CH 3 A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists

The content criteria of good technical documentation is primarily concerned with which of these questions?

a.) Is the information accurate?

b.) Is the information easy to locate?

c.) Is the layout consistent?

d.) Is the writing style effective?

a.) Is the information accurate?

A cross-reference or link to where a reader can find additional information about a topic is called a(n) ____.

a.) serif

b.) referent

c.) acronym

d.) pointer

d.) pointer

When a sequence of facts or steps is described, technical writers try to avoid which of these?

a.) Bulleted list

b.) Numbered list

c.) Narrative passage

d.) All of these

c.) Narrative passage

Detailed steps on how to perform a task are generally described in which part of a document?

a.) Introduction

b.) Body

c.) Summary

d.) Appendix

b.) Body

Fine lines that extend from the top and bottom of a font's letters are called ____.

a.) informal fonts

b.) serifs

c.) sans serifs

d.) specialty fonts

b.) serifs

"Development of software is not a frequent user support function" is an example of ____.

a.) obfuscation

b.) unclear referent

c.) nominalization

d.) undefined acronym

c.) nominalization

A document that is organized as a step-by-step introduction to the features of a software application is called a ____ manual.

a.) reference

b.) technical

c.) tutorial

d.) troubleshooting

c.) tutorial

What is the sequence of these steps in the technical writing process? A) proofread the document B) generate a list of ideas C) arrange for an outside reviewer D) write a first draft

a.) A, B, C, D

b.) B, D, C, A

c.) D, B, A, C

d.) B, A, D, C

b.) B, D, C, A

T/F: In the checklist of document evaluation criteria, content refers to whether words are spelled correctly and sentences are grammatically correct.

a.) True

b.) False

b.) False

Incomplete coverage of a topic violates which of these four writing criteria?

a.) Content

b.) Organization

c.) Format

d.) Mechanics

a.) Content

Complete information on a particular end-user topic is usually organized together, in one document, organized in a(n) ____.

a.) tutorial format

b.) reference format

c.) troubleshooting format

d.) handout format

b.) reference format

During the development of a first draft, a technical writer is probably least concerned with ____.

a.) topic sentences for paragraphs

b.) transitions between paragraphs

c.) definitions of terms

d.) correct spelling

d.) correct spelling

The intended audience of a document is generally described in the ____.

a.) introduction

b.) body

c.) summary

d.) any of these

a.) introduction

Which of these types of documents is often used to describe the steps to install a software package?

a.) Online help

b.) Website

c.) Newsletter

d.) User guide or manual

d.) User guide or manual

The sentence "Larry will present a tutorial on Excel macros on Tuesday next week" is in ____ voice.

a.) active

b.) passive

c.) gender-neutral

d.) gender-biased

a.) active

"Technical writing should be concise and it should be informative." is an example of a ____.

a.) compound sentence

b.) run-on sentence

c.) simple sentence

d.) none of these

a.) compound sentence

When choosing alignment for a paragraph of text, the easiest to read is ____ text.

a.) left-aligned

b.) centered

c.) block-justified

d.) any of these

a.) left-aligned

"I know I saw the information I need in this document, but now I can't find it." violates which of these four general writing criteria?

a.) Content

b.) Organization

c.) Format

d.) Mechanics

b.) Organization

Which of these is not a characteristic of technical writing?

a.) Uses short, declarative sentences

b.) Describes a step-by-step sequence

c.) Contains pointers to other information the user might need

d.) Concludes with the most important point at the end of a section

d.) Concludes with the most important point at the end of a section

A reading level that is appropriate for most technical documentation is ____.

a.) 4th grade

b.) 10th grade

c.) 7th grade

d.) college level

b.) 10th grade

The concept that similar items should be handled consistently throughout a document is called ____.

a.) internal consistency

b.) parallel structure

c.) technical accuracy

d.) structural integrity

b.) parallel structure

A list of as many topics as a writer can think of that might be useful to a reader is the result of ____.

a.) brainstorming

b.) proofreading

c.) plagiarizing

d.) organizing

a.) brainstorming

Which of these words is least descriptive of the information on a webpage?

a.) Comprehensive

b.) Short

c.) Includes pointers to other information

d.) Well-organized

a.) Comprehensive

T/F: A dangling phrase is an expression in a sentence that adds little to the meaning other than to make the sentence longer.

a.) True

b.) False

a.) True

A series of letters that represent a phrase is called ____.

a.) a referent

b.) a jargon term

c.) a nominalized phrase

d.) an acronym or initialism

d.) an acronym or initialism

A writer who performs each procedure or technical step in a document and tests each step with the hardware and software is doing a(n) ____ check.

a.) format consistency

b.) technical accuracy

c.) edit

d.) beta test

b.) technical accuracy

T/F: In the checklist of document evaluation criteria, format refers to whether a document's layout helps guide the reader and whether format elements are used consistently.

a.) True

b.) False

a.) True

The abbreviation CPU for central processing unit is an example of a(n) _____.

b.) initialism

Which of these forms of documentation often contains hyperlinks to related topics?

a.) Online help

b.) Newsletters

c.) Email messages

d.) Troubleshooting guides

a.) Online help

Which of these is least likely to be a purpose of proofreading the final draft of a document?

a.) Check definitions of terms

b.) Check for consistent capitalization and punctuation

c.) Check for page break problems

d.) Check for extra spaces between words and sentences

a.) Check definitions of terms

Experienced technology users who need information on advanced topics are likely to need a ____.

a.) reference manual

b.) tutorial manual

c.) handout

d.) newsletter

a.) reference manual

An idiom is a word or phrase whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words.

a.) True

b.) False

a.) True

A document with misspelled words violates which of these four general writing criteria?

a.) Content

b.) Organization

c.) Format

d.) Mechanics

d.) Mechanics

Which of these types of documents is primarily intended to catch the eye of the reader and promote an event?

a.) Online help

b.) Email message

c.) Brochure or flyer

d.) Handout or training aid

c.) Brochure or flyer

Whether to use the form 'Plug-n-Play' or 'Plug-and-Play' in a document would likely be specified in a ____.

a.) dictionary

b.) glossary

c.) thesaurus

d.) style sheet

d.) style sheet

Documentation that describes the steps to perform a task or a checklist of steps is ____.

a.) a troubleshooting guide

b.) procedural documentation

c.) a webpage

d.) an email message

b.) procedural documentation

Under normal circumstances, the body of a document should be formatted in a ____ typeface.

a.) specialty

b.) script

c.) serif

d.) sans serif

c.) serif