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• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three
• Week Four
• Week Five
• Week Six
• Week Seven
• Week Eight
• Week Nine
• Week Ten
  

• P. 5: Various roles of technical communicators; intended to show how widespread technical communication is, both externally and internally.
• Pp. 6-10: The Characteristics of Technical Communication (on homework).
• Pp. 10-13: Measures of Excellence in Technical Communication. Notice why it is necessary for technical writing to be clear, accurate, accessible, and professional in appearance. Note on page 13 why it should also be correct so far as language is concerned: "If your writing is full or errors, readers will wonder if you were similarly careless in gathering, analyzing and presenting the technical information."

• Explanation of the basic categories of readers or audiences on pp. 94-110; the chart on pp. 99-100 is a good summary.
• Basic characteristics of readers are covered on pp. 100-104. Note that this discussion is intended to make you aware of your readers as particular audiences who have particular needs for knowledge in a particular context. Look at the questions on p. 104 as examples.
• Multiculturalism is discussed on pp. 107-110; the point is to see that not only do readers have different interests and understandings of a field, but that they may also be from a culture different from that of the writer; thus, the writer will have to consider cultural and linguistic differences in addition to differences in understanding and need.

• Beginning on p. 106 is a discussion of the reader's broader goals, or needs, such as security; and a discussion of the the constraints under which a writer works, all of which impose limits on what a writer may say and appeals that may be made to the audience.
  
• The use of evidence is discussed beginning on p. 109; because of the belief in the scientific and technical world of the importance of evidence, the correct use of evidence in technical writing is particularly important.  And, it is important to avoid the logical fallacies discussed on pp. 113+ because they will either be deceptive or will make the reader doubt the reasoning ability of the writer.

Chapter 7: Researching Your Subject

• Be sure that you understand the distinction between Primary Research and Secondary Research given on p. 124; know the strengths and weaknesses of each.
• Pages 128-137 give many of the sources of Secondary Information; you will be expected to use these kinds of sources for your own research, including both hardcopy or printed material and electronically available information, including the Internet.
• Be sure you thoroughly understand the information on Paraphrasing (p. 139), Quoting   (p. 141), and Summarizing (p. 142). There is a discussion of these distinctions on the English 303 Web site, listed in the Table of Contents under Information about Documentation and Plagiarism and under Summarizing, Quoting, and Citing Print and Electronic Sources. The information under How to Take Notes: Examples of Note Cards and Source Cards gives examples of correctly done note and bibliography cards.  You will be expected to take your notes as explained on the English 303 web site.
  
• So far as this class is concerned, there are only two ways to handle information from a source: it must either be put in your own words (called paraphrasing and summarizing by the textbook) or quoted, which must be done exactly as it is in the original source. IN BOTH CASES, YOU MUST GIVE THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION.  Giving the sources will be referred to as "documantation."
  
• Page 145 discusses evaluating secondary information, both library information Internet sources.  The Technical Communication web site:   http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm  under the Chapter 7 LInks Library, has several useful links on evalulating internet information.    The following site, listed there, gives good information about evaluating Authorship, Publishing body, Point of view or bias, Referral to other sources, Verifiability, Evaluating Web sites is discussed on this site:  http://ollie.dcccd.edu/library/Module3/mod3main.htm
• Pages 145-149 discusses Primary Research. Pay particular attention to the discussion of Experimentation, on pages 147-148, and on Interviews, on pages 150-151. The material on Experimentation should be read in conjunction with the Internet 303 material on the Scientific Method, listed under The Scientific Method and Logical Analysis and under Induction, Deduction, and Categorical Syllogisms in the Table of Contents.

Chapter 8: Organizing Your Information

• Chapter 8 focuses on organizing information.  Know and be able to define the Basic Patterns of Organizing Information beginning on p. 162.
• Pay particular attention to the Problems-Methods-Solution pattern (p. 175), as you will be using a similar one in this course in the Long Report. The Contrast/Comparison method, described on pp. 167-171 will be used in your first paper (specifically, the "Part by Part" arrangement outlined on p. 170).
• The Cause/Effect section on pp. 178-179 gives a short discussion of causal arguments and logical fallacies. This information should be considered along with the material on mentioned in Chapter 6 on the Scientific Method and Logical Analysis.

Chapter 17:  Writing Proposals

Important terms and concepts:

• External Proposals
• Internal Proposals
• Invitation to (or for) Bid (ITB)
• Request for Proposals (RFP)
• The Structure of Proposals (summarized on the top of page 442, at the left)
• Proposal Format (shown in the sample proposals, beginning on page 452.

The 303 proposal will be an Internal Research Proposal that will follow the format specified on the English 303 web site.

Chapter 13:  Designing the Document

This chapter emphasizes document design for various types of technical communication.

• Page design is thoroughly discussed beginning on page 222298338. Pay particular attention to the terms "chunking" (p. 298), "queuing" (p. 298) (showing levels of importance), page grids, (p. 300), "white space" (p. 300), and columns (p. 303). These concepts and the accompanying discussions give valuable ideas for laying out a text that presents material clearly and accessibly. Some of this information is also discussed on the 303 Web site, under the section Formatting of Technical Writing Papers under Basic Information about Technical Writing in the Table of Contents.
• Pay close attention to the discussion of type faces and sizes, line lengths, line spacing, and text justification as they affect document readability.
• This chapter ends with a discussion of headings on p. 309. The 303 Internet material has a discussion of heading and how they are to be used in this class in Headings and Examples of Levels of Headings listed in the Table of Contents.

Chapter 17: Proposals -- covered under Week Three.

Chapter 13: Designing the Document

• This chapter is is partially covered under Week Three.  Look also at the information about overall page design as it influenced by the audience and the writer's resources.

• In this chapter, pay particular attention to the information on Outlining, beginning on p. 36.  Outline formats are discussed beginning on p. 38.  Your outline will be in the Traditional Outline form and will be a sentence outline  -- each part a whole sentence -- rather than a topic outline.
 
• This chapter also has some good ideas about planning the paper as to analyzing the audience and deciding on the overall purpose of the paper.
  

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Week Five: Chapters 14, 12, 19, and Appendix:  Reference Handbook

Chapter 14: Creating Graphics

Follow the suggestions there and in the English 303 web site concerning graphics.  You are to do your graphics as instructed on the web site, which also gives examples of how you are to place, number, and title graphics.

The following areas of Chapter 14 are important:

• The Benefits of Graphics, beginning on page 320. Along with this discussion of benefits, read over the Internet material on graphics, listed under Graphics, including Propositional Knowledge, Simultaneous and Successive Presentation of Information, and the Three Types of Graphics, with Examples, all listed in the Table of Contents. This discussion is parallel to the text's discussion of using graphics to display relationships and other information more effectively than can be done by text.  This use of graphics is discussed on the English 303 web site, listed in the Table of Contents under the concept of Simultaneous presentation of data in graphics as compared to the Successive presentation of data in worded text.
• Characteristics of an Effective Graphic, beginning on page 321.  Note in particular that Markel says that a graphic should have a distinct purpose, should be clearly labeled, should be placed in an appropriate location, should be introduced in the text, and should be explained in the text. Some of these same points are discussed in the 303 Internet material; the Internet material gives examples of how graphics are to be numbered, labeled, and referred to in your technical writing papers for this course.
• Much of the rest of the chapter is taken up with creating graphics, giving examples of the uses of various graphic types and the use of color. Page 331 has a summary, showing which types of graphics should be used for various technical writing purposes. For instance, a Map, Drawing, Photograph, or a Screen Shot would be used for "Illustrating Visual and Spatial Characteristics." You should be familiar with the various types of graphics so that you will have the largest possible means of presenting information to your reader in the most understandable form.
• The last part of the chapter, beginning on page 354, has a section that goes with the earlier discussion of "Writing for Multicultural Audiences":  "Creating Effective Graphics for Multicultural  Readers."  Note that hand gestures, graphic symbols, and reading patterns differ in different cultures. Graphics are sometimes considered an international language but still have the possibility of being misread or misunderstood.
• If you would like to do further reading in graphics, one of the very best sources is given on page 671, in the References to this chapter:  Edward Tufte's The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, a frequently-cited work in discussions of graphics.

• Beginning on page 269, this chapter lists several sections that will be included in your long report. The chapter gives useful information about these sections, but you are to use the 303 Internet material for specific instructions for these sections as to content and formatting.   Use this textbook chapter for an explanation of the kind of information that goes into these sections.
• Of the sections listed on page 269, your long report will include the Letter of Transmittal, the cover (a hard cover in which the whole paper is placed), the Title Page, a one-page Abstract, a Table of Contents, and a List of Illustrations (or, more likely, a List of Figures).
• The discussion of Abstracts, beginning on page 269, discussed two types: the Informative Abstract and the Descriptive Abstract.  To clearly distinguish them, use the 303 Internet definitions given under Other Terms and Concepts in the Table of Contents for definitions of these two types of Abstracts.  Your Long Report is to include an Informative Abstract.
• Examples of these sections as you are to do them in your long report are included in the material on the Long Report, listed under Long Report Information in the Table of Contents.

• This chapter emphasizes problem solving reports that draw conclusions and make recommendations, as will be done in your Long Report.  Read the section discussing "A Problem-Solving Model for Preparing Formal Reports," beginning on page 486; pay particular attention to the discussion of establishing and using Criteria on pp. 491-494.
• On the chart on page 492, Markel shows a comparison of possible solutions (Options) according to Criteria.  Your Long Report will be comparing Possible Solutions according to criteria that you develop and define.
• Chapter 19 discusses several reports with differing purposes:
 
• Informational Reports (p. 484) emphasizing facts or results;
• Analytical Reports, (p. 484) which analyze information and then present conclusions; and
• Recommendation Reports, (p. 485) which give information, analyze it, and then go on to make recommendations for a certain course of action.
 
Markel than gives two report structures based on these three types: the Problem-Solving Model for Preparing Formal Reports (p. 486) and the Understanding Feasibility Reports (p. 490). If you examine the Guidelines for Preparing Feasibility Reports beginning on page 491, you will see the component parts of your Long Report:
 
• Identify the problem or opportunity (your Problem statement)
• Establish criteria for responding to the problem or opportunity (your Criteria for a Solution)
• Determine the options (your Possible Solutions)
• Study each option according to the criteria (your comparison of Possible Solutions under each Criterion)
• Draw conclusions about each option (your conclusion at the end of each Comparison)
• Formulate recommendations based on the conclusions (your Overall Conclusion and Recommendations)
 
• These sections are then explained and examples are given. Use this information to supplement and clarify the Internet 303 material.

This section of the textbook discusses Documentation of source material, telling what should be documented and giving various documentation styles.  See also the section on this web site telling you how to document your Long Report; this information is given under   Discussion of Researching the Long Report.

• Beginning on page 592 is a discussion of documentation styles, giving a discussion of documentation and examples of APA, CBE, and MLA styles. You will need an entry form to follow for your Bibliography in your Proposal and Long Report; these examples can be used.
• The entry format shown in the MLA "Works Cited" example on page 620 shows how to do individual bibliography entries as to capitalization, undelining (italics) and use of quotation marks for article titles.  Follow those examples, with any changes called for by the nature of the source (such as a web site).  Single space the entries and double space between entries.  All of this is shown in the sample bibliographies includes under the Long Report material on the Table of Contents.
• Be sure you are familiar with the documentation system to be used for your Long Report: the Bibliography will be numbered and those numbers will be used for internal text documentation. As an example, (4:12) would refer to source #4 in your Bibliography and then to page 12 in that source. This system is discussed in the 303 Internet material, listed in the Table of Contents under Information about Documentation and Plagiarism and Sources of Information and Documentation for the Long Report.

Chapter 9:  Drafting and Revising Definitions and Descriptions

Definitions:

• The first section of Chapter 9 gives good advice and examples of definitions; you may find the material on Writing Sentence Definitions on pages 197-198 particularly useful for writing definitions to use in your technical writing material.
• Read also the advice given in the section on Deciding Where to Place the Definition, beginning on page 202. The first place, in the text, is the preferable position for the papers you do in English 303.

The rest of Chapter 9 is devoted to writing Descriptions, beginning on page 204; because you will be writing some kind of description for your second paper and as part of the Final Examination, this information is important. There is also a lengthy discussion of this type of writing in the 303 Internet material, listed under Description of Processes and Instructions in the Table of Contents. Note these areas:

• On page 204, under Processes, Markel says that "Readers of a process description want to understand the process."  However, the reader of Instructions will actually "perform the process."  In other words, the process description should not be addressed to the reader, telling the reader what the reader should do in order to perform the process.
• On page 205, under Analyzing the Writing Situation for Descriptions, Markel differentiates Descriptions of General Process and Descriptions of Specific Processes (Markel calls them general descriptions and particular descriptons): "If you want your reader to understand how a personal computer works, you will write a general description that applies to several varieties of computers. If, however, you want your readers to understand how a specific computer works, you will write a particular description."  This discussion is parallel to the 303 Internet information cited above.  Note that neither a description of a general process nor a description of a specific process is designed to have the reader use them to perform the process; when the reader is being instructed in performing a process, the writing will be a Set of Instructions or a Manual.
  

• According to Markel, instructions (manuals) "are process descriptions written to help the reader perform a specific task -- for instance, ;how to install a water heater in a house" (p. 522).
• Chapter 20 gives a thorough discussion of writing manuals, pointing out the necessity of safety information (p. 523+), a particularly important areas today. Markel then goes into a discussion of Drafting Effective Instructions, beginning on page 526.   Remember that with Process Descriptions, discussed in Chapter 9, the reader does not want to preform the process; but with Instructions, the reader will be performing the process.  Markel gives these general guidelines for step-by-step instructions, beginning on page 528:

• Number the instructions.
• Present the right amount of information in each step.
• Use the imperative mood. [be sure you understand this point]
• Include graphics.
• Do not omit the articles (a, an, the) to save space.  [In other words, don't use  "telegraphic language"]

Chapter 3: Understanding the Writing Process

• Markel gives advice on drafting a paper effectively on page 39.
  
• Pay particular attention to the advice given beginning on page 42 under "Studying the Document by Yourself."  It is important to give yourself as much time as possible between doing a first draft and revising that draft.  You need to "Let it sit," Markel says, "to gain some distance and see it as your readers will."

• Markel goes on to give advice about various kinds of revision; the material on writing effective headings, on writing coherent lists, and on writing coherent paragraphs gives useful advice. You may also find useful the information about achieving coherence within and between paragraphs, beginning on page 227.
• On page 228 is a good list of "Transitional Words and Phrases" that can be used to clarify the relationships between parts of the paper and between ideas.  Use some of the appropriate Transition words and phrases in your papers.
• As you write your final draft, use the guidelines on page 231, Revising the Whole Document for Coherence.

Note these areas in Structuring Effective Sentences:

• Read the Guidelines for Creating Effective Lists, beginning on page 239.  Note in particular the discussion of using a number, letter, of symbol; breaking up long lists; and puctuating the list correctly, using a lead-in sentence.  You will use a list in Instructions, Descriptions of Processes, and the Long Report.
• Also note the discussion of achieving the right level of formality, beginning on page 248. Language must be adjusted to the audience and to the impression the writer wishes to make.
• Beginning on page 248, Markel gives advice about "Choosing the Right Words and Phrases." Note the following areas:

• The use of Active and Passive Voice on page 250;
• The definition of Jargon on page 252;
• Avoiding Cliches and Euphemisms on pages 253-254;
• The list of Wordy and Redundant Phases on page 256;
• The list of Pompous Words on page 255;
• Ways to avoid Sexist Language on pages 257-259; and
• The discussion of Simplified English for Nonnative Speakers beginning on page 259.

Review these chapters for help in drafting and revising the Long Report:

• Chapter 3: Understanding the Writing Process -- Discussed under Week 7
• Chapter 9: Drafting and Revising Definitions and Descriptions -- Discussed under Week 6
• Chapter 12: Drafting and Revising Front and Back Matter -- Discussed under Week 5
• Chapter 19: Writing Formal Reports -- Discussed under Week 5

Chapter 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Chapter 2 defines Ethics as "the study of the principles of conduct that apply to an individual or a group"(p. 17).

After an introduction to Ethics, the text explains Legal Obligations, discussing these areas:

• Copyright law, including "Fair Use." This area is very important to you as a student and as an employee. You may find that as an employee of a company, you will not have as much freedom to incorporate the work of others into your own work as you had as a student; as a student, you were not creating works for profit; as an employee of a commercial company, you would be.
• Trademark law. This area is also one in which care must be exercised; as the textbook points out on page 21,  you cannot 'xerox' anything,  you can only photocopy it.  One must be careful in the use of trade names.
• Contract law. Manual writers need to be careful in giving the warranty limitations of the company, for both expressed and implied warranties.
• Liability law. This area is important for technical communicators; the text points out on page 22 that "Liability is an important concern for communicators because courts frequently rule that manufacturers are responsible for providing adequate operating instructions and warning consumers about the risks of using their products."  In other words, product documentation in the form of instructions and manuals is treated just like any other component of the product itself.
• Professional Codes of Conduct are discussed beginning on page 23 and, as an example, the "Ethical Guidelines for Technical Communicators" from the Society for Technical Communication are included on page 25.
• The chapter ends (p. 26+) with Principles for Ethical Communication, pointing out that the technical communication has potential for the misleading use of language in such areas as Euphemisms, Exaggerations, and Legalistic constructions.

Collaboration in the classroom and in the workplace is presently being emphasized; the textbook gives a thorough discussion of both the advantages and the disadvantages of collaboration on pp. 53-55.   It goes on the discuss Conducting Meetings of groups (pp. 55+), including how to conduct efficient fact-to-face meetings within a collaborative group (p. 60), how to communicate diplomatically (pp. 60-61), considerations for Gender and Collaboration (pp. 66-67), and Collaborating Across Cultures (p. 84).

Chapter 21:  Creating Web Sites

Chapter 21 takes up an area probably already familiar to the technical communication student: Creating Web Sites.  It disusses several topics of importance:

• Understanding the Process of Creating Web Sites (pp. 547+)
• Information about Creating and Coding the Content (p. 550+)
• Launching, Registering, and Maintaining a Web Site (552+)
• Examples of Effective Sites and Pages, with useful Guidelines (pp. 555-561)
• Designing Sites for Readers with Disabilities (p. 561+)
• Designing Sites for Multicultural Audiences (p. 562)
• Ethics, Copyright Law, and the Web (p. 562+) including Guidelines for Creating an Ethical Site.  This area in an increasingly important area.  Be sure to read this material before doing the final documentation for your Long Report;

READ THIS CHAPTER THOROUGHLY; FOCUS ON THE ADVICE AND EXAMPLES IT GIVES ABOUT APPLICATION LETTERS AND RESUMES.

The Chronological Resume:

• Make sure it looks good (p. 397); errors in it or a cluttered or disorganized appearance will reflect poorly on you as to your ability to organize and handle important details. It may also imply that you do not consider this employer important enough to spend time on the resume.
• Length (p. 398); cover the necessary information adequately.  The most important consideration is to fit length to content:  "A resume should be long enough to include all the pertinent information but not so long that it will bore or irritate the reader"(p. 398). As your experience and accomplishments grow, so will your resume.   A two page resume should not be considered to be long.
  
• Content Areas: The following areas need to be covered; Markel gives suggestions about each.
 
• Identifying Information: so you can be contacted.
• Job Objectives: Your objectives so far as this job is concerned.
• Education:
• Basic Information that should be included is your degree, the university granting the degree, the university location, the graduation date, and information about other schools attended.
• Elaborating on Education (p. 400): Markel suggests listing one's grade point average, including a list of courses taken in your major field, describing any special academic accomplishments, and listing any honors or awards received.
• Employment History (p. 401): Include dates, the employing organization's name and location, and your position and title. Provide a two or three line description of what was done in each position. Tell what you did, who you worked with, skills you learned, equipment you learned to operate, responsibilities you had, and personnel you supervised.
• Personal Information: Give information about outside interests that would reflect well on you for the position, such as job-related hobbies and participation in community organizations. And, Markel says, don't include information about activities that might create a negative impression.
• References: On page 403-404, Markel notes that "70 percent of hiring officials want to see the full references, including the name, title, organization, mailing address, and phone number of each referee."  References should include both professors and employers.
• Other Elements that could be included (p. 404): "Computer skills," "Military experience," "Language ability," and "Willingness to relocate" could all be factors in getting a job.

• The Introductory Paragraph identifies your source of information, identifies the position you are interested in, states that you wish to be considered for that position, and forecasts the rest of the letter.
• Note:  Added Introductory Information --   In addition to the introductory information specified by Markel, also include in the introductory paragraph or in a new paragraph to follow it (preceding the education paragraph) some information that will help to individualize your application letter: how you came to be interested in this field, areas in which you would particularly like to work, your goals and aspirations in this field and/or this organization. Use this type of information to individualize the letter so that your application is more than a statistical account of your background.
• The Education Paragraph should focus on courses and activities in your education that help prepare you for the job being applied for. Consider both courses in the major and related courses. Include special projects and extracurricular activities.
• The Employment Paragraph should emphasize skills and activities done in your employment that would serve to make you a good employee for this job. These skills do not have to be major-field skills; one can learn to supervise personnel, handle money, and meet the public in many jobs.
• The Concluding Paragraph should refer to your resume, request an interview, and include  contact information.

Review these Chapters for the Final Examination:

• Chapter 9 - Drafting and Revising Definitions and Descriptions (covered under Week 6)
• Chapter 20 - Writing Instructions and Manuals (covered under Week 6)

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