Table of Contents

Every chapter includes “Chapter Objectives,” “Chapter Review,” “Exercises and Projects,” as well as an “At Work” box, “At a Glance,” “Go to the Net,” “Take Note,” and “Links” features.

Preface.

I. USING COMPUTERS IN THE TECHNICAL WORKPLACE.

1. Communicating in the Workplace.
How Important Is Technical Communication?What Is Technical Communication?Technical Communication: Actions, Words, Images.Help: E-Literacy and Overcoming Cyberphobia.Your Career and Technical Communication.2. The Technical Writing Process Today.
Technical Writing Today.Phase 1: Preparing and Researching.Phase 2: Organizing and Drafting.Help: Your Computer and Writers Block.Phase 3: Improving Style.Phase 4: Designing Documents.Phase 5: Revising and Editing.Developing Your Own Writing Process.Case Study: The Procrastinator.3. Readers and Their Contexts of Use.
Profiling Your Readers.Help: Profiling Readers with Search Engines.Understanding the Readers Contexts of Use.Using Your Reader and Context Analyses.International and Cross-Cultural Communication.Case Study: Installing a Medical Waste Incinerator.4. Ethics in the Technical Workplace.
What Are Ethics?Where Do Ethics Come From?Help: Copyright Law in Technical Communication.Resolving Ethical Dilemmas.Ethics in the Technical Workplace.Case Study: The Chemical Spill.

II. THE WRITING PROCESS IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

5. Researching and Managing Information.
Beginning Your Research.Developing a Research Methodology.Triangulating Materials.Managing Information and Taking Notes.Help: Avoiding Junk Science on the Internet.Appraising Your Information.Avoiding Plagiarism.Case Study: Bye Bye Birdies.6. Organizing and Drafting.
Basic Organization for Any Document.Using Genres to Organize Information.Outlining the Document.Help: Organizing with Presentation Software.Organizing and Drafting an Introduction.Organizing and Drafting the Body.Organizing and Drafting Conclusions.Case Study: The Bad News.7. Using Plain and Persuasive Style.
What Is Style?Writing Plain Sentences.Help: Using Computers to Create Plain Sentences.When Is It Appropriate to Use Passive Voice?Persuasive Style.Case Study: Going Over the Top.8. Designing Documents and Interfaces.
Five Principles of Design.Design Principle 1: Balance.Design Principle 2: Alignment.Design Principle 3: Grouping.Design Principle 4: Consistency.Help: Using Styles and Templates.Design Principle 5: Contrast.Using the Five Principles of Design.Case Study: The Design Is Not OK.9. Creating and Using Graphics.
Guidelines for Using Graphics.Using Graphs, Tables, and Charts.Help: Making Visuals with a Spreadsheet Program.Using Pictures and Drawings.Using Video and Audio.Case Study: The Illusion.10. Revising and Editing.
Levels of Edit.Revision: Level 1 Editing.Substantive Editing: Level 2 Editing.Copyediting: Level 3 Editing.Proofreading: Level 4 Editing.Using Copyediting Symbols.Help: On-Line Copyediting.Document Cycling and Usability Testing.Case Study: Just My (Bad) Style.11. Preparing and Giving a Presentation.
Planning and Researching Your Presentation.Organizing the Content of Your Presentation.Help: Surfing the Net for Grabbers.Choosing the Appropriate Presentation Style.Creating Visuals.Delivering the Presentation.Practice and Rehearsal.Case Study: The Coward.

III. WORKING THROUGH THE INTERNET.

12. Using E-mail and Instant Messaging.
What Is E-mail?Basic Features of Email.Managing E-mail.E-mail Netiquette.Help: Using Mailing Lists (Listservs).What Is Instant Messaging?Case Study: Exposed.13. Working in Teams.
The Stages of Teaming.Forming: Strategic Planning.Storming: Managing Conflict.Help: Virtual Teaming.Norming: Determining Team Roles.Performing: Improving Quality.The Keys to Virtual Teaming.Case Study: Not a Sunny Day.14. Designing Websites.
Basic Features of Websites.Planning and Researching a Website.Drafting and Organizing Your Website.Help: Using Web Authoring Software.Using Style in Websites.Designing the Website.Revising, Editing, and Proofreading.Case Study: Invasion of Privacy.15. Starting Your Career.
Setting Goals, Making a Plan.Preparing a Resume.Help: Designing a Scannable/Searchable Resume.Writing Application Letters.Creating a Professional Portfolio.Interviewing Strategies.Case Study: The Lie.

IV. GENRES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION.

16. Letters and Memos.
Basic Features of Letters and Memos.Planning and Researching Your Letter or Memo.Drafting and Organizing the Message.Choosing an Appropriate Style.Designing Letters and Memos.Help: Making Letter and Memo Templates.Revising and Proofreading.Case Study: The NastyGram.17. Technical Definitions.
Basic Features of Technical Definitions.Planning and Researching Your Definition.Organizing and Drafting Technical Definitions.Help: Using the On-Line Oxford English Dictionary.Revising and Editing.Case Study: Bones of Contention.18. Technical Descriptions and Specifications.
Basic Features of a Technical Description.Planning and Researching Your Description.Partitioning the Subject.Organizing and Drafting the Description.Using Style in Descriptions.Designing the Description.Help: Using Digital Photography in Descriptions.Revising and Editing.Case Study: Memories.19. Instructions and Procedures.
Basic Features of Instructions.Planning and Researching Your Instructions.Organizing and Drafting Instructions.Help: On-Line and Multimedia Documentation.Style in Documentation.Designing the Documentation.Revising, Editing, and Proofreading.Case Study: The Flame.20. Proposals.
Basic Features of a Proposal.Planning and Researching Your Proposal.Help: Reading a Request for Proposals (RFP).Organizing and Drafting Your Proposal.Developing Your Proposals Style.Designing the Proposal.Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Your Proposal.Case Study: The Mole.21. Activity Reports and Briefings.
Basic Features of Activity Reports and Briefings.Planning and Researching Your Activity Report.Drafting and Organizing Activity Reports.Help: Making and Using PDFs.Style and Design in Activity Reports and Briefings.Editing and Proofreading.Case Study: Bad Chemistry.22. Analytical Reports.
Basic Features of Reports.Planning and Researching Your Analytical Report.Researching the Content of the Report.Drafting and Organizing Your Report.Help: Virtual Teaming on Reports.Drafting Front Matter and Back Matter.Choosing Your Reports Style.Designing Reports.Revising and Editing Reports.Case Study: The X-File.23. Writing Articles for the Media.
Basic Features of an Article.Planning and Researching Your Article.Researching the Content of the Article.Drafting and Organizing the Article.Developing Your Articles Style.Help: Blogging.Designing the Article.Revising, Editing, and Proofreading the Article.Case Study: The Misogynist.Style, Usage, and Grammar Handbook.
Punctuation and Grammar Guide.Punctuation Refresher.The Dirty Dozen Grammar Mistakes.Citing and Documenting Your Sources.APA Documentation Style.CBE Documentation Style (Citation-Sequence).MLA Documentation Style.English as a Second Language Guide.Using Articles Properly.Putting Adjectives and Adverbs in the Correct Order.Using Verb Tenses Appropriately.

Promotional Information

Rhetorical Strategies for a Changing World is the first text to incorporate the use of computers into every aspect of technical communication. The text reflects how students, as well as technical communication professionals, actually draft, design, and write documents, how individuals collaborate, and how computers facilitate instant communication, sharing of documents, and special design capabilities.