Technical Writing Basics: A Guide to Style and Form

Using a reader-friendly approach that is incremental and cumulative, this short, uncluttered guide to technical writing shows how to take the structures, patterns, and strategies of writing learned in a Basic Composition course (summary, process, analysis, and persuasion) and apply them in different kinds of technical documents. Direct practical explanations, copious real-world examples, and a variety of “role-playing” exercises lead readers through the process of document production and assessment—or what the author calls "transactional" writing: getting another person to read one's material, presenting such material clearly and accurately, and adhering to standards of format acceptable in the field. Unlike most other books (which focus on the writing needs in the executive domain of the major corporation only), this guide covers a variety of non-corporate working environments that also require skill in technical communications (e.g., social service agencies, institutions, and small businesses). An excellent reference for anyone needing to write technical documents.

This practical guidebook to workplace writing shows how to apply the structure, patterns, and strategies learned in a Basic Composition course to the production of different types of technical documents. A variety of models of style and format are presented that demonstrate how to create technical documents that produce concrete results.

• Practical examples of simple and complex technical documents
• Technical documents in a broad range of institutional contexts, including major companies, non-profit organizations, agencies, and small businesses
• Sections of the book build progressively but have been designed as standalone units that can be covered in any sequence, offering flexibility in course design
• Written in a straightforward student-friendly style
• Practical guidelines for executing a job search