Practical Strategies for Technical Communication

Part 1 Working in the Technical Communication Environment.- 1: Introduction to Technical Communication What Is Technical Communication? The Challenges of Producing Technical Documents.- Thinking Visually: Characteristics of a Technical Document.- Thinking Visually: Measures of Excellence in Technical Documents Skills and Qualities Shared by Successful Workplace Communicators How Communication Skills and Qualities Affect Your Career A Process for Writing Technical Documents.- Focus on Process: Writing Technical Documents A Look at Three Technical Documents Exercises LearningCurve: Understanding the Technical Communication Environment [LaunchPad] Case 1: Using the Measures of Excellence in Evaluating a Résumé [LaunchPad].- 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Obligations A Brief Introduction to EthicsYour Ethical and Legal Obligations.- Obligations to Your Employer.- Obligations to the Public.- Obligations to the Environment.- Obligations to Copyright Holders.- Guidelines: Determining Fair Use.- Guidelines: Dealing with Copyright Questions.- Ethics Note: Distinguishing Plagiarism from Acceptable Reuse of Information The Role of Corporate Culture in Ethical and Legal Conduct Understanding Ethical and Legal Issues Related to Social Media.- Guidelines: Using Social Media Ethically and Legally.- Document Analysis Activity: Presenting Guidelines for Using Social Media Communicating Ethically Across Cultures.- Communicating with Cultures with Different Ethical Beliefs.- Communicating in Countries with Different Laws.- Thinking Visually: Principles for Ethical Communication Writer's Checklist Exercises LearningCurve: Understanding the Technical Communication Environment [LaunchPad] Case 2: The Ethics of Requiring Students to Subsidize a Plagiarism-Detection Service [LaunchPad].- 3: Writing Collaboratively.- Thinking Visually: Advantages and Disadvantages of Collaboration Managing Projects.- Guidelines: Managing Your Project Conducting Meetings.- Listening Effectively.- Guidelines: Listening Effectively.- Guidelines: Setting Your Team's Agenda.- Ethics Note: Pulling Your Weight on Collaborative Projects.- Conducting Efficient Meetings.- Communicating Diplomatically.- Critiquing a Team Member's Work.- Guidelines: Communicating Diplomatically.- Guidelines: Critiquing a Colleague's Work Using Social Media and Other Electronic Tools in Collaboration.- Word-Processing Tools.- Messaging Technologies.- Document Analysis Activity: Critiquing a Draft Clearly and Diplomatically.- Videoconferencing.- Guidelines: Participating in a Videoconference.- Wikis and Shared Document Workspaces.- Ethics Note: Maintaining a Professional Presence Online Gender and Collaboration Culture and Collaboration Writer's Checklist Exercises LearningCurve: Understanding the Technical Communication Environment [LaunchPad] Case 3: Accommodating a Team Member's Scheduling Problems.- PART 2: Planning and Drafting the Document4: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose Understanding Audience and Purpose Using an Audience Profile Sheet.