Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a primary characteristic of technical writing?
What is a primary characteristic of technical writing?
- It is always informal and conversational.
- It is primarily writer-centered.
- It requires no audience analysis.
- It focuses on the benefits to the reader. (correct)
Which of the following is NOT a purpose of writing identified in the content?
Which of the following is NOT a purpose of writing identified in the content?
- To persuade
- To instruct
- To inform
- To entertain (correct)
What is the function of an Audience Profile Sheet?
What is the function of an Audience Profile Sheet?
- To outline the structure of a paper.
- To identify the writer's experience.
- To analyze various audience characteristics. (correct)
- To define the genre of communication.
When studying your audience, which of the following considerations is crucial?
When studying your audience, which of the following considerations is crucial?
Which type of analysis should be conducted before writing?
Which type of analysis should be conducted before writing?
What is the primary purpose of using defining verbs in communication?
What is the primary purpose of using defining verbs in communication?
Which of the following best describes the relationship between genre and communication?
Which of the following best describes the relationship between genre and communication?
What aspect is NOT considered when determining the structure of a document?
What aspect is NOT considered when determining the structure of a document?
What does proofreading primarily focus on in the editing process?
What does proofreading primarily focus on in the editing process?
Which of these is NOT part of the 7Cs of Effective Communication criteria?
Which of these is NOT part of the 7Cs of Effective Communication criteria?
What type of verbs would be most appropriate to use when proposing a solution?
What type of verbs would be most appropriate to use when proposing a solution?
In the preparation process of effective communication, which factor is least likely to influence the audience's understanding?
In the preparation process of effective communication, which factor is least likely to influence the audience's understanding?
Which characteristic of effective communication is directly related to showing respect and professionalism?
Which characteristic of effective communication is directly related to showing respect and professionalism?
What does the term 'concrete' emphasize in effective communication?
What does the term 'concrete' emphasize in effective communication?
Which proofreading strategy suggests changing the document's appearance?
Which proofreading strategy suggests changing the document's appearance?
What does being concise in communication entail?
What does being concise in communication entail?
In the context of effective communication, what does coherence refer to?
In the context of effective communication, what does coherence refer to?
Which proofreading technique advises against immediate re-evaluation?
Which proofreading technique advises against immediate re-evaluation?
What is one purpose of utilizing tools like Grammarly or Hemingway during proofreading?
What is one purpose of utilizing tools like Grammarly or Hemingway during proofreading?
Which of the following is not one of the 7Cs of effective communication?
Which of the following is not one of the 7Cs of effective communication?
What is a common oversight when proofreading a document?
What is a common oversight when proofreading a document?
Flashcards are hidden until you start studying
Study Notes
Audience
- Technical writing is reader-centered and requires writing for the benefit of the reader.
- Before writing, conduct a formal or informal audience analysis.
- Categorize your audience into primary, secondary, and tertiary targets.
Audience Analysis
- Consider the audience's reading skills, job responsibilities, cultural characteristics, professional experience and education, and personal preferences when conducting the analysis.
- Determine what you already know about them, interview people, read about them online, search social media, and search for documents they wrote.
Purpose
- The purpose of writing can be to inform or persuade.
- Examples of informing include writing a paper explaining how to change your car's oil.
- Examples of persuading include writing a paper arguing why you should change your car's oil.
Context
- After identifying the audience, purpose, and context, you need to decide the amount of content, level of detail, structure of the document, format, tone, style, and length of each element.
Genre
- A "genre" is a form of communication that is agreed upon and recognized, developed over time to communicate more effectively and efficiently.
Structure and Format
- Structure refers to the set of topics and their logical order; format refers to the spatial or visual design of a document.
Checking the Output
- Any technical communication genre must be checked before it is released.
- Editing reviews for content/messaging elements, sentence structure, and clarity.
- Proofreading checks for technical errors like misspellings, typos, grammar mistakes, and incorrect punctuation.
Editing
- Editors function like readers and try to meet an acceptance criteria.
- One of these criteria is the 7Cs of Effective Communication:
- Complete: providing all necessary information for a clear understanding.
- Clear: ensuring the message is easily understood without ambiguity.
- Courteous: showing respect, politeness, and professionalism in interactions.
- Correct: ensuring accuracy in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and factual information.
- Concrete: using specific facts and evidence for credibility.
- Concise: conveying the message with brevity.
- Coherent: all points are connected and relevant, and the flow of the text is consistent.
Proofreading Strategies
- Take a break, wait two hours or two days.
- Proofread for one error at a time.
- Read slowly and out loud.
- Use tools like spell check, Grammarly, Hemingway, ProWritingAid, and Copyscape, but do not rely on them completely.
- Change the format, reduce window width, change the font, print, cut and paste from one software to another.
- Read paragraphs in reverse order.
- Circle punctuation.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
