Technical Writing Final ch.1-5- Ellis Lau

Chapter 1 describes six characteristics of a successful technical document. Here are four of the characteristics listed: 1) it addresses particular readers, 2) it helps readers solve problems, 3) it reflects the organization's goals and culture, and 4) it is produced collaboratively. What is one of the two remaining characteristics of a successful technical communication document?

It uses design to increase readability by being attractive and easy to use.

Which of the following is * not * one of the four examples of misleading technical communication described by Chapter 2? Select only one answer. A. Exaggerations

Lying by omission

Which of these statements about working with someone from another culture is true?

A topic of discussion that is common in one culture might be considered highly personal in another culture.

A writer is commenting on a first draft of a technical report written by another team member. Which of the following comments is most appropriate?

"Section 3 does a great job of making a case for the importance of our usability testing. Perhaps we should also include a graph showing a decrease in customer-service calls since we started testing. We may also want to add a section on user feedback."

How many "basic modes of communication" are listed in Chapter 1 and what are they?

4 modes - writing, speaking, listening, and reading

According to Chapter 2, what steps should a company take to improve its ethical culture? (Select all that apply. Each correct answer must be selected in order for you to receive credit for this question.)

-the organization's leadership, supervisors, and peers can set good examples to act ethically. -The organization can create a code of conduct that is - among other things - specific, comprehensive, and enforceable.

Chapter 5 suggests that you consider five other individual characteristics of readers in addition to education. Which two of the following characteristics does the chapter suggest you consider? (Select both answers; no partial credit will be awarded.)

-the reader's job responsibility -the reader's professional experience

Why is it important to plan your document before you start drafting it?

A. Planning can make your final document more effective at fulfilling its purpose. B. Planning can help you select an appropriate application (the type of document), design, and delivery method. C. All responses are correct. D. Planning can make the writing process more efficient. Answer: C

Why should you use an audience profile sheet for a writing project?

All responses are correct.

In the section of Chapter 4 called "Setting Your Team's Agenda," which of the following is not a suggestion for helping your team work effectively and efficiently?

Appoint yourself leader beforehand to save time during the meeting.

Chapter 4 offers seven suggestions for communicating diplomatically. Which of these is a suggestion from the chapter?

Ask pertinent questions.

In the section of Chapter 1 called "The Challenges of Producing Technical Communication," the author of our textbook describes multiple sets of factors that good communicators must consider. What are some of these factors that are specifically named in this section of the chapter?

Audience, purpose, and document related factors.

You are writing a report about new regulations that affect your company. Your primary audience of company executives is 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?

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

Chapter 4 lists and describes several disadvantages of collaboration. Which of the following is not one of the disadvantages described in Chapter 4?

Collaboration can lead to plagiarism from outside sources.

Chapter 4 lists and describes several advantages of collaboration. Which of the following is not an advantage described in Chapter 4?

Collaboration helps certain employees prove they are the best leaders.

Chapter 1 lists several "Measures of Excellence" for technical documents. Some of these measures are are honesty, clarity, and accuracy. What is another measure of excellence described in this section of Chapter 1?

Comprehensiveness, which means the document includes background, sufficient detail, and supporting materials (perhaps provided as attachments).

According to Chapter 5, what should you do once you have analyzed your audience and purpose?

Consider getting management's approval

Styles are preformatted designs for different kinds of documents, such as letters, memos, newsletters, and reports.

False

When facing the challenges of producing technical communication documents, Chapter 1 asks you to consider factors such as audience, purpose, setting, document, and process-related factors. One example of a setting-related factor mentioned in this part of the chapter describes the issue of what hardware or software a technical writer has access to in his or her workplace. For instance, does the technical writer's employer own a color printer for in-house production of documents? Or will an outside printing service need to be arranged?

False

According to several reports cited in Chapter 1, employers hiring new employees focus primarily on candidates' field-based knowledge.

False - Candidates' communication skills are actually more important to employers than candidates' field-based knowledge.

The section of Chapter 3 called "Seeking Help From Others," recommends that technical writers seek help from two kinds of people: subject matter experts (SMEs) and actual and/or prospective users of the document. Four techniques are offered for how technical writers can learn from SMEs and actual and prospective users. Which of the following techniques does not appear in this section?

Hire a research consultant to both survey prospective users' and revise the document according to their feedback.

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?

Include different sections for the different audiences.

What does the symbol ® indicate about a word, phrase, or symbol?

It has been registered for trademark protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

In the section of Chapter 4 called "Listening Effectively," which of the following is not a suggestion for improving your effectiveness as a listener?

Record the speaker so you can listen to them again later.

In the section of Chapter 4 called "Guidelines: Managing Your Project," which of the following is not a suggestion for keeping your project on track?

Report ineffective team members to a supervisor.

Which of the following mistakes did McDonald's make when it printed takeout bags decorated with flags from around the world?

The bags showed a Saudi flag, which depicts holy scripture from the Koran. The Saudis were offended because these bags would be thrown out.

According to Chapter 2, ethicists such as Manuel 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 is another condition?

The employee has made an unsuccessful attempt to resolve the problem through internal channels.

Which of the following is likely to cause a team writing collaboratively to produce an inferior document?

The team engages in groupthink.

Chapter 2 discusses ethicist Thomas Donaldson's concept of a "moral minimum," which describes the idea that companies working in cross-cultural situations are "ethically obligated not to reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information," though they "are not obligated to challenge the prevailing prejudice directly."

True

Some college students may wonder how likely it is that their future employer will have a formal social media policy by which they will need to abide. Chapter 2 explains that, according to a survey of more than a hundred companies, more than two thirds of employers have social-media policies.

True

The section of Chapter 1 called "Skills and Qualities Shared by Successful Workplace Communicators," offers you several guidelines for communicating professionally. Some of these guidelines are to be honest and self-disciplined. Another guideline mentioned here involves being able to read body language and facial expressions.

True

in the section of Chapter 2 called "Using Social Media Ethically and Legally," several guidelines are offered. One of those guidelines is that you should avoid revealing unauthorized news about your own company. This section includes the following information: "A company that wishes to apply for a patent for one of its products or processes has, according to the law, only one year to do so after the product or process is first mentioned or illustrated in a 'printed publication.' Because courts have found that a photo on Facebook or a blog or even a tweet is equivalent to a printed publication (Bettinger, 2010), you could inadvertently start the clock ticking. Even worse, some other company could use the information to apply for a patent for the product or process that your company is developing."

True

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 one job at another job.

How do you respond to a reader who is hostile to your subject or to your approach to it?

You could organize the document so that your recommendation follows your explanation of the benefits, in order for the reader to understand your argument rather than rejecting it out of hand.

According to Chapter 5, which approach is best when writing for multiple audiences?

a modular approach

Which of the following are examples of technical communication described in Chapter 1?

a scientific journal article B. an infographic C. all of these answers are correct D. a press release answer: C

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

Which of the following is not a technique for generating ideas about your topic, according to Chapter 3?

considering the four innovators steps

A team of writers is just beginning a new documentation project. The client for the team's last project complained that the completed document kept switching from active to passive voice and that the design of the headings was not visually consistent. Which of the following is the team's best approach to avoiding such problems on the current project?

create a style sheet

Chapter 3 defines a "living document" as one that exists only as long as its writer who created it works at that company or organization. When the writer leaves the company or organization, the document becomes a "dead document."

false

According to Chapter 3, how much time can someone expect to spend planning a writing project?

more than one-third of the total time spent on the writing project

Which word best describes the process of writing technical documents?

nonlinear

According to an "Ethics Note" in Chapter 3, it is completely ethical to ask subject matter experts (SMEs) and people who are similar to the intended audience of your document to critique a draft of it.Which of the following information is also discussed in this section of Chapter 3?

ou are ethically obligated to acknowledge the SME's contributions, particularly if they offer detailed comments or suggestions on the draft or send you a multi-page review - and if you use some or many of their ideas. Chapter 3 notes, for example, that you can do this in the introduction of the document they critiqued or you can send them a memo of appreciation that they can use for a future performance evaluation.

Chapter 5 identifies seven categories of cultural variables "on the surface." One category is political. Which of these is NOT a category of surface cultural variables?

philosophical

Which of these best describes the process of revising a document?

reexamining your draft to see if it serves your audience, purpose, and your subject

Which of the following techniques is not included in a list of techniques in the section of Chapter 3 called "Drafting Effectively"?

source ideas from research resources

Which term below is used in Chapter 5 to describe a type of audience?

tertiary

According to Chapter 1, people who are good at communicating in the workplace possess multiple skills -- or abilities -- including the abilities to speak and write clearly and analyze information. Which of the following is another ability mentioned in this section of the chapter?

the ability to perform as a researcher

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

Chapter 2 lists four areas of law relevant to ethical issues in technical communication. One is copyright law. What is one other area of law discussed?

trademark law