Technical Writing Final Review Chapter 1-2
As used in Chapter 1, what does correctness mean?
A correct document adheres to the convention of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage.
What is a technical communicator?
A technical communicator is a person whose main job is to produce documents such as manuals, reports, and websites.
According to Chapter 2, what is a problem with using someone else's material under the fair-use concept?
Fair use is a general concept and not a strict set of rules you can follow with absolute certainty.
Plagiarism is a legal issue and not an ethical issue.
False
Technical communication is carried out primarily by those whose main job is to produce documents such as reports and manuals.
False
Under the concept of work made for hire, anything written on the job by an employee being paid by an organization remains the employee's intellectual property.
False
When you are communicating technical information on the job, your audience tends to be the same every time.
False
Whistle-blowing is defined as talking to your direct supervisor about an issue at your company that worries you.
False
For what reason do most organizations welcome both positive and negative comments on blog posts?
Most organization welcome blog post discussions, both negative and positive, because they feel it generates honest discussions about issues.
Technical communication involves knowing where to find the best information.
True
When exporting goods, U.S. companies can face ethical challenges that they do not face when selling goods in the United States.
True
When you post messages to social media, you lose control over them.
True
Chapter 2 encourages writers to avoid misleading readers. Which of these might mislead a reader?
a statement using a euphemism
According to Chapter 2, ethicists such as Manuel G. Velasquez (2011) argue that whistle-blowing is justified if three conditions are satisfied. One condition is that there is strong evidence that the organization is doing something that is hurting or will hurt other parties. What are the other two conditions? (Select both answers.)
Whistle-blowing is reasonably certain to prevent or stop the wrongdoing. The employee has made a serious but unsuccessful attempt to resolve the problem through internal channels.
Which of these is most likely to help a company's employees act ethically?
a corporate culture that supports and rewards ethical behavior from the top of the organization downward
Chapter 1 identifies skills and qualities shared by successful workplace communicators. Which of the following is NOT on this list?
ability to write code
The engineering firm you work for is submitting a proposal to create an amphitheater at a state park. Proposals must be submitted in three-ring binders. You are in charge of assembling the binders. You decide to put section divider tabs and an index into each proposal binder. Which measure of excellence in technical communication does this decision reflect?
accessibility
Which of these is a measure of excellence in technical communication?
accuracy
Chapter 1 identifies three sets of factors to consider when communicating technical information. Which of the following is on this list?
purpose-related factors
When your state's revenues for the year are 40 percent below estimates, the state legislature cuts education funds by 40 percent but reduces farmers' subsidies by only 20 percent. Which moral standard does this action violate?
justice
Chapter 1 identifies common reasons for creating technical documents. Which reason in the following list is NOT mentioned in the chapter?
to establish common knowledge in the marketplace
Which of these activities is NOT essential as you begin to prepare communicating technical information?
writing
Which two things must you understand clearly in order to communicate successfully?
your audience and your purpose
How is the moral standard of rights different from the moral standard of care?
Rights concern individuals' basic needs and welfare. Care involves our responsibility to other people based on how close we are to them.
Chapter 1 mentions a variety of examples of workplace communication. Name four of them.
Four examples of workplace communication are emails, blogs, reports, and proposals.
Chapter 2 states that you have five obligations to your employer. One obligation is honesty and candor. What are two of the other obligations?
Generosity and Confidentiality are two additional obligations that every employee owes their employer.
What is the challenge in trying to apply the four moral standards from ethicist Manuel G. Velasquez described in Chapter 2?
Sometimes one standard conflicts with another standard. The four standards cannot be applied in a systematic way. The standards are imprecise. All of the answers are correct.
Which of the following statements about false endorsements is true?
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is a resource for those who wish to learn more about what constitutes false advertising.
What are the five steps in the process for writing technical documents described in Chapter 1?
The five steps that consist in the writing process are planning, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.
Chapter 1 lists six defining characteristics of technical documents. One characteristic is that a technical document addresses particular readers. What are three other characteristics mentioned in the chapter?
Three additional characteristics of technical documentation include helping readers solve problems, reflecting the organization's goals and culture, and using design to increase readability.
The standard of utility is concerned with which of the following?
the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has, will have, or might have on others
As used in Chapter 1, what does accessibility mean?
Accessibility in Chapter 1 refers to making all parts of the document easy to locate.
When creating a technical document, you often have to make compromises. Which of these is an example of a compromise related to technical communication?
You would prefer to create separate instruction sheets in English and Spanish, but you create one sheet giving instructions in both languages to save on printing costs.
Which of these is a document-related factor you must consider when communicating on the job?
All responses are correct. the type of document you need to produce the level of formality required in the final product the amount of time you have to complete the document
According to Chapter 2, what do court rulings in lawsuits about consumer products tend to reinforce?
Companies know more about their products than consumers do, so companies have a responsibility to make products that are safe and effective.
Chapter 1 cites three reasons for ensuring that technical communication is honest. The first is that being honest is the right thing to do. What is one other reason?
Dishonesty in any form of technical communication can cause the reader to get hurt. This has the potential to lead into legal repercussions.
According to the principle of the moral minimum, it is permissible for companies to passively reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information if the audience to which the product is being sold practices that discrimination.
False
Companies hiring technical professionals such as engineers, scientists, and programmers focus primarily on the technical abilities of the candidates they consider for employment.
False
Chapter 1 identifies six characteristics of a technical document. Which of these is one of those characteristics?
It reflects the goals and culture of the organization that produced it.
Chapter 2 states that plagiarism is an ethical issue, not a legal issue. Why isn't plagiarism a legal issue?
Plagiarism is not a legal issue because according to the fair use law you have the right to use material, without getting permission, for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.
What term is used to describe the act of publishing a document you have already published elsewhere
Self-plagiarism is the term is used to describe the act of publishing a document you have already published elsewhere.
According to Chapter 1, most technical communication has six characteristics. One characteristic is that technical communication helps readers solve problems. Which of the following is another characteristic of technical communication?
Technical communication reflects an organization's goals and culture.
According to Chapter 2, what is the potential downside to whistle-blowing?
The potential downside to whistle-blowing is that it may hurt the employee, his or her family, and other parties.
The standard of utility is concerned with what?
The standard of utility is concerned with the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has, will have, or might have on others.
Chapter 1 lists eight measures of excellence in technical documents. For example, an excellent technical document is honest. What are three other measures of excellence?
Three measures of excellence within a technical document are clarity, accessibility, and comprehensiveness.
Chapter 1 identifies correctness as a characteristic of good technical communication. In this context, correctness refers to the proper use of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage to accurately convey the intended meaning.
True
Fair use is best described as a set of general guidelines on ways to use small parts of someone else's copyrighted material for purposes such as commentary, criticism, and research.
True
Generosity and honesty are characteristics of effective technical communicators.
True
To be effective, a code of conduct must stipulate penalties.
True
To make it easy for readers to find the information they need, many technical documents are made up of small, independent sections.
True
Chapter 1 identifies eight measures of excellence in technical communication. Which pair in the following list might seem contradictory?
comprehensiveness and conciseness
Which of these is a quality shown by a successful workplace communicator?
displaying emotional intelligence
Which quality in the list below is evident in the revised version of the following paragraph? Original: During our monthly meeting last month, we all came to the conclusion that overtime procedures are inadequate and that new procedures need to be initiated. I discussed this problem with our chief accountant, who was sympathetic and agreed to consider any changes we would like to make to the present procedures. Please bring your suggested changes to this month's departmental meeting scheduled for 2:30 P.M. next Wednesday afternoon. Revision: During last month's meeting, we concluded that our overtime procedures need revision. Our chief accountant has agreed to consider any changes we would like to make to the present procedures. Please bring your suggested changes to this month's departmental meeting scheduled for 2:30 P.M. next Wednesday.
conciseness
Chapter 1 defines technical communication as a process encompassing which of the following?
documentation and analysis
Chapter 2 identifies groups to whom employees have ethical obligations. Which of these obligations is NOT among those identified in the chapter?
obligations to law enforcement officials
According to Chapter 2, which of these topics is NOT likely to be covered in a typical company's code of conduct?
protecting employees from consequences of their behavior
Which of these abilities is NOT likely to help you as a workplace communicator?
the ability to deflect attention
What is the main purpose behind copyright law?
to allow those who create intellectual property (such as stories, films, and music) to control how it is copied
Chapter 1 states that technical communicators use design to increase readability and make their documents more effective. Which of the following is an example of a design feature?
typography
In one state, West County and East County share a border. The state capital is in East County. Many residents of West County (almost half of all adults in the county) commute to East County for work. East County has high levels of air pollution, and residents there must get their car exhaust systems tested every two years. Although West County has less air pollution than East, the pollution levels in West are rising. The state's Department of Environmental Regulation orders that residents of West County must now get their car exhaust systems tested every two years as well. What moral standard best explains this decision by the Department of Environmental Regulation?
utility
For most employers, communication skills are less important than technical knowledge.
False
Which statement best explains how company branding is related to technical communication?
Branding is concerned with the image that a company presents to the world, and that image includes its documents.
What is the difference between libel and slander?
Libel involves printed statements, while slander involves spoken statements (including in-person statements and recorded statements in audio or video).
Chapter 2 describes the work-made-for-hire concept. If you sign a work-made-for-hire agreement to write an environmental-assessment report for XYZ Corporation, who owns that report?
Once you sign the work-made-for-hire agreement, XYZ Corporation owns the document that you created for them.
An effective code of conduct has three characteristics. One is that it protects the public rather than members of the organization or profession. What is one other characteristic of an effective code of conduct?
Another characteristic of an effective code of conduct is it is specific and comprehensive.
Most technical documents are produced by professional technical communicators working alone.
False
Only professionals with management responsibilities have ethical responsibilities to the environment.
False
The practice of trimming involves providing data on studies that have not been conducted.
False
Chapter 1 states that effective technical communication is honest. The chapter then presents three reasons it is important to be honest when communicating. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons listed in Chapter 1?
If readers bring your dishonesty to the attention of your supervisor, your career may be negatively affected.
Why is it a good idea to keep your private social-media accounts separate from your company-sponsored accounts?
It is important to keep private and company social-media accounts separate because the company owns your account through them. If for any reason you are fired or removed from the account, you may run into an issue over who owns the rights for the account or the contacts on it.
You are writing the second edition of a user manual to be included with software sold to the general public. You want to reuse a portion of the introductory materials from the first edition but cannot determine who wrote that section or what the contractual conditions were. You know that your company has customarily required that freelance writers sign work-made-for-hire agreements. What should you do?
Rewrite the introductory materials yourself.
According to Chapter 2, using social media ethically entails avoiding false endorsements. What are three other guidelines for the ethical use of social media?
Three additional guidelines for the ethical use of social media include; keeping your private social-media accounts separate from your company-sponsored accounts. Reading the terms of service of every service to which you post. Also, not revealing unauthorized news about your own company.
Which of the following is NOT a guideline for using social media ethically and legally, according to Chapter 2?
Work efficiently by repurposing pieces of content you wrote for other workplace documents.
Chapter 2 identifies an employee's obligations to the employer. Which two of those obligations have the most to do with people outside of the company or organization? (Select both answers.)
candor confidentiality
Susan was assigned to analyze the process her company uses to write proposals. She worked on her report for more than a month. Stacy in the marketing department and John in the finance department gave Susan a lot of information and had several meetings with her. Susan placed an acknowledgments section in her report, where she thanked Stacy and John. What moral standard best explains Susan's decision to provide acknowledgments?
care
Which of the four moral standards discussed in Chapter 2 concerns obligations—things owed to someone or to which someone is entitled?
care
According to Chapter 1, people who are good at communicating in the workplace possess four skills, including the abilities to speak and write clearly, solve problems, and analyze information. Which of the following is the fourth skill?
the ability to perform research
Social-media posts such as tweets can be examples of technical documents.
False
Your company, Acme Co., is sponsoring a three-hour field day for children at a local park, featuring games, sports, and snacks. Parents must sign up their children online. Your company wants to take pictures of children at the event, but it needs parents' permission. Which option below best describes an ethical way to get parents' permission?
Place a checkbox on the top of the online form, in emphasized type, that reads "I agree to allow Acme Co. to take pictures of my child or children to record and promote field-day activities." Design the form so that this checkbox is not checked when the parent gets to that page.
Why is the ability to prioritize and respond quickly more valuable in the contemporary workplace than ever before?
Prioritizing and responding quickly is especially important today because of the internet and social media. People can post and respond to things at any time of day, so employees must be able to respond quickly.
