introduction to technical report writing and presentation pdf

In general, the information in the text is accurate, although some areas and issues would benefit from more nuanced or complex discussion. Overall, though, the book scores high in the grammatical category. I plan to adopt this for my information literacy and writing course, and anticipate re-arranging sections to fit the course structure. The book is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. Ideally, the authors would employ a plain style to avoid usability problems for non-American-dialect users. Furthermore, breaking the text apart with colorful questions and answers, activities, quotes, etc., is suggested. Introduction - Technical Writing Essentials - British Columbia/Yukon Readers may be distracted by the number of blank pages at the end of chapters. The book's primarily focuses on the proposal but also covers other traditional technical writing assignments such as the cover letter and resume. The PDF version of the book works as expected, with functioning links in both the table of contents and the text. read more. The organization follows a logical progression of ideas and concepts that would be presented within a technical writing course. read more. Not having a "next section" button or arrow almost ensures that students will not complete the readings because they will think, incorrectly, that they are done with the (very short) chapter. All of the available interfaces work well. For example, in the section on job materials, professional advice varies widely related to the design of resumes, but this text does not discuss any of the variety of advice. There are some inconsistent elements- some chapters include links to samples, but not all; there is a link to one video only; some chapters include an activity prompt, but others do not. It is noteworthy that it does not have questions in the back of each section, so its not designed for, say, test development or study for exams. For example, research is usually an integral part of developing a writing topic rather than something that happens at a single defined point mid-way through a project; likewise, a discussion of ethics should happen before a technical report is underway, perhaps in relation to an analysis of audience or to a discussion of the rhetorical situations present in professional writing generally. The book doesn't completely fit the course in technical writing that I teach but I would consider using if it did. Deals very little with cultural issues, which is surprising given the global ventures of many companies and the increasingly diverse workforce in the US. The sentence describing crop yields in Sisters, Oregon was a staggering four lines long, strung together with and between three independent clauses (121). read more. The text is divided in a way that feels manageable for students. It can be challenging to orient yourself in the text especially because there are many pages with minimal content. -A restatement of the research problem - A summary statement of main findings and their significance. Further clarification is offered through examples/samples in the sections on emails, memos, outlines, cover letters, technical reports, and others. The most obvious form is the presentation of all or part of another person's published work as something one has written. This book really does cover a great deal of ground. Chapter 13, "Communicating Across Cultures," introduces the reader to the importance of considering the variety of cultures and culture uniqueness (and peculiarity) in technical communication, which I believe does the job. This article introduces some basic techniques and considerations about writing project reports: when to write; the structure of the project report; what sections should be included; what order. I suggest deleting or re-writing this section of the book. Investing in a graphic designer might make the graphics more ascetically appealing. Its structure and content is unsuitable for majors in professional fields including engineering and science, and therefore is not a good choice for instructors teaching at most institutions where the course is offered. Lecture 1. an introduction to technical report writing. More of a concern though is the phrasing of the third choice of saving lives. The chapters in this book are all formatted relatively the same. But this relationship is impossible to discuss with this text, since overarching concepts and conventions are never introduced. Some of the images are blurry and hard to see. This text is consistent in its approach, terminology, and framework. However, the table of contents is accurate and helpful. Charts, where used, easily help students find the key differences in concepts, which is something that more detailed, less approachable textbooks tend to overlook. Finally, an effective text on this topic should include assignments along with discussion of how to assess the assignments. The online interface I used was generally very easy; with both arrows and a table of contents, writers can easily move to where they need to get their information. and their place in business. Planning the Work 2. 2. . While I agree that students should keep e-mails short and direct, especially when corresponding with the instructor, there is nothing inherently wrong about a longer e-mail message. Similarities and/or differences could be discussed in light of prose and rhetorical strategies, among others. I would consider using this text in an introductory technical writing class, with the addition of several notable sections identified elsewhere in this review. Which Australian are we voting for? Some arguments cannot be made in three short paragraphs. The PDF version of the textbook works as expected in terms of the links in the toc and the thumbnails visible in Acrobat. Most of our work is electronic/digital/online, so references to paper may not be incorrect, but they are largely archaic. Introduction To Technical Writing | PDF | Communication - Scribd The sections about how to present information visually are helpful: contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity are given the unfortunate acronym CRAP (so no doubt the reader will never forget it!) For example, there is a recommendation that emails are limited to three paragraphs, which is a very narrow view of that genre (shouldn't it depend on the rhetorical context, audience, etc.?). The tone can be academic, but that is to be expected from a text used in an introductory classroom. While this is an adequate list of technical genres, the choices seemed limited and specific. Module 001 Introduction to Technical Writing and Reporting - Studocu The text is well organized and clearly divided into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The multiple authors on this textbook likely pose challenges for creating consistency across the project. Technical Writing Powerpoint | PDF | Skill | Information - Scribd 9.3 . I recommend this book (only) to instructors at Central Oregon Community College, where it perhaps serves a useful, important purpose. The book appears to be written for a course designed around a specific major project that asks students to write a proposal for a technical report and then to research and write the report itself. I would tend to put some basic information about what constitutes technical writing at the beginning, followed by some guidance around doing research and writing ethically, followed by chapters on different types of technical writing: texts, emails, case reports, letters, resumes, proposals, recipes, instruction manuals, position papers, abstracts, encounter notes from a visit or interview, letters to the editor, mini-biographies and autobiographies ("about the author"), annotations. Any specialized terms are defined. It would have been helpful to include URLs for the videos, so that students preferring a paper-based text could find and watch the videos while reading. Readers will also learn about other professional communication, designing documents, and creating and integrating graphics. The section and chapter headings create parallelism that helps its overall clarity. The writing attempts to be engaging but is not rich enough in evidence, references, or good, contemporary examples for university students. This text seems to be designed for purposeful fragmentation in a course. I did not observe inaccuracies. This text provides flexibility in the fact that it focuses on Technical Communication for a more generalized audience and therefore this would work well as a Again, a question about prerequisite knowledge arises. While the frequent mention of things related to the Pacific Northwest does not limit the readability of the text, this reoccurring theme makes the book more relevant for readers from this area than from others. The text seamlessly incorporates modalities, like video links, that prove helpful as examples. Given that modules or sections can be reordered on demand, this is not a significant drawback. The chapters can easily be rearranged according to an instructors preference since the table of contents is linked to each section. 4. The modularity is helpful, and the text is well-organized. Using it was confusing and there are many incompatibilities between the various versions available. This is a very compact book, with easily managed lessons in basic concepts that are a quick and easy read for most students in the sciences and technology fields (STEM). There are grammatical errors in section 9 as well as confusing switches in point of view. This section may need updating since technology brings changes to workplace communications. The book's prose is not tightly edited, but the prose is accessible. (Incidentally, the O rings had worked fine for several launches.)" Omitting a discussion of the rhetorical situation elicits more questions about course level and students prerequisite knowledge. I will likely use chapters or sections to supplement other course materials in an effort to save students money on textbook costs. It is absolutely appropriate for a comprehensive service course, but the authors should consider another title. Chapter 13 of the text is "Communication Across Cultures," which lends to its response to cultural sensitivity. Introduction A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear and easily accessible format. The chart is entitled, simply, Success with Vegetables Grown. Potatoes account for 60 percent of vegetables grown; carrots for 23 percent. Introduction to Technical Writing - SlideShare I am prone to noticing grammatical and punctuation errors, but nothing jumped out at me in this textbook. At least one other reviewer has noted that there are inconsistency issues across various formats in which the book is offered. For example, the texting section may need to be updated within the next year to account for newer texting apps and conventions. There are additional problems in the pdf version that make it the pdf only partially usable: What makes a good technical report? On page 12, for example, the authors declare, a good e-mail should get to the point and conclude in three small paragraphs or less. Really? Many technical writing textbooks begin with audience analysis. The Definition of Technical Writing The written communication of engineering and scientific ideas, concepts and data presented objectively, logically and accurately. The online version of the book is hosted on the Pressbooks platform, which is intuitive to use, but long sections require significant scrolling. The text has no grammatical errors. Many phrases such as "as seen in the last section," make it difficult for students to follow what's happening. Crucial terms are adequately explained. this makes searching this text much more difficult than some others. Text boxes tend to exceed the width of the page and cannot therefore be read. The terminology is internally consistent. I'm grateful for this book. Chapters do not relate to one another and the order in which they appear feels arbitrary. As some of the material includes elements remixed from other open texts, there are some differences in the language and layout of chapters. Technical writing Willow Pangket 5.2K views13 slides. There are a few minor typos and notes from a previous editor in the document and a few leftover editing notes. The videos I viewed would not work in my courses, ever. This text also As far as I can tell, this textbook does not include an index or glossary. Everything is rendered as plain text, which means that table formatting is screwy and all images (including images of example documents) are missing. It is not at the cutting edge of technical writing technologies or software, but it is the sort of book that would have (and probably has) helped students a decade ago and will still be useful in another decade owing to its coverage of general topics and its emphasis on writing fundamentals. It is the type of everyday writing that surrounds us from the time we wake until we climb in bed at night. The book is accurate. This text is well organized with topics appropriate to technical writing, and I will consider using it in technical writing and workplace writing courses for first- and second-year students. The text does not cover multi-cultural audience in I would have preferred to have more info about the modes typical to technical writing, but what the book has is useful. Content appears to be mostly relevant and offers up-to-date information on information literacy and other important technical writing concepts. One of my specializations is teaching proposals. Furthermore, while conciseness is an essential feature of technical and professional writing, establishing an arbitrary sentence length may encourage students to emphasize conciseness at the expense of clarity and accuracy. There weren't any noticeable grammatical errors. Reviewed by Kathryn Northcut, Professor, Missouri University of Science and Technology on 1/13/19, The book is offered in various formats, and they aren't parallel. A search box, almost invisible in the upper, right-hand corner, offers quick full-text searching. The first two units of Module 3 describe issues which help to prepare and use efficiently and effectively tables and graphs, citations and references in technical report writing. There is no culturally insensitive or offensive language in the text, however, the text is not inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in its examples or images. Is it percent of all total crops grown? I look forward to seeing subsequent editions. While some of the linked material may change over time, that isnt the fault of the authors. It is not designed as a comprehensive or exhaustive resource on technical writing and avoids a heavily academic tone. Despite the textbook attempting to be modular, numbering chapters does suggest that there is a logic to the order. Consistency is off a few times throughout the text. The authors do an excellent job of adhering to plain language principles. For example, not all chapters provide examples to illustrate concepts or discussion/reflection questions to encourage students to apply concepts to other situations. Reviewed by Daniel Hocutt, Web Manager & Adjunct Professor, University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies on 4/11/17, The text does not include an index or glossary, but does provide a comprehensive table of contents. University of Minnesota, 330 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. The book is fairly dry, and so I did not notice cultural issues that might be of note. The topics in this text progress clearly enough to avoid confusion, but less clearly than they could. would be more rhetorically sensible. Further, students are seeing a poor example of a strong technical writing style because the sentences are written in a vague style that would lead to comprehension and translation errors. The book appears to be written for a course designed around a specific major project that asks students to write a proposal for a technical report and then to research and write the report itself. Some of the images / videos are pixelated. The text is quite modular, to the point that certain parts of it might be combined to keep from creating extremely short chapters or sections. The authors make the useful point in several places that a business, agency, journal etc. It is absolutely appropriate for a comprehensive service course, but the authors should consider another title. A more comprehensive text would address some of the responsibilities of technical writing as it relates to the technical writer herself: team building and collaboration, intermediary across multiple departments and divisions; and negotiator of meaning in workplace cultures. Is it possible to find a sub?] address specific aspects of writing a technical report the Title, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results/Findings, and Discussion. Many sections would benefit from further inquiry to assist students with more complex issues in the field of technical Part of this is due to the phrasing about the friends haircut, This lie, though minor, preserves . The book is accurate and unbiased. I especially appreciate the repeated emphasis on audience and that while particular elements are expected for particular genres, organization and approach can and should be modified to suit the writers purpose and the needs of the audience. The text covers proposals and progress reports in depth with links to examples of other types of technical writing including resumes and instructions (but no discussion of these forms in depth). The interface for the Web version of the book is clear, simple, and unobtrusive. This text provides a solid basis for any course in technical writing, though. In addition to a link to an audience worksheet, there is a clear explanation of how reports might be used by different readers. Each larger unit is broken into smaller, easily understood and relevant sub units. Many widowed headings (which the text advises to avoid). Tips are provided in various sections that assist readers in actually applying the content. This is one of the areas where it might be most attractive to students who rely on it as a reference rather than a week-to-week resource. Identify the steps in the writing process. outlining) and genres to follow. It also contains an excellent index and glossary. Concepts of genre and genre analysis are presented as fundamental to understanding the writing process yet they come at the end of the text. The activity and try this in these chapters would be helpful in other chapters, too. The text is written clearly and concisely. For example, many of the linked reports are nearly twenty years old, and while they may demonstrate many of the writing principles that stay constant over time, they do not demonstrate contemporary expectations for design, and the topics are so dated as to make them seem irrelevant to most students. There were missed opportunities to expand some of the more relevant topics, like the importance of visual rhetoric in page layout; solicited and unsolicited proposals; and, analytical report writing like feasibility studies. The table of contents is detailed and accessible on each page with a link to each section. What is not consistent is the amount of time spent on various elements of technical writing, which, as mentioned in the section on comprehensiveness, varies quite a bit. Elicit.org. Even if the textbook was designed to be modular, it is still prepared and presented in a specific order (with linked toc in the PDF version). If anything, the textbook could incorporate aspects of gender in relation to technical writing in the workplace. Reviewed by Jennifer Barton, Advanced Instructor, Virginia Tech on 2/8/17, The book appears to be written for a course designed around a specific major project that asks students to write a proposal for a technical report and then to research and write the report itself. The text is consistently organized. Given the appropriately broad coverage of this text, I can envision it being useful to students after they leave my course and have jobs in their chosen fields. The conversational tone isn't ideal for educating students who will need to do technical writing in industry, but there are few overt typographic and spelling errors. These are appropriately and adequately covered. . Mixing platforms and genres seems odd logically. These do more to complicate the subject than clarify it. Consistent use of headers and special highlights (e.g., boldface, etc.) The sample bar chart on page 123, depicting types of produce grown in Sisters, Oregon, has axis titles, but the y-axis, entitled Percentage produced in 2015, has no scale. This booklet describes briefly how to write an effective engineering report. It also seems that "Outlines" might be addressed sooner since those could apply to writing proposals as well as progress reports. Identify the components of good design. read more. The textbook is written in a voice that is straightforward and no-nonsense for students. It's great to include APA, but that social-science emphasis should be balanced with another professional style such as ASME or IEEE. The text includes few images; most are linked to accessible PDF versions, which are full-screen and easy to read. This text also There are some areas with a "Try This" section, but not very many of them, and the assignments lack an assessment component. The order in which the books contents are presented is somewhat arbitrary. However, no text will free itself completely from ideology; I might like to have seen the text more directly address this issue as it relates to business writing. However, while the order of chapters follows the process of writing a workplace document (proposal, research, progress report, technical report), it doesnt necessarily follow the order of writing skills. The book's format changes occasionally, probably owing to the various authors involved, but it is not especially noticable and does not affect the book in a negative way. It is easy to use and access. Identify the characteristics of effective technical writing. It will work best as an introduction to technical communication and business writing. The text works itself through the basics, from small workplace writing tasks like emails and memos, up through more complex writing like proposals and reports. I would be most inclined to use the chapters on ethical issues, research, and proposals. However, in general the issues which are not treated in great detail are those for which often there are other, key resources focusing on general principles involved that are attached. One important consideration regarding relevancy is the thematic dominance of references to Oregon. I'm really happy I found this one! The textbook is comprehensive; however, it seems to cover both technical writing and professional or workplace writing. Among the genres that are discussed, accuracy falters due to a handful of random, undocumented prescriptions. However, one challenge with that is attempting to keep it current -- culture, like everything else in science and technology, changes very rapidly. Figures 1 and 2 are very specialized. It can be inconsistent in terms of the amount of space given to, say, some issues over others. The table of contents is detailed and accessible on each page with a link to each section. The organization of chapters is confusing. The text is relevant to writing in the workplace as it covers aspects of "netiquette," which is something technical writers will encounter more and more as workplace functions are moved more to online formats. The book is highly consistent. read more. I generally prefer a text in which each chapter leads logically to the material in the next chapter and adds to the student's understanding of technical writing, but there are advantages to a source like this, too. It also is able to be modified quite easily if needed, so that's a plus. The text is free of interface issues. At least one other reviewer has noted that there are inconsistency issues across various formats in which the book is offered. All of the topics are presented in a logical and clear fashion. In fact, this textbook constantly focuses on the specific introductory assignments and methods at Central Oregon Community College, so a more ambitious, advanced curriculum would directly contradict the information in the textbook. Technical Writing & Presentation - 1st Edition - Elsevier The topics of the text are ordered in a logical way, beginning with topics that should be covered first in a Technical Writing course. First, chapters 1-8 and 10 are written in second person. The text is overall clean but there are a handful of grammatical errors. Basic Design and Readability in Publications. The text is remarkably approachable to its intended audience, those entering into the field of technical writing or those who will, by virtue of their technical positions, be required to compose technical artifacts. I suggest that the instructor designate a preferred version for the class. In this book, short chapters are split up into tiny subparts, and navigation between them is tricky in the web-native version. The textbook mentions purpose, almost in passing - the purpose of a memo, for instance, or a report. The book has a strong balance of topics. The text begins with the most common kinds of professional communication, including texts and e-mails, which demonstrates an understanding of current workplace needs. I think that's OK, but the book is almost too modular. The chart shows that potatoes are the most plentiful crop. The focus is more on providing practical strategies and helping students develop critical thinking skills than it is about using a particular software.
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