Technical Writing

Proposals generally comprise these sections.

- Introduction and qualifications of writers - Current situation and project plan - Cost and benefits

Basic features of documentation include _____.

- a specific and precise title, an introduction, a list of parts, tools, and conditions required - sequentially ordered steps - graphics and safety information - a conclusion - troubleshooting information

_____ is a process of sensing new opportunities, developing new products and services, creating new methods of production, and constructively reorganizing resources in new ways.

Entrepreneurship

"Patchwriting," in which a writer cuts and pastes text from the Internet and then revises it and puts it into a document, is a legitimate way to use research in technical documents.

False

According to Johnson-Sheehan, pictures inserted into a document should be shot inside if possible rather than outside.

False

According to your textbook chapter on "How to Be Persuasive," unrhymed phrases are more convincing than rhymed phrases.

False

Common metaphors can be freely used in technical documents without risk of confusion.

False

Documentation (that is, a set of instructions, procedures, etc.) does not include an introduction, body, and conclusion as other technical documents do.

False

In the _____ stage of teaming, team members will define their mission and objectives and define team members responsibilities.

Forming

"Revising" is often called _____ as it revises the whole document.

Global editing

In the _____ of team work, members find ways to improve the process so the quality of work improves.

Performing

The best style for writing technical descriptions is ____. Select the best answer below.

Plain

_____ is a process of managing technical information in ways that allow people to take action.

Technical communication

According to your textbook, _____ is often the most important factor for determining whether an entrepreneurial opportunity will work.

Timing

According to your textbook, a graphic should reinforce written text, not replace it.

True

According to your textbook, symbols don't always translate exactly the same way across cultures, so when we use symbols in technical documents, we must ensure that they are inoffensive to the specific cultural group that we hope to reach.

True

According to your textbook, tables provide the most efficient way to display data or facts in a small amount of space.

True

All technical. documents are persuasive in some way, even those that are intended to be strictly "informational."

True

Basic features of a technical description or specification include a title, introduction, body, graphics, and conclusions.

True

Documents and presentations can be edited at all four levels.

True

High resolution photographs are usually saved in .tiff or .png files while lower resolution photos are usually saved as .gif and .jpg files, the latter of which are usually fine for print and online documents.

True

In writing a set of instructions, a writer should organize the tasks into major and minor steps.

True

Proposals are documents that present ideas or plans for consideration.

True

Technical definitions sometimes appear in the margin of a document and often appear before the introduction.

True

Technical workplace tend to rely on reasoning-based persuasion and values-based persuasion.

True

The qualifications section of a proposal presents the credentials of your team or company, showing why your team is qualified to carry out the project plan.

True

Following the introduction in a documentation (set of instructions, procedures, etc.), ____ should appear.

a list of items or parts required for completion of the task, a list of tools required for the job, & any special conditions

By consciously developing _____, you will learn how to write more efficiently.

a writing process

Determining how bias might have influenced a researcher is a good way to ____.

appraise sources

In your documents and presentations, you should anticipate various readers' _____.

attitudes, values, and needs

Transcultural communication can be especially challenging when the audience or readers are from a "high-context" culture, which places more emphasis on____.

community than on individuals

_____ can be used to define a subject and highlight places where evidence needs to be found.

concept mapping

Choosing a meeting facilitator is one way your textbook suggests to run effective meetings; however, rotating the facilitator role from meeting to meeting will promote_____.

democratic approach

_____ allows you to generate data that you can analyze statistically to find trends and to observe patterns of behavior that cannot be readily boiled down into numbers.

empirical research

User testing can involve _____.

formal methods to test a document's effectiveness, informal methods to test a document's effectiveness, & sample readers

______ is a method of seeing and describing an issue from your readers' perspective in order to appeal to their sense of values.

framing

Technical writing _____ are helpful for organizing information into patterns that your readers will recognize and understand.

genres

The best proposal designs make use of strategic page layout, graphics, and multimedia to _____.

improve readability

The best proposals use _____ style.

plain & persuasive

A useful workplace writing process includes _____.

planning and researching; organizing and drafting, improving style; designing, and revising and editing

A technical writer's readers will include ____.

primary readers (action takers), secondary readers (advisors), tertiary readers (evaluators), and gatekeepers (supervisors)

A/An ______ is a sketch of your readers' tendencies, abilities, expenses, needs, values, and attitudes.

reader profile

According to your textbook, strategic planning for any type of project, from writing a set of instructions to writing a larger proposal, includes listing your objectives, creating a list of tasks necessary to achieve the objectives, and ____.

setting a timeline

In the _____ stage of teaming, team members strategize for managing inevitable team conflict.

storming

The traits listed below are key characteristics of _____. highly mobile, interactive, and adaptable reader-centered team-oriented highly visual shaped by ethical, legal, and political issues shaped by international and transcultural demands

technical communication

A basic technical definition (a sentence definition) includes which of the following?

the term being defined, the category in which the term belongs, & the distinguishing features that differentiates it from its category

According to your textbook, pie charts should be used sparingly because _____.

they take up a great deal of space

_____ is a process of using electronics, print, and empirical sources to obtain and evaluate your findings and conclusions.

triangulation

Working together with others from a distance is called_____.

virtual teaming

When communicating in the workplace, you should make _____ the focal point of your writing, speaking, and designing.

your readers' needs