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Technical writing : a practical guide for engineers, scientists, and nontechnical professionals / Phillip A. Laplante.

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Bibliographic Details
Online Access: Full Text (via Taylor & Francis)
Main Author: Laplante, Phillip A. (Author)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Boca Raton : CRC/CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group/CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, [2019]
Edition:Second edition.
Series:What every engineer should know.
Subjects:
Technical writing.
Communication in science.
Handbooks and manuals.
Table of Contents:
  • Cover
  • Half Title
  • Title Page
  • Copyright Page
  • Dedication
  • Table of Contents
  • What Every Engineer Should Know: Series Statement
  • References
  • New for the Second Edition
  • Errors
  • References
  • Acknowledgments
  • Chapter 1: The Nature of Technical Writing
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Who Writes Technical Documentation?
  • 1.3 Taxonomy of Technical Writing
  • 1.4 Technical Reporting
  • 1.5 Business Communications
  • 1.6 Scientific Writing
  • 1.6.1 Books
  • 1.6.2 Journals
  • 1.6.3 Magazines
  • 1.6.4 Conference Proceedings
  • 1.6.5 Newsletters
  • 1.6.6 Websites and Blogs
  • 1.6.7 Vignette: Nontechnical Writing
  • 1.6.8 Vignette: Technical Writing Sample
  • 1.7 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 2: Technical Writing Basics
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Structuring Your Writing
  • 2.3 Positioning Your Writing
  • 2.3.1 Know Your Audience
  • 2.3.2 Are You Talking to Me?
  • 2.4 Choosing the Right Words
  • 2.4.1 Conciseness
  • 2.4.2 Precision and Hedging
  • 2.4.3 Universal and Existential Quantification
  • 2.4.4 Negatives
  • 2.4.5 Vignette: Brake Retarder Prohibitions5
  • 2.5 Avoiding Traps
  • 2.5.1 Clichés
  • 2.5.2 Anthropomorphic Writing
  • 2.5.3 Malapropisms
  • 2.5.4 Erroneous Heterographs
  • 2.5.5 Opinion versus Fact
  • 2.5.6 Acronyms, Domain-Specific Terms, and Jargon
  • 2.5.7 The Laziness of "Very"
  • 2.5.8 Other Pitfalls
  • 2.6 Making Your Technical Writing More Interesting
  • 2.6.1 Humor
  • 2.6.2 Vignette:  The Joy of Spam
  • 2.6.3 Allegory
  • 2.7 The 5 Cs of Technical Writing
  • 2.7.1 Qualities of Good Writing
  • 2.7.2 Correctness
  • 2.7.3 Clarity
  • 2.7.4 Completeness
  • 2.7.5 Consistency
  • 2.7.6 Changeability
  • 2.7.7 An Example
  • 2.8 Referencing
  • 2.8.1 Choose the Right References
  • 2.8.2 Web References
  • 2.8.3 Reference Styles
  • 2.9 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 3: The Writing Process.
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 The Traditional Writing Process
  • 3.2.1 Brainstorming
  • 3.2.2 Drafting
  • 3.2.3 Revising
  • 3.2.4 Editing
  • 3.2.5 Publishing
  • 3.2.6 Vignette: A Paper on Software Control on Oil Rigs
  • 3.3 Environment
  • 3.4 Dealing with Writer's Block
  • 3.5 Meeting Deadlines
  • 3.6 Writing Tools
  • 3.7 Permissions and Plagiarism
  • 3.7.1 Permissions
  • 3.7.2 Plagiarism
  • 3.7.3 Self-Plagiarism
  • 3.7.4 Detection Tools
  • 3.7.5 Paper Generators
  • 3.7.6 Vignette: Determining Authorship-The Federalist Papers
  • 3.8 Making Your Writing Understandable to All
  • 3.8.1 Hofstede's Metrics
  • 3.8.2 British versus American English
  • 3.9 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 4: Scientific Writing
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 Technical Reports
  • 4.3 Tutorials
  • 4.4 Opinion
  • 4.5 Research Papers
  • 4.5.1 Survey of the Field
  • 4.5.2 Based on Survey Data
  • 4.5.3 Based on Experimentation
  • 4.6 Reviews of Books, Papers, and Reports
  • 4.6.1 Reviews
  • 4.6.2 Journal and Conference Paper Reviews
  • 4.6.3 Book Reviews
  • 4.6.4 Blind Reviews
  • 4.6.5 Vignette: Scientific Proposal
  • 4.7 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 5: Business Communications
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Résumés
  • 5.2.1 Name
  • 5.2.2 Contact Information
  • 5.2.3 Summary
  • 5.2.4 Statement of Objective
  • 5.2.5 Experience
  • 5.2.6 Education and Training
  • 5.2.7 Licenses and Certifications
  • 5.2.8 Consulting
  • 5.2.9 Hardware and Software
  • 5.2.10 Foreign Languages
  • 5.2.11 Security Clearance
  • 5.2.12 Military and Other Service
  • 5.2.13 Awards and Honors
  • 5.2.14 Publications
  • 5.2.15 Affiliations
  • 5.2.16 Interests
  • 5.2.17 References
  • 5.2.18 Order Matters
  • 5.2.19 Things to Avoid on a Résumé
  • 5.2.20 Honesty Is the Best Policy
  • 5.2.21 Examples
  • 5.3 Transmittal Letters
  • 5.4 Writing Letters of Reference.
  • 5.4.1 Letter of Reference for a Subordinate
  • 5.4.2 Letter of Reference for a Casual Acquaintance
  • 5.4.3 Generic Letter of Reference
  • 5.4.4 Form-Based Letter of Reference
  • 5.5 Memos
  • 5.6 Meetings, Agendas, and Minutes
  • 5.6.1 Meeting Invitations
  • 5.6.2 Agendas
  • 5.6.3 Meeting Minutes
  • 5.7 Customer Relations Writing
  • 5.7.1 Vignette: A Customer Inquiry Letter
  • 5.7.2 Vignette: Response to a Customer Inquiry Letter
  • 5.8 Press Releases
  • 5.9 Presentations
  • 5.9.1 Vignette: A Presentation on Cyberpandemics
  • 5.10 Marketing and Sales Materials
  • 5.11 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 6: Technical Reporting
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Technical Procedures
  • 6.2.1 Vignette: PC Repair Book
  • 6.2.2 Vignette: Building an Aquarium
  • 6.2.3 Vignette: Operational Instructions for Krav Maga
  • 6.2.4 Vignette: Recipe for Fennell Pasta
  • 6.3 Proposals
  • 6.3.1 Vignette: Grant Proposal
  • 6.3.2 Vignette: Proposal for Consulting Services
  • 6.4 Panel Sessions
  • 6.5 Strategic Plans and Planning
  • 6.5.1 Executive Summary
  • 6.5.2 The Mission Statement
  • 6.5.3 SWOT Analysis
  • 6.5.4 Competitive Market Analysis
  • 6.5.5 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
  • 6.5.6 Budget
  • 6.6 Problem Reports
  • 6.7 User Manuals
  • 6.7.1 Vignette: Disaster from a User Manual
  • 6.8 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 7: Using Graphical Elements
  • 7.1 Breaking up the Monotony
  • 7.2 Modeling Ideas with Graphics
  • 7.2.1 A Picture Is Worth 1437.4 Words
  • 7.2.2 Modeling Behavior
  • 7.2.3 The Evolution of an Idea
  • 7.3 Selecting the Best Model for a Schedule
  • 7.4 Dealing with Figures
  • 7.4.1 Callouts, Captioning, and Placement
  • 7.4.2 Permissions for Figures
  • 7.5 Dealing with Tables
  • 7.6 Dealing with Equations
  • 7.6.1 Using Microsoft Equation Editor
  • 7.6.2 Using MathType
  • 7.6.3 Using LaTeX
  • 7.6.4 Vignette: Typesetting Books.
  • 7.7 Dealing with Dynamic Content
  • 7.7.1 Vignette: The Minard Map
  • 7.8 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 8: Publishing Your Work
  • 8.1 Introduction
  • 8.1.1 What Kinds of Work Can Be Published?
  • 8.1.2 Why Publish Your Work?
  • 8.2 Making a Living as a Writer
  • 8.2.1 Freelance Writing
  • 8.2.2 Writing Technical Books
  • 8.2.3 Getting Rich Writing Books
  • 8.2.4 Why Are Technical Books So Expensive?
  • 8.2.5 Vignette: A Writing Failure3
  • 8.3 The Review Process
  • 8.3.1 Administrative Rejection
  • 8.3.2 Review Flow
  • 8.3.3 Review of Books
  • 8.4 Handling Rejection
  • 8.4.1 Rejection Letters
  • 8.4.2 Responding to Rejection Letters
  • 8.4.3 Succeeding at Publishing
  • 8.4.4 Vignette: Experiences with Reviews
  • 8.5 Open Access Publishing
  • 8.5.1 The Traditional Publishing Model
  • 8.5.2 The Open-Access Publishing Model
  • 8.5.3 Vignette: Experience with Open Access Publishing
  • 8.6 Self-Publishing
  • 8.6.1 Vanity Presses
  • 8.6.2 Online Publishing
  • 8.6.3 Vignette: Bootleg Books
  • 8.7 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 9: Writing for E-Media
  • 9.1 Introduction
  • 9.2 E-Mail Can Be Dangerous
  • 9.2.1 Rules for E-mails
  • 9.2.2 The Signature Line
  • 9.2.3 Use of Emoticons
  • 9.3 E-Newsletters
  • 9.3.1 Vignette: A Newsletter for CIO Institute
  • 9.4 Blogging
  • 9.5 Social Networks
  • 9.6 E-Magazines3
  • 9.7 E-Readers4
  • 9.7.1 Common Features
  • 9.7.2 Distribution Model
  • 9.8 Online Courses
  • 9.8.1 Massively Open Online Course (MOOC)
  • 9.8.2 Vignette: Experiences with MOOCs
  • 9.9 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Chapter 10: Writing with Collaborators
  • 10.1 Introduction
  • 10.2 Writing in Different Voices
  • 10.2.1 Using Metrics to Detect Nonhomogeneous Writing
  • 10.2.2 Dealing with Different Voices
  • 10.2.3 Paul Erdős: The Ultimate Coauthor
  • 10.3 Very Large Collaborative Writing Projects.
  • 10.3.1 Vignette: Building a Dictionary2
  • 10.3.2 Vignette: Building an Encyclopedia3
  • 10.4 Behavior of Groups4
  • 10.4.1 Tuckman's Model
  • 10.4.2 Forming
  • 10.4.3 Storming
  • 10.4.4 Norming
  • 10.4.5 Performing
  • 10.4.6 Mourning
  • 10.4.7 Vignette: Determining Author Order
  • 10.5 Other Paradigms for Team Building5
  • 10.5.1 Group Writing and Improvisational Comedy
  • 10.5.2 Team Technical Writing as Scriptwriting
  • 10.6 Antipatterns in Organizations8
  • 10.6.1 Divergent Goals
  • 10.6.2 Process Clash
  • 10.6.3 Vignette: Experiences Co-Writing Books and Papers
  • 10.7 Exercises
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Appendix A
  • Appendix B: Templates
  • Endnotes
  • Glossary
  • Index.

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