Technical, Business, and Professional Communication Fundamentals

Vocabulary flashcards covering core definitions, discourse types, audience categories, and user profiling techniques in technical communication.

Technical Communication

Communication that takes specialized information and prepares it so non-specialized people can understand and use it to complete a task.

Business Communication

The role of written, verbal, nonverbal (body language), and electronic communication in the creation, maintenance, and performance of profit and not-for-profit business.

Professional Communication

The ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, edit, revise, design professional documents, analyze data, and present information clearly and creatively; encompasses both technical and business communication.

Communication Triangle Model

A visual model of communication where the writer acts as the encoder, the reader as the decoder, the text as the signal, and reality as the foundational point.

Expressive Writing

Writing that focuses primarily on the writer.

Persuasive Writing

Writing that focuses primarily on the reader.

Literary Writing

Writing that focuses primarily on the text or writing itself.

Technical/Scientific Writing

Writing that focuses primarily on reality.

Context

The environment or circumstance in which a writer produces documents and readers interpret meanings.

Instrumental Discourse

Discourse that relates the reader to reality by providing information to accomplish a task.

Scientific Discourse

Discourse that relates readers to reality by educating them on a complex idea.

Primary Audience

The main group choosing to use a document, whose needs primarily determine the content and style sheet.

Secondary Audience

Users who refer to a document as a secondary reference rather than as main new learners.

Initial Audience

The boss or instructor who evaluates and approves a project to decide if it reaches the primary audience.

Gatekeeper Audience

Higher-ups in an organization who may revise a document to fit the organization image before approving it, even without knowing the process or using the product directly.

Watchdog Audience

Government entities, regulatory bodies, or journalists who review products and documents, impacting company reputation and industry standards.

User Profile

A detailed sketch of specific individuals who share characteristics of the primary users.