Technical Writing Class

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THRESHOLD SKILL

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Entails the beginning of a beneficial skill that eventually leads to success.

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ACTIONS THAT ARE DOCUMENTED IN WRITING

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1. A memo or an email to request information or identify a problem
2. A wiki with instructions on how to carry out a new task.
3. A proposal to persuade management to authorize a project.
4. A report to document a completed project
5. An oral presentation to explain a new policy to employees

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EVERY ORGANIZATION ALSO COMMUNICATES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS USING MATERIALS SUCH AS:

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1. Letters to customers and clients
2. Web sites to describe and sell products
3. Pod casts, videos and posts on social networking sites.
4. Research reports for external organizations.
5. Articles for trade and professional journals

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WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

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Process of finding and using information and sharing meaning.

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FOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Speaking
4. Listening

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ROLES OF A COMMUNICATOR

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1. A writer of a document.
2. A member of a project team.
3. An information source

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6 MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF A TECHNICAL DOCUMENT

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1. Addresses particular readers.
2. Helps readers solve problems.
3. Reflects an organizations goals and culture.
4. Is produced collaboratively.
5. Uses designs to increase readability.
6. Consists of words or images or both.

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8 MEASURES OF EXCELLENCE IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS.

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1. Honesty
2. Clarity
3. Accuracy
4. Comprehensiveness
5. Accessibility
6. Conciseness
7. Professional Appearance
8. Correctness

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WHAT ARE ETHICS

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The study of the principles of conduct that apply to an individual or a group.

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4 MORAL STANDARDS REGARDING ETHICAL DILEMMAS.

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1. Rights
2. Justice
3. Utility
4. Care

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5 ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS

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1. Competence and diligence
2. Generosity
3. Honesty and candor
4. Confidentiality
5. Loyalty

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OBLIGATIONS TO THE PUBLIC

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Every organization that offers products and services are obligate to treat its customer fairly.

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OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT

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Every organization should have a regard to any possible damage to the environment.

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4 DIFFERENT BODIES OF LAWS

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1. Copyright Law
2. Trademark Law
3. Contract Law
4. Liability Law

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STEPS COMPANIES CAN TAKE TO IMPROVE THE ETHICAL CULTURE.

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1. Live up to their commitment to ethical conduct.
2. Supervisors can set good examples.
3. Support those employees who act ethically.
4. Use informal communication to reinforce the formal policies.

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CODE OF CONDUCT

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Focuses on behavior, including such topics as adhering to the law.

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MOST ORGANIZATIONS ADDRESS THE CODE OF CONDUCTS ISSUES AS SUCH

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1. Adhering to local laws and regulations.
2. Avoiding discrimination.
3. Maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.
4. Respecting privacy
5. Avoiding conflicts of interest
6. Protecting the companies intellectual property.

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3 MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE CODE.

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1. It protects the public.
2. It is specific and comprehensive.
3. It is enforceable.

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TO ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER

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1. Who your readers are.
2. What are your readers attitudes and expectations.
3. Why and how the readers will use your document.

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TECHNIQUES FOR GENERATING IDEAS ABOUT YOUR SUBJECT.

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1. Asking questions such as who, what when and where.
2. Brainstorming
3. Free writing
4. Talking with someone
5. Clustering
6. Branching

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STEPS IN WRITING A TECHNICAL DOCUMENT

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1. Organize and outline your document.
2. Selecting an Application, a Design, and a Delivery Method.
3. Devise a Schedule and a Budget.

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TO DRAFT A TECHNICAL DOCUMENT EFFECTIVELY, YOU SHOULD:

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1. Get comfortable
2. Start with the easiest topics
3. Draft quickly
4. Not stop to get more information or revise
5. Try invisible writing
6. Stop in the middle of a section, when you do stop.

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REVISING

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The process of looking again at your draft to see whether it works.

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EDITING

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The process of checking the draft to improve its
grammar, punctuation, style, usage, diction (word choice), and mechanics (such as use of numbers and abbreviations).

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PROOFREADING

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The process of checking to make sure you have typed what you meant to type.

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WHAT IS AN AUDIENCE PROFILE SHEET?

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A form that prompts you to consider various audience
characteristics as you plan your document.

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FOR EACH IMPORTANT READER, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER 6 FACTORS

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1. The reader’s education.
2. The reader’s professional experience.
3. The reader’s job responsibility.
4. The reader’s personal characteristics.
5. The reader’s personal preferences.
6. The reader’s cultural characteristics.

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DESCRIPTION OF 3 CATEGORIES OF READERS

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1. A primary audience.
2. A secondary audience.
3. A tertiary audience.

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ACCORDING TO THE ATTITUDES AND EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT READERS WHAT 3 FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED

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1. Your reader’s attitude toward you.
2. Your reader’s attitude toward the subject.
3. Your reader’s expectations about the document.

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WHAT ARE SOME TECHNIQUES FOR LEARNING ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE.

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1. Determine What You Already Know About Your Audience.
2. Interview People
3. Read about your audience online.

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WHEN COMMUNICATING CROSS CULTURALLY, WHAT CATEGORIES OF CULTURAL VARIABLES EXISTS .

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1. Political
2. Economic
3. Social
4. Religious
5. Educational
6. Technological
7. Linguistics

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EXPLAIN 6 KEY VARIABLES AND HOW THEY ARE REFLECTED IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION AS IT RELATES TO CULTURE.

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1. Focus on individuals or groups
2. Distance between business life and private life
3. Distance between rank
4. Nature of truth
5. Need to spell out details
6. Attitudes towards uncertainty

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CONSIDERING THE CULTURAL VARIABLES, WHAT 4 THINGS SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND

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1. Each variable represents a spectrum of attitudes.
2. The six variables do not line up in a clear pattern.
3. Different organizations within the same culture can vary greatly.
4. An organization’s cultural attitudes are fluid, not static.

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GUIDELINES TO HELP YOU COMMUNICATE MULTICULTURAL MORE EFFECTIVELY.

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1. Limit your vocabulary
2. Keep sentences short.
3. Define abbreviations and acronyms in a glossary.
4. Avoid jargon
5. Avoid idioms and slang.
6. Use the active voice whenever possible.
7. Be careful with graphics
8. Be sure someone from the culture reviews your document