Technical Writing: Key Concepts from Chapters 1-18

[Ch. 1] What are the nine measures of excellence used to evaluate technical documents?

Honesty, clarity, accuracy, comprehensiveness, accessibility, conciseness, professional appearance, correctness, and usability.

[Ch. 2] What is a Code of Conduct?

A set of rules outlining the proper practices, ethical responsibilities, and standards expected of individuals within an organization or professional field.

[Ch. 2] What are ethical obligations regarding social media use?

Guidelines covering copyright respect, protecting employer secrets/proprietary information, avoiding misleading or defamatory statements, and keeping personal social media activity distinct from official organizational accounts.

[Ch. 5] What characteristics might be important to consider when analyzing your audience?

Reader's education/experience, cultural background, reading level, position/role, technical background, personal preferences, and attitude toward the topic or writer.

[Ch. 6] What is the difference between primary and secondary research?

Primary research involves gathering new, firsthand data (experiments, interviews, surveys). Secondary research involves analyzing existing material compiled by others (journals, books, databases).

[Ch. 6] What types of research might be required in the workplace?

Market research, user/usability testing, competitive analysis, literary/archival reviews, product testing, and safety inspections.

[Ch. 9] What are some strategies for writing clear, informative headings?

Avoid general words; use specific descriptive phrasing, maintain consistent formatting/hierarchy, and ensure parallel grammatical structure.

[Ch. 9] What are guidelines for creating effective lists? When to use bulleted vs. numbered lists?

Keep items parallel and introduce lists with a complete sentence. Use bulleted lists when order does not matter; use numbered lists when sequence, ranking, or step-by-step instructions matter.

[Ch. 9] What is parallel structure, and how should it be used with lists and headings?

Using the same grammatical form for coordinate elements (e.g., starting every item in a list with an action verb). All headings of the same level and all items in a single list should maintain parallel structure.

[Ch. 10] What are sentence fragments, and how can you revise them?

An incomplete sentence lacking a subject or a predicate, or left as an isolated dependent clause. Revise by attaching it to an adjacent main clause or adding missing grammatical components.

[Ch. 10] What are comma splices and run-on sentences, and how can you revise them?

Comma splice: joining independent clauses with only a comma. Run-on: joining independent clauses with no punctuation/conjunction. Revise by adding a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction with a comma.

[Ch. 10] Difference between active and passive voice? Why be critical of passive voice, and when is it better?

Active: subject performs action. Passive: subject receives action. Readers are critical because passive voice can be wordy or obscure responsibility. Passive is better when actor is unknown/unimportant or to avoid sounding accusatory.

[Ch. 10] What is people-first language?

Language that emphasizes the person rather than a disability, condition, or identity (e.g., "people with diabetes" instead of "diabetics").

[Ch. 10] How can you go about choosing an appropriate sentence length in technical writing?

Aim for conciseness and clarity, typically averaging 15-20 words per sentence, while varying sentence lengths to maintain reader interest.

[Ch. 14] What are the four main types of correspondence and when is each appropriate?

Letters (external audience), Memos (internal audience), Emails (quick internal/external communications), and Microblogs/Social updates (quick public updates/notices).

[Ch. 14] What is the "you attitude" and how can it be achieved?

Focusing on the audience's needs, perspectives, and benefits rather than the writer's. Achieved by emphasizing reader benefits and using "you" phrasing rather than "I" or "we."

[Ch. 14] Main elements of letter vs. memo formats & their respective audiences?

Letters: External audience (letterhead, inside address, salutation, signature). Memos: Internal audience (header block: To, From, Date, Subject; no salutation or signature block).

[Ch. 14] What is an inquiry letter? A claim letter? An adjustment letter?

Inquiry: asks for specific information. Claim: expresses dissatisfaction and requests a remedy/refund. Adjustment: response to a claim letter explaining how the problem will be resolved.

[Ch. 16] What is the purpose of a proposal?

To persuade a client or organization to grant a contract, approve a project, or provide funding for a specified task.

[Ch. 16] How are proposals classified? Difference between solicited and unsolicited?

Solicited: written in response to an explicit request (e.g., an RFP). Unsolicited: submitted without an explicit request from the prospective buyer or client.

[Ch. 16] What does RFP stand for?

Request for Proposal.

[Ch. 18] What are the tasks involved in writing a recommendation report?

Problem identification, criterion setting, option comparison, analysis against criteria, and formulating recommendations (See Fig. 18.1).

[Ch. 18] What are criteria, and what tool is used to analyze them?

Criteria are the standards or benchmarks used to evaluate alternatives. Decision matrices (or evaluation grids) are used to analyze criteria.

[Ch. 18] What are the sections in a typical recommendation report?

Front matter, Introduction, Methodology/Methods, Results, Conclusions, Recommendations, and Back matter (See Table 18.1).

[Ch. 18] Purpose and typical components of Front Matter?

Purpose: helps readers orient themselves and decide whether to read the full report. Elements: title page, letter of transmittal, executive summary, table of contents, list of figures/tables (See Table 18.1).

[Ch. 18] Purpose and typical components of Back Matter?

Purpose: provides supporting documentation and supplementary material for specialized readers. Elements: references/works cited, appendices, glossary, index (See Table 18.1).