Reporting Technical Information - Softcover

Houp, The Late Kenneth W.; Pearsall, Thomas E.; Tebeaux, Elizabeth; Dragga, Sam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195146123 ISBN 13: 9780195146127

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001

Synopsis

The leading text in technical writing, Reporting Technical Information introduces students to all aspects of technical communication, including letters, proposals and progress reports, recommendation reports, research reports, instructions, and oral reports. Continuing the esteemed tradition of its predecessors, the tenth edition provides students with a solid foundation in technical communication and adds material on the most recent developments in the field.
Through accessible language, challenging exercises, and realistic examples, Reporting Technical Information, 10/e, begins with the basic strategies of composing and writing, progresses to techniques of technical communication, and closes by applying those techniques to document creation and design. Documentation instructions include Chicago and APA styles, as well as a guide for citing the Internet as a source. The book also offers detailed coverage of the latest technology in electronic communication, including material on writing collaboratively via e-mail, synchronous discussions, and FTP sites.

The tenth edition features four new chapters:
* Chapter 6, Writing Ethically, provides realistic exercises dealing with ethical dilemmas, guides students to relevant Web sites, and includes illustrative material from the codes of various professional groups.
* Chapter 7, Writing for International Readers, offers a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the differences among world cultures and the effects of these differences on communication. It covers such issues as the importance of personal relationships, individualism versus collectivism, various views of truth, and the power and value of time.
* Chapter 8, Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Information, helps students formulate research questions and points them to several sources of information including interviewing, the electronic library catalog, indexes, and the Internet.
* Information on empirical research reports is now broken out into a separate chapter (Chapter 17).

Keeping pace with the latest technology and research, this new edition provides information on such topics as when to use e-mail (rather than conventional letters and memos), writing for a specific audience, using illustrations, and searching the Internet for information on jobs and potential employers. Each chapter opens with a real-world scenario that shows students how the information in the chapter applies to an on-the-job situation. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the tenth edition of Reporting Technical Information maintains the reputation of an exceptional text for courses in technical and professional writing and communication. Visit the companion website at http://www.houp10e.com.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Key Benefit: Any living language is a growing, flexible instrument. Its rules are constantly changing by virtue of the way it is used by its live, independent speakers and writers. Nevertheless, at any point in a language's development, certain conventions of usage are in force, and violating them can brand writers as uneducated and make their communications difficult to interpret. With a clear, readable style, this book discusses every major aspect of technical writing. Additionally, as electronic technology becomes more widely available and continues to dominate the workplace, people have a growing need to understand and work with electronic communication. Key Topics: From report writing to document design, from job hunting to giving oral reports, this book sets the standards for writing and reporting technical information in the workplace. This handy guide explores the world of electronic communication, from e-mail and electronic discussion groups to file transfer protocol (ftp) and World Wide Web sites in the workplace. Market: This is the ideal resource for anyone who has to write any kind of report in their profession, especial those in technical fields.

About the Author:

Kenneth W. Houp, Former Professor of English, Pennsylvania State University. Thomas E. Pearsall, Professor and Head Emeritus of the Department of Rhetoric, University of Minnesota. Elizabeth Tebeaux, Director of Distance Education and Professor of English, Texas A and M University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0195146123
• ISBN 13: 9780195146127
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 720