................................248 Values and Belief........................................................................................................248 Personal Goal Setting................................................................................................249 Career Planning..........................................................................................................254 Self-Esteem..................................................................................................................255 Managing Time..........................................................................................................257 Personal Memory.......................................................................................................260 Reading Strategies.....................................................................................................261 Taking Notes...............................................................................................................264 Complex Problem Solving........................................................................................265 Creativity.....................................................................................................................268 Task ........................................................................................................................271 9. Engineering and Business Ethics 273 Quotes ........................................................................................................................273 Definitions...................................................................................................................274 Making Ethical Decisions: What's Right and What's Wrong?............................274 Engineering Profession.............................................................................................275 Engineering Ethics.....................................................................................................276 Role and responsibility of an engineer...................................................................276 Business Ethics...........................................................................................................277 Key Characteristics of Business Ethics...................................................................278 Principles of Business Ethics....................................................................................278 A01_Effective Technical Communication_FM.indd 9 21-07-2022 17:03:04 x Contents Four important rules.................................................................................................279 Etiquette......................................................................................................................280 Professional Etiquette................................................................................................281 Email Etiquettes.........................................................................................................282 Telephone Etiquettes.................................................................................................283 Exercises......................................................................................................................284 Work culture in jobs...................................................................................................285 Four Key Components of Work Culture................................................................285 Ethics in Technical Writing.......................................................................................288 Exercise ........................................................................................................................288 10. Micro-Content Writing in Technical Communication 291 Types of Written Contents........................................................................................292 The Importance of Micro Content...........................................................................293 Creative Use of Language.........................................................................................298 Headlines............................................................................................................ 294 Blurbs................................................................................................................... 294 Elevator pitches...................................................................................................295 Twit pitches/Business Pitches......................................................................... 296 Email Subject Line.............................................................................................. 297 Creative Use of Language..................................................................................298 Exercise ........................................................................................................................299 Appendix A: Handbook................................................................................................301 Appendix B: Additional Exercises................................................................................309 Appendix C: Evaluation Pattern..................................................................................325 Credits ........................................................................................................................329 "
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Salient Features
"Effective Technical Communication - specifically targeting the undergraduate students of engineering, technology and science majors, endeavors to help them develop documents of all kinds they are most likely to write when they begin their profession. Students and academicians, especially in the Indian sub-continent may find this book thoroughly relevant and useful, as it addresses all aspects of professional communication. By helping students of engineering programmes achieve a practical grasp of the foundations of technical communication, forms, and models, we hope to make them effective communicators in their careers. The book will also aid them in smoothly fulfilling the requirements of the engineering programme - understanding the lectures delivered in English, making presentations, and writing assignments, scientific research papers and project reports. As it introduces all essential information on technical communication, including writing definitions, descriptions, instructions, reports, proposals, manuals and oral presentations, this new book will go a long way in reaching its zenith of effectiveness in terms of critical learner-centered pedagogy. "
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