Technical writing
The information on a Web site
must be presented so that each chunk of information can stand alone.
When shaping a message on workplace social media,
narrow it to a targeted audience.
External blogs
often include a sign-in feature to allow visitors to receive updates.
When creating a survey,
phrase questions precisely. keep it simple and brief.
A sentence using passive voice
places the recipient of the action in the subject slot.
In choosing the appropriate tone,
show confidence and directness by using the active voice. be consistent.
All of the following are common sources of wordiness except
strong verbs.
Social media directors should have
strong writing skills. an ability to determine complex audience needs in an online environment. digital technology capabilities.
Internal corporate blogs
support employee knowledge sharing.
A large, identifiable group of people is called a ____________________ population, while representatives of that group are called a ____________________.
target population, sample
The table of contents does not need to match the headings structure of your document exactly.
False
The three categories of proposals are informational, progress, and sales.
False
Though your signature is required on a workplace letter, it does not indicate that you approve of the letter's contents.
False
Varying the margins throughout a document creates a unified appearance.
False
Which statement below is most accurate?
Information should be ordered in a logical progression.
A proposal for improving your company's morale, requested by the vice president in charge of personnel, probably would be classified as
a solicited, internal planning proposal.
When writing the proposal,
adopt a confident tone. use active verbs.
A coherent paragraph will have
an accessible line of reasoning.
Avoid all of the following in a proposal except
an inducement for readers to act
Proposals differ from reports in that proposals
answer the question "How should we do it?"
Detailed formal outlines are most useful for
complex documents such as proposals.
Dissertations and medical pamphlets are examples of ____________________ literature.
gray
Identify possible limitations to your proposed solution
in all situations.
Unjustified text
is appropriate for letters and memos.
____________________ text has even right margins.
justified
A conclusion is a good place to
make recommendations. suggest further research.
Bulleted lists are appropriate for
organizing similar items. enumerating a sequence of steps. drawing attention to headings.
Memos
provide appropriate formality for the workplace.
Besides being clear, the proposal plan must be
realistic.
In which of the following scenarios would email be an appropriate way to communicate?
sending a colleague a project update
Which of the following components may be included in a formal proposal?
table of contents references list a letter of transmittal
Paragraphs in a document should
vary in length.
The three types of grid patterns for documents are ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________.
vertical, horizontal, and combined
Any area of a page that is not filled with visual elements, graphics, or text is called ____________________.
white space
Headings take the form of
words. phrases. brief statements. questions.
An example of sexist language is
Dear Sir.
Avoid person-first language for people with disabilities.
False
Commercial sites should never be used as reliable sources of information since they are inherently biased.
False
Decisions may be unethical, but they will rarely cause harm to anyone.
False
Direct observation is the surest way to eliminate bias in research.
False
Emoticons are useful to convey tone in emails to clients.
False
Items in a list need not be written in similar grammatical form.
False
Key words and search phrases should be as general as possible.
False
Nominalizations are easier to understand than verbs.
False
Numbered lists are inappropriate in email.
False
Which of these statements about Web-based research is most accurate?
No single search engine indexes everything on the Web.
As you prepare to look for a job, remember to limit posting your latest personal stories and photos to
None of these answers are correct.
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Adopt a more formal tone when emailing a client.
Sources of conflict in collaborative groups include
All of these answers are correct.
Which of the following statements is least accurate?
All social media sites are used for the same purposes.
Which statement below is least accurate?
Because the company owns all the documents produced, employees cannot possibly plagiarize each other's work.
Effective technical documents
are easy to navigate.
Web-based sources
are more current than hard-copy sources.
When communicating with someone from another culture,
avoid humor.
Components of a well-written email message include a
clear subject line. brief introduction. signature block.
When communicating via text message in a professional context, do all of the following except
drop out of the conversation without alerting other participants.
An ____________________ is a controlled form of observation designed to verify an assumption.
experiment
In an adjustment letter,
offer an incentive if appropriate
Distorting images may help you create a more persuasive document, but doing so is unethical.
True
Ethical decisions are not always "black and white."
True
Ethical questions often revolve around topics related to technology.
True
Hard-copy sources are easier to preserve and keep secure than Web-based sources.
True
Idioms and informal language are not appropriate for international letter recipients.
True
Include sufficient detail in a document to ensure that readers understand the facts.
True
Choose the statement below that is least accurate.
When writing for blogs and wikis, repeat the same information several times to make the point clear.
The "you" perspective in a letter is most appropriate
throughout the letter.
Sources that explore topics at deeper levels include
trade and business publications.
In a claim letter,
use a direct approach for a routine claim.
When posting to a social network that might be viewed by potential employers,
use discretion.
When conducting informational interviews, you should
use open-ended questions instead of closed-ended questions.
To write fluently,
use parallel structure. vary sentence length.
Before preparing a workplace email, consider
which salutation to use. whether a more personal form of communication is needed. whether files should be attached or sent in hard copy.
A ____________________ is a community encyclopedia that allows users to edit the content.
wiki
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
All of these answers are correct. Technical communication helps us interact with technology in our daily lives. Technical communication helps advance workplace goals. Technical communication helps specialists solve complex problems.
Technical communication seeks to
All of these answers are correct. anticipate and answer questions. help people perform a task. persuade people to do something.
A document prepared for an international audience should include visuals that are simple and honest.
True
All documents are at least partly persuasive.
True
Always assume that any email message you send will be read by unintended audiences.
True
Blogs can be sources of relevant and reliable information, but you should check the information against a professionally edited or peer-reviewed source.
True
Combining sentences can help deemphasize some ideas and emphasize others.
True
Inefficient style can be uninformative, unpersuasive, and even unethical.
True
Informational memos are increasingly being sent via email.
True
Letters are preferred for communicating outside an organization.
True
Subject directories are indexes of information that are maintained by computer programs
False
Text messages are more formal than email.
False
Readers do not appreciate a visual hierarchy in a document.
False
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
A 2-inch inside margin is appropriate for a bound document.
Which statement below is least accurate?
A cause-and-effect sequence must always start with an action and progress to the result.
Strings of short, choppy sentences are effective for conveying information in technical documents.
False
Choose the most accurate statement below about reviewing a team document.
Begin with a positive comment before suggesting improvements.
Which of the following sequences is the best approach to designing a usable document?
Determine audience and purpose; conduct a task analysis; design the document.
Which of the following statements about inquiry letters is least accurate?
Do not enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope as doing so is presumptuous.
A collaborative document need not display a consistent style throughout, as if one person wrote the text.
False
A set of instructions usually follows a problem/solution sequence.
False
A specific call to action is not necessary in a proposal, because it is implied.
False
A support paragraph provides transition within a document.
False
A survey is an example of secondary research.
False
Acknowledging contributors to your proposal is not necessary.
False
Always use "Mrs." or "Miss" when identifying a woman.
False
An email "signature" is not legally binding.
False
Avoid using PDF for digital email delivery.
False
Chunking is relevant for print documents but not online documents.
False
Formal proposals should be presented only in email or memo format.
False
In a chronological sequence, a description begins at one location and ends at another.
False
In a letter, the enclosure notation appears at the top of the page.
False
In technical writing, the topic sentence is usually placed at the end of a paragraph.
False
Informal proposals have the same format as formal reports.
False
Inquiry letters are always unsolicited.
False
Justified text is best used for personal documents.
False
Overviews are not appropriate for instructions or user manuals.
False
Page numbers are essential only for documents with more than six pages
False
Readers are confused by a page design that forms a visual hierarchy.
False
Omitting a confidentiality statement from a medical document asking for a patient's medical history
Is unethical.
Choose the situation in which sending a text message is most appropriate.
Let another student know you will be late for a team meeting.
When creating workplace emails
None of these answers are correct. incorporate emoticons for greater connection with your audience. don't worry too much about proper spelling and grammar, since everyone knows how quickly email is written. apply a conversational, informal style. use a vague subject line to draw the recipient into the email.
Acceptable practices in technical communication include
None of these answers are correct. plagiarizing the work of others. exaggerating claims. downplaying information.
When adding headings, be sure to
None of these answers are correct. use no more than two levels of headings. make each higher-level heading yield at least three lower-level headings. avoid using all capital letters.
A document's design affects its usability.
True
Appeal to both logic and emotion in a sales letter.
True
Brochures commonly follow a vertical grid pattern.
True
In some situations, using email for an informal proposal may be appropriate
True
Memos are used to remind readers about events, provide information, and make requests.
True
Once the writing process has begun, a working outline may be modified as needed.
True
Paying attention to "face saving" is key to working across cultures.
True
Proposals have one purpose: to convince your audience to agree to your plan.
True
Research proposals can use technical language appropriate for experts in the field.
True
Sans-serif fonts are less formal than serif font
True
Some short documents may not need headings.
True
The headings of a technical document should always be created first, before the text is written.
True
The logical flow of proposals, regardless of type, should move from problem/situation to solution/resolution.
True
Transitions and connectors help create a sense of coherence in a paragraph.
True
Well-designed documents address a diversity of readers.
True
Your proposal should address any objections to your plan that the audience might have.
True
Which of the following statements is least accurate?
Use very bright colors to draw attention to text.
Taking an ethical stance requires you to
make a personal decision. consider the effects of your decision on others
Technical communication does not include digital media such as blogs and podcasts.
False
The definition of technical communication is any communication that provides complex information for technical experts; it is not intended for broader audiences.
False
The passive voice should always be avoided.
False
Web sites that ask customers for personal information need not link to a privacy policy explaining how the information will be used.
False
Whenever possible, you should preface your assertions with qualifiers.
False
Withholding important information is not an ethical violation.
False
You may edit forwarded emails without the sender's permission.
False
Which of the following statements is least accurate?
I need not be reasonably sure that a document will not have harmful consequences.
Which statement below is most accurate?
Instant messaging is an easy means of holding real-time team meetings.
Some issues are best addressed in a telephone conversation rather than through email.
True
Sometimes the most reliable material resides in less attractive, text-only sites.
True
Technical communication helps us interact with technology in our daily lives.
True
Technical documents are typically written by teams.
True
Use jargon only when you know your audience will understand it.
True
You should respond to workplace emails in a timely manner.
True
The best social media option to use when a situation requires a rapid response is
Twitter.
Which of the following statements about tone is most accurate?
Using "you" and "your" will help a writer connect with readers.
Which of the following statements about organizing a team project is least accurate?
Work without a manager; allow all team members to take charge.
Social media are used by
companies. non-profit organizations. individuals.
Reference works include all of the following except
conference papers.
Thinking critically about research depends on all of the following except
finding a definite answer.
All of the following are elements of style except
grammar.
In standard letter format, the
heading appears above the date.
When preparing a technical document,
provide possible alternatives if needed. respect rights to privacy.
A transmittal memo
provides a paper trail detailing that information has been sent from one place to another.