Technical Writing

Companies hiring technical professionals such as engineers, scientists, and programmers are so focused on technical abilities that they rarely list communication skills among the requirements for employment. T or F

False

Most technical documents are produced by professional technical communicators working alone. T or F

False

Technical communicators are specialists responsible for producing the text of a document while relying on graphic artists, desktop publishers, and Web designers to produce other elements necessary to complete the document. T or F

False

Chapter 1 states that effective technical communication is honest. The chapter then presents three reasons that it is important to be honest when communicating. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons listed in Chapter 1? a. It's the right thing to do. b. If readers bring your dishonesty to the attention of your supervisor, your career may be negatively affected. c. Readers can get hurt if you are dishonest. d. You and your organization could face serious legal charges if you are dishonest.

If readers bring your dishonesty to the attention of your supervisor, your career may be negatively affected.

According to Chapter 1, most technical communication has six characteristics. One characteristic is that technical communication helps readers solve problems. Which of the following statements does Chapter 1 also make about the characteristics of technical communication?

Technical communication reflects an organization's goals and culture.

Chapter 1 identifies correctness as a characteristic of good technical communication. In this context, correctness refers to the proper use of grammar and punctuation to accurately convey the intended meaning. T or F

True

To make it easy for readers to find the information they need, many technical documents are made up of small, independent sections. T or F

True

Which of the following is an example of technical communication? - a memo or an email requesting information or identifying a problem - a Web site describing a product - a set of instructions introducing and explaining a new process or procedure - an oral presentation explaining a new policy to employees - all of the above

all of the above

According to Chapter 1, graphics help the technical writer perform five main functions. One function is to make the document more interesting and appealing to readers. Which of the following is another function listed in Chapter 1? - to communicate with readers who don't have time to read - to communicate with readers accustomed to receiving information in a visual medium, such as television or the Web - to communicate with nonnative speakers

to communicate with nonnative speakers

Chapter 1 states that technical communicators use design features to make their documents more effective by increasing readability. Which of the following is an example of a design feature? -easy-to-understand vocabulary -white space between paragraphs -definitions of key terms -effective topic sentences -all of the above

white space between paragraphs