COM 2223 Midterm Exam

What is an advantage of creating a document collaboratively in a shared workspace rather than working collaboratively on a document via email? A shared workspace ensures that only one person can read a document at a time. A shared workspace will create an archive of all the changes made by all team members. A shared workspace ensures that only one format of a file will be available. A shared workspace will create backup files once per day.

A shared workspace will create an archive of all the changes made by all team members.

Which of the following sentences effectively uses plain language appropriate for business correspondence? Pursuant to our agreement of March 14, I have enclosed a check for the final payment. We wish to advise you that the new contract will be issued next week. As per your request, attached please find the information about the new landscaping equipment. Attached is a copy of the contract for you to sign.

Attached is a copy of the contract for you to sign.

You are writing a report about new regulations that affect your company. Members of your primary audience of company executives are very busy and will read your report quickly, but secondary- and tertiary-audience members are likely to read more slowly and carefully. Which of the following options is most appropriate for your situation? To save time, omit the executive summary and put more details in the body of your report. Follow the patterns of writing that were successful for you in college English and history classes. Include detailed footnotes on each page. Break your report into modules and put highly detailed information in an appendix.

Break your report into modules and put highly detailed information in an appendix.

Chapter 3 discusses six advantages of collaboration. Which of the following is NOT one of those advantages? Collaboration provides a better idea of how the audience will read the document. That is incorrect. See "Advantages and Disadvantages of Collaboration" in Ch. 3. Collaboration improves communication among employees. Collaboration can lead to groupthink. Collaboration draws on a wider knowledge base.

Collaboration can lead to groupthink.

You are writing a research paper on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") on groundwater in your state. Through your research, you have found that a professor at a university in another state, Dr. Thomas Henry Wright, has conducted extensive research on the subject. You decide to write an inquiry letter to ask him some questions. Which salutation is most appropriate for your letter? Dear Dr. Wright: Dear Tom: Dear Thomas Henry Wright: Dear Professor:

Dear Dr. Wright:

Chapter 4 discusses certain variables that lead to differences among cultures. Which of these statements about cultural variables is true? Different organizations within the same culture can vary greatly. An organization's cultural attitudes tend to be static over time. Cultural variables line up in clear, predictable patterns. Each variable represents a small number of attitudes.

Different organizations within the same culture can vary greatly.

According to Chapter 4, if you think your document will have a number of readers, you should consider writing a variety of documents addressed to different kinds of readers.

False

According to Chapter 9, it is inappropriate to use headings in memos.

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

Most technical documents are produced by professional technical communicators working alone.

False

The terms letter and memo are interchangeable.

False

When you are communicating technical information on the job, your audience tends to be the same every time.

False

Your company has completed an audience analysis for the manual you are writing for users of a new accounting system. The manual will be given to the 750 employees in the company's accounting department. Some members of the audience are experienced accountants and others are not; some have MBA degrees and others have bachelor's or associate's degrees; some were recently hired and some are long-term employees; some are managers and some are bookkeepers. How might you best accommodate your audiences? Write the manual to the lowest level of the audience. Prepare an audience profile sheet. Write the manual to the highest level of the audience. Include different sections for the different audiences.

Include different sections for the different audiences.

Which of these guidelines is NOT likely to help your team work effectively and efficiently? Establish procedures for resolving conflict productively. Choose a team leader. Establish a work schedule. Let team members assign themselves tasks.

Let team members assign themselves tasks.

Which of the following statements is true? Memos are a highly formal type of workplace correspondence. Memos are commonly written to people outside your own organization. Memos should not contain content with section headings. Memos are commonly written to people within your own organization.

Memos are commonly written to people within your own organization.

Which of the following is NOT a netiquette guideline? Take a friendly, casual tone. Don't send jokes or other nonbusiness messages. Avoid dispensing harsh criticism. Avoid forwarding a message to online forums without obtaining the writer's permission.

Take a friendly, casual tone.

According to Chapter 1, what is the biggest difference between technical communication and the kinds of writing you do in other college courses? Technical communication has a somewhat different focus on purpose and audience. Technical communication makes greater use of technical vocabulary. Technical communication makes greater use of images and graphics. Technical communication follows different style conventions.

Technical communication has a somewhat different focus on purpose and audience.

Which of the following is likely to cause a team writing collaboratively to produce an inferior document? Team members divide up the workload. Team members act as the audience for the document. The team shares a common goal. The team avoids conflict.

The team avoids conflict.

Systems Software, Inc. is introducing a new piece of sophisticated graphics software. A recently hired writer has been assigned to write the Getting Started manual for the product. Being a novice, the writer first pages through similar manuals written by other graphics software companies to get ideas about how to write the manual. Which of the following statements is true? The writer has violated copyright law. The writer has ignored an express warranty. The writer has taken advantage of the fair-use concept. The writer has done nothing ethically wrong.

The writer has done nothing ethically wrong.

A salutation is a greeting at the beginning of a letter, traditionally consisting of the word "Dear," the reader's courtesy title and last name, and a colon.

True

According to Chapter 3, one advantage of collaboration is that it helps acclimate new employees to an organization.

True

According to Chapter 4, a good way to learn about your readers' preferences is to read documents they have written.

True

An effective technical document must be both concise and comprehensive.

True

Email is usually archived digitally (backed up in some way).

True

Fair-use guidelines apply to graphics just as they do to words.

True

One disadvantage of correspondence clichés is that they can be hard to understand.

True

Technical communication involves knowing where to find trustworthy information.

True

Tweets and Facebook posts can be forms of business correspondence.

True

A project manager is using a word processor to review an electronic file of a document written by a team member, and she does not understand the meaning of a term used in the document. What should the project manager do? Use the comment feature to ask "Will the reader understand this term?" Use the highlighting feature to call the writer's attention to the term. Delete the term using the revision feature. Check the change bar for an explanation.

Use the comment feature to ask "Will the reader understand this term?"

Chapter 1 identifies skills and qualities shared by successful workplace communicators. Which of the following is NOT on this list? ability to analyze information ability to perform research ability to write code ability to speak and write clearly

ability to write code

Which of these is a measure of excellence in technical communication? celerity accuracy plainness terseness

accuracy

What kind of transition would be most helpful to readers of these two sentences? Mr. Polk accomplished each objective he had for his term of office. He did not seek a second term. illustration cause-effect comparison addition

cause-effect

Chapter 1 identifies nine measures of excellence in technical communication. Which pair in the following list might seem contradictory? accessibility and professional appearance conciseness and clarity accuracy and correctness comprehensiveness and conciseness

comprehensiveness and conciseness

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. accuracy conciseness correctness comprehensiveness

conciseness

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. What should you do? nothing Register the work with the appropriate government agency. Include a disclaimer when you insert the materials from the first edition. Rewrite the introductory materials yourself.

nothing

What kinds of words are especially valuable to use in section headings and titles? noun strings precise words transitional words cohesive words

precise words

Which terms below are used in Chapter 4 to describe types of audiences? expert and non-expert primary, secondary, and tertiary internal and external fundamental and supplemental

primary, secondary, and tertiary

Which of these abilities is NOT likely to help you as a workplace communicator? the ability to deflect attention the ability to speak and write clearly the ability to analyze information the ability to perform research

the ability to deflect attention

According to Chapter 9, three elements should appear at the top of the second and subsequent pages of a memo. One is the page number. What are the other two? the date of the memo and the name of the recipient the date of the memo and the subject line the date of the memo and the name of the writer the attention line and the subject line

the date of the memo and the name of the recipient

Chapter 2 lists four factors governing the fair-use exemption, which allows you to use copyrighted material without permission under certain conditions. One factor is the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work. What is another factor? the degree of difficulty you might encounter if you did seek permission to use the copyrighted work whether the copyrighted work was published on the Internet, in which case it can be considered to be in the public domain whether you intended to cause the copyright holder any harm—financial or otherwise—by using the copyrighted material the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work

the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work

Chapter 3 discusses several ethical pitfalls of using social media at work. Which of these is NOT one of them? using social media at work for nonbusiness purposes revealing private or confidential information about people or products using social media to collaborate on work-related projects making defamatory statements about people or organizations

using social media to collaborate on work-related projects

Which phrase best defines the purpose of a workplace document? what you want to accomplish with the document you are producing what you want to display in words or images what you want to document for clarity what you propose to do when you receive permission

what you want to accomplish with the document you are producing

Which two things must you clearly understand in order to communicate successfully? your documentation and measures of excellence your software and your hardware your audience and your purpose your proposal and your audience

your audience and your purpose