For courses in Technical Communication. This version of Technical Communication has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)*
Comprehensive, user-friendly instruction in workplace writing, technical communication, business writing
Today’s employees are tasked with writing documents such as emails, memos, letters, and informal reports, as well as more complex forms of communications such as formal reports, proposals, web pages, and presentations. Technical Communication, Fourteenth Edition builds upon the authority of the previous editions by clearly guiding students to write documents persuasively, effectively, and with an eye towards technological innovations and global communications. It incorporates the interpersonal, logical, ethical, and cultural demands of these different forms of workplace communications and provides students with the necessary skills to navigate these nuisances. Building on research and writing skills and touching on the importance of ethics, the authors prepare students for technical writing in any field.
* The 8th Edition introduces sweeping changes to the philosophy and details of MLA works cited entries. Responding to the “increasing mobility of texts,” MLA now encourages writers to focus on the process of crafting the citation, beginning with the same questions for any source. These changes, then, align with current best practices in the teaching of writing which privilege inquiry and critical thinking over rote recall and rule-following.
John Lannon is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Writing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he developed the undergraduate major in professional writing and later co-developed the M.A. program in professional writing. He has also taught at Cape Cod Community College, University of Idaho, Southern Vermont College, and University of Strasbourg. He has authored and coauthored five major textbooks in business communication, rhetoric, and technical communication, book reviews, filmstrips, and environmental documents and instructional software. He is the recipient of an NDEA Fellowship and Fulbright Lectureship. He holds a B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His initial training and work was in biomedical science and technology with the USAF. He has served as a communications consultant for various companies and government institutions. He worked seven years in medical laboratories.
Laura J. Gurak is professor and founding chair of the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches courses in technical writing and digital communication. She holds an M.S. in technical communication and a Ph.D. in communication and rhetoric from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is author of two books from Yale University Press, one of which was the first book-length study of online social actions. Gurak is also co-editor of several edited collections and author on numerous conference presentations and papers. She is a recipient of the Society for Technical Communication’s Outstanding Article award. Gurak has authored and coauthored five textbooks in technical communication published by Pearson. She has worked as a software developer, technical writer, and communications consultant for various companies and organizations.
I: COMMUNICATING IN THE WORKPLACE
1. Introduction to Technical Communication
2. Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences
3. Persuading Your Audience
4. Weighing the Ethical Issues
5. Teamwork and Global Considerations
6. An Overview of the Technical Writing Process
II. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
7. Thinking Critically About the Research Process
8. Evaluating and Interpreting Information
9. Summarizing Research Findings and Other Information
III. ORGANIZATION, STYLE, AND VISUAL DESIGN
10. Organizing for Readers
11. Editing for a Professional Style and Tone
12. Designing Visual information
13. Designing Pages and Document
IV. SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS
14. Email and Text Messages
15. Workplace Memos and Letters
16. Resumes and other Job Search Materials
17. Technical Definitions
18. Technical Descriptions, Specifications, and Marketing Materials
19. Instructions and Procedures
20. Informal Reports
21. Formal Analytical Reports
22. Proposals
23. Oral Presentations and Video Conferencing
24. Blogs, Wikis, and Web Pages
25. Social Media
V. RESOURCES FOR TECHNICAL WRITERS
A Quick Guide to Documentation
A Quick Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
Other versions by this Author