Technical Communication Chapter 10&11 PDF

Technical Communication Fourteenth Edition Chapter 10 Organizing for Readers Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved...

Technical Communication Fourteenth Edition Chapter 10 Organizing for Readers Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Learning Objectives 10.1 Work from an introduction-body-conclusion structure 10.2 Create informal and formal outlines 10.3 Prepare a storyboard for a long document 10.4 Shape effective paragraphs 10.5 Chunk information into discrete units 10.6 Provide overviews of longer documents Organizing Instead of forcing readers to make sense of unstructured information, we shape this material for their understanding. Consider the following: – What relationships do the collected data suggest? – What should I emphasize? – In which sequence will readers approach the material? – What belongs where? – What do I say first? Why? – What comes next? – How do I end the document? To answer these questions, we rely on a variety of organizing strategies. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved The Typical Shape of Workplace Documents Useful documents typically follow this pattern: The introduction attracts the reader’s attention, announces the writer’s viewpoint, and previews what will follow. The body delivers on the introduction, explaining and supporting the writer’s viewpoint, achieving unity by remaining focused on that viewpoint and coherence by carrying a line of thought throughout. The conclusion can reemphasize key points, take a position, predict an outcome, offer a solution, or suggest further study. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Figure 10.1 Document with a Standard Introduction/Body/Conclusion Structure Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Figure 10.2 Document with a Nonstandard but Well-Organized Structure Source: Arsenic in Your Drinking Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 2007. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Outlining (1 of 2) Even basic documents require at least an introduction-body-conclusion outline done in your head and/or a few ideas jotted down in list form. This is an informal outline. Longer documents require a more detailed outline so that you can visualize your document overall and ensure that ideas flow logically from point to point. This is a formal outline. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Outlining (2 of 2) Start by searching through the information you have gathered and creating a random list of key topics your document should include. A simple list like the one above usually suffices for organizing a short document like the memo in Figure 10.1 Then reorganize the list into an introduction, body, and conclusion and decide how to divide each of these parts into subtopics. For a more complex document, transform your list into a deliberate map that will guide readers from point to point. An outline for Figure 10.2 might look like this: Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved The Formal Outline (1 of 3) In planning a long document, an author or team rarely begins with a formal outline. But eventually in the writing process, a long or complex document calls for much more than a simple list. It calls for a formal outline using either alphanumeric or decimal notation: Alphanumeric notation refers to the use of letters and numbers in an outline. Decimal notation refers to the use of numbers only, separated by decimal points. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved The Formal Outline (2 of 3) In alphanumeric notation, the introduction, body, and conclusion use Roman numerals (I, II, III); major topics use capital letters (A, B, C); major subtopics use numbers (1, 2, 3); and minor subtopics use lower-case letters (a, b, c). Each level is indented: II. DATA SECTION [Body] A. Sources of EMF exposure 1. power lines 2. home and office a. Kitchen b. workshop [and so on] 3. natural radiation Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved The Formal Outline (3 of 3) In decimal notation, the introduction, body, and conclusion use a section number and a zero (2.0), major topics use the section number and a major topic number (2.1), and so on, with an additional number to indicate each level. Each level is indented: 2.0 DATA SECTION 2.1 Sources of EMF Exposure 2.1.1 power lines 2.1.2 home and office 2.1.2.1 kitchen 2.1.2.2 workshop [and so on] 2.1.3 natural radiation Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Storyboarding Another method of organizing (usually used to organize Web sites) is to use a storyboard, a sketch of the finished document: Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Paragraphing Paragraphing means that each supporting paragraph within the larger introduction, body, and conclusion structure is similarly structured: Each paragraph must contain an “introduction,” or topic sentence, which introduces an idea, judgment, or opinion. The “body” of each paragraph consists of sentences that are logically connected to each other to create unity and coherence. The “conclusion” of each paragraph is a restatement of the topic sentence or a smooth transition into the next paragraph. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Paragraphing In a coherent paragraph, everything not only belongs but also sticks together: The topic sentence and supporting information form a connected line of thought, like links in a chain. Paragraph coherence can be damaged by (1) short, choppy sentences; (2) sentences in the wrong order; (3) insufficient transitions and connectors for linking related ideas; or (4) an inaccessible line of reasoning. Here is how the solar energy paragraph might become incoherent Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Paragraphing Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Chunking Breaking information down into discrete, digestible units, based on the users’ needs and the document’s purpose. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Chunking Web sites especially rely on the concept of chunked information. – When writing for the Web, use smaller chunks than you would in print, because readers expect to read smaller pieces of information online. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Providing an Overview For longer document, consider giving readers an immediate preview, or overview, of its contents by answering their initial questions: What is the purpose of this document? Why should I read it? What information can I expect to find here? About This Report This report contains five sections. Section One describes the scope and scale of groundwater contamination in Jackson county. Section Two offers background on previous legislation related to groundwater. Section Three shows the most recent data from the Jackson County Groundwater Project, and Section Four compares that data to national averages. Section Five offers recommendations and ideas for next steps. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Review Questions (1 of 2) 1. Why is organizing information important? 2. What are the three main parts of workplace documents, and what is the function of each part? 3. How do you create an informal outline? 4. What is a formal outline? 5. What is the difference between alphanumeric notation and decimal notation? Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Review Questions (2 of 2) 6. What is a storyboard? 7. What is paragraphing, and how should paragraphs be organized? 8. What is chunking and how is it useful? 9. What is an overview and when should you provide one? Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Technical Communication Fourteenth Edition Chapter 11 Editing for a Professional Style and Tone Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Learning Objectives 11.1 Write clear sentences that can be understood in one reading 11.2 Write concise sentences that convey meaning in the fewest words 11.3 Write fluent sentences that provide clear connections, variety, and emphasis 11.4 Use precise language that conveys your exact meaning 11.5 Achieve a tone that connects with your audience and avoids bias 11.6 Understand style and tone in a global, legal, and ethical context 11.7 Consider style and tone in a digital context Style No matter how technical your document, your audience will not understand the content unless the style is readable. Every bit as important as what you have to say is how you decide to say it. Your particular writing style is a blend of these elements: The way in which you construct each sentence The length of your sentences The way in which you connect sentences The words and phrases you choose The tone you convey Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Clarity (1 of 3) Clear writing enables people to read each sentence only once in order to fully grasp its meaning. The following suggestions will help you edit for clarity: Avoid ambiguous pronoun references. Pronouns (he, she, it, their, and so on) must clearly refer to the noun they replace. Unstack modifying nouns. Too many nouns in a row can create confusion and reading difficulty. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Clarity (2 of 3) Arrange word order for coherence and emphasis. In coherent writing, everything sticks together; each sentence builds on the preceding sentence and looks ahead to the one that follows. Use active voice whenever possible. In general, readers grasp the meaning more quickly and clearly when the writer uses the active voice (I did it) rather than the passive voice (It was done by me). Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Clarity (3 of 3) Use passive voice selectively. Use the passive voice when your audience has no need to know the agent. Avoid overstuffed sentences. Give no more information in one sentence than readers can retain and process. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Conciseness (1 of 4) Concise writing conveys the most information in the fewest words. But it does not omit those details necessary for clarity. Use fewer words whenever fewer will do. The following suggestions will help you edit for conciseness: Avoid wordy phrases. Replace phrases like due to the fact that with one word: because. Eliminate redundancy. A redundant expression says the same thing twice, in different words. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Conciseness (2 of 4) Avoid needless repetition. Unnecessary repetition clutters writing and dilutes meaning. Avoid there sentence openers. Many There is or There are sentence openers can be eliminated. Avoid some it sentence openers. Avoid beginning a sentence with it—unless the it clearly points to a specific referent in the preceding sentence. Delete needless prefaces. Instead of delaying the new information in your sentence, get right to the point. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Conciseness (3 of 4) Avoid weak verbs. Prefer verbs that express a definite action: open, close, move, continue, begin. Avoid weak verbs that express no specific action: is, was, are, has, give, make, come, take. Avoid excessive prepositions. Also replace lengthy prepositional phrases like with the exception of with shorter phrases: except for. Avoid nominalizations. Nouns manufactured from verbs, like give consideration to are harder to understand than the verbs themselves: consider. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Conciseness (4 of 4) Make negatives positive. A positive expression like Please be on time is easier to understand than a negative one: Please do not be late. Clean out clutter words. Clutter words stretch a message without adding meaning. Here are some of the most common: very, definitely, quite, extremely, rather, somewhat, really, actually, currently, situation, aspect, factor. Delete needless qualifiers. Qualifiers such as I feel, it seems, I believe, in my opinion, and I think express uncertainty or soften the tone and force of a statement. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Editing for Fluency Fluent sentences are easy to read because they provide clear connections, variety, and emphasis. The following suggestions will help you edit for fluency: Combine related ideas. Don’t force readers to insert transitions between ideas and decide which points are most important. Vary sentence construction and length. Do not rely only on long, complex sentences. Use short sentences for special emphasis. When used sparingly, they are effective. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Using Digital Editing Tools Effectively Autocorrect and spell check tools look for words judged to be incorrect and suggest or insert replacements. But these digital editing tools can be extremely imprecise and should be used with caution: Spell checkers can’t tell the difference between words like its and it’s or their and there. Grammar checkers work well to help you locate possible problems, but do not rely solely on their suggested ways to fix problems. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Review Questions (1 of 2) 1. What are five aspects of style to consider when you edit your work? 2. What is clarity? 3. What is conciseness? 4. What is fluency? 5. Why is avoiding poor word choice important? Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved Review Questions (2 of 2) 6. What is tone? 7. What are three ways to avoid sexist language? 8. What are three ways to avoid other types of offensive language? 9. Why is considering the cultural context important in terms of style? 10.Why should you use digital editing tools cautiously? Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved