Technical Communication Today, 5th Edition

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T echnical Communication Today was written for introduction to technical communication or technical writing courses taught most often in English Departments.

Technical Communication Today remains the only text to fully centralize the computer in the technical workplace, presenting how writers use computers throughout their communication process.

Writers use their computers to help them think, research, compose, design, and edit. Not only is Technical Communication Today firmly rooted in core rhetorical principles, but the text also presents computers as thinking tools that powerfully influence how we develop, produce, design, and deliver technical documents and presentations.

Technical Communication Today  speaks to today’s students and how they expect to learn information. Instructional narrative is “chunked,” so that readable portions of text are combined with graphics. This presentation facilitate learning, and models the way today’s technical documents should be designed. Additionally, the chunked presentation integrates an awareness of how documents are read—often “raided” by readers seeking the information they need.  By mirroring these processes in its content and structure, Technical Communication Today offers readers a higher level of accessibility.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Elements of Technical Communication
CHAPTER 1 Communicating in the Technical Workplace
CHAPTER 2 Communicating in a Reader-Focused Way
CHAPTER 3 Working in Teams
CHAPTER 4 Managing Ethical Challenges

Part 2: Genres of Technical Communication
CHAPTER 5 Letters, Memos, and E-Mail chapter
CHAPTER 6 Technical Descriptions and Specifications
CHAPTER 7 Instructions and Documentation
CHAPTER 8 Proposals
CHAPTER 9 Activity Reports
CHAPTER 10 Analytical Reports
CHAPTER 11 Starting Your Career

Part 3: Planning and Doing Research
CHAPTER 12 Strategic Planning, Being Creative
CHAPTER 13 Persuading Others
CHAPTER 14 Researching in Technical Workplaces

Part 4: Drafting, Designing, and Revising
CHAPTER 15 Organizing and Drafting
CHAPTER 16 Using Plain and Persuasive Style
CHAPTER 17 Designing Documents and Interfaces
CHAPTER 18 Creating and Using Graphics
CHAPTER 19 Revising and Editing for Usability

Part 5: Connecting with Clients
CHAPTER 20 Preparing and Giving Presentations chapter
CHAPTER 21 Writing for the Web

Appendix A: Grammar and Punctuation Guide
Appendix B: English as a Second Language Guide
Appendix C: Documentation Guide