Technical Communication

This is my concept mapping and note taking for TWC 301.

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Technical Communication by Mind Map: Technical Communication

1. Netiquette

1.1. choose an appropriate email address

1.2. use an appropriate subject

1.2.1. 4-8 words

1.3. respect others' bandwith

1.3.1. keep short

1.3.2. don't include complete text in a reply email

1.4. lurk before you leap

1.5. polish your writing

1.5.1. if your emails are sloppy, you may seem careless,too

1.6. watch those caps

1.6.1. you appear to be shouting

1.7. use attachments properly

1.7.1. contact in advance for big files

1.7.2. inform about attachment

1.7.3. HTW: try to keep short msgs in message, so don't have to open an attachment

1.8. back it up/save it

1.9. Nothing is private!

1.9.1. illegal

1.9.2. inappropriate

1.9.3. offensive

2. Characteristics of Tech. Comm.

2.1. Rhetorical

2.2. Audience Centered

2.3. Tech oriented

2.4. Ethical

2.5. Research oriented

2.6. Professional

2.7. Visual

2.8. Design-centered

2.9. Concise

3. Process

3.1. Planning

3.2. Researching

3.3. Organizing

3.4. Designing

3.5. Drafting

3.6. Integrating Visuals

3.7. Revising

3.8. Rewriting

3.9. Editing

3.10. Testing

4. New node

5. ethics

5.1. defined: code of conduct that helps individuals determine what is right/wrong

5.1.1. normative ethics

5.1.1.1. study of ethics concerned with classifying what is considered right/wrong

5.1.2. applied ethics

5.1.2.1. study of particular ethical issues, problems, and circumstances

5.1.3. metaethics

5.1.3.1. study of where ethical ideas come from/develop

5.2. Guidelines

5.2.1. ethics/laws not the same

5.2.1.1. liability laws

5.2.1.2. environmental laws

5.2.1.3. copyright laws

5.2.1.4. patent laws

5.2.1.5. trademark and service mark laws

5.2.1.6. contract laws

5.2.2. be honest

5.2.3. respect confidentiality

5.3. technology

5.3.1. email

5.3.2. visuals

5.3.3. websites

5.4. unethical

5.4.1. deceptive/evasive language

5.4.2. misinterpret issue

5.4.2.1. abstract language

5.4.2.2. jargon

5.4.2.3. emphasis/suppression of info

5.4.2.4. visual rhetoric

5.4.2.5. plagiarism

5.4.2.6. inaccurate info

5.4.2.6.1. double check everything!

5.4.3. New node

5.5. transnational

6. Types of Technical Comm.

6.1. Email

6.2. Letters

6.3. Proposals

6.4. Manuals

6.5. Job Search docs

6.6. Websites

6.7. Presentations

6.8. Memos...

7. Defined:

7.1. "information about a technical subject to a specific audience for a specific purpose"

8. Problem Solving Approach: PSA

8.1. plan

8.1.1. confirm your purpose

8.1.2. analyze audience

8.2. research

8.2.1. gather info

8.2.2. develop ideas

8.2.2.1. collaboration

8.2.2.2. listing

8.2.2.3. freewriting

8.2.2.4. clustering

8.2.2.4.1. who, what, where, when, why, how?

8.2.2.4.2. HTW mindmap?

8.2.3. organizing info

8.2.3.1. purpose

8.2.3.2. audience

8.2.3.3. logic

8.2.3.4. ethics

8.2.4. organizational strategy

8.2.4.1. sequential

8.2.4.1.1. numbered

8.2.4.1.2. transition words

8.2.4.1.3. sequence words

8.2.4.1.4. images to clarify sequence

8.2.4.2. chronological

8.2.4.2.1. timeline

8.2.4.2.2. flowchart

8.2.4.3. order of importance

8.2.4.3.1. increase/decreasing order

8.2.4.4. general/specific

8.2.4.4.1. background

8.2.4.4.2. scope

8.2.4.4.3. context

8.2.4.4.4. examples

8.2.4.4.5. derived from deductive reasoning

8.2.4.4.6. flowchart can help when drafting

8.2.4.4.7. language to identify pattern

8.2.4.5. division

8.2.4.5.1. allows you to divide a whole idea into components

8.2.4.5.2. images to show how everything is connected

8.2.4.5.3. lists to identify parts of whole

8.2.4.5.4. classification system to group parts together

8.2.4.6. classification

8.2.4.6.1. groups items according to similarites

8.2.4.6.2. well-designed and thought out categories

8.2.4.6.3. parallel structures

8.2.4.6.4. without leaving anything out

8.2.4.6.5. keywords to identify classes and rationals behind them

8.2.4.7. cause & effect

8.2.4.7.1. relationships between events

8.2.4.7.2. only evidence that's directly linked

8.2.4.7.3. evidence of more general data

8.2.4.7.4. only plausible data

8.2.4.7.5. chart/diagram to organize info to show relationships

8.2.4.8. comparison/contrast

8.2.4.8.1. charts, tables, graphs, etc to show comparison

8.2.4.8.2. evaluative language

8.2.4.8.3. only representative language

8.2.4.8.4. data that's plausibly compared

8.2.4.9. HTW spatial

8.2.4.9.1. physical space or objects

8.2.4.10. OVERALL TIPS

8.2.4.10.1. explicit

8.2.4.10.2. consistent

8.2.4.10.3. consider access method

8.2.4.10.4. ethically presented

8.2.4.10.5. identify primary and secondary points of info

8.2.4.10.6. task-based info should be in order of action

8.3. draft

8.3.1. front matter

8.3.1.1. title

8.3.1.2. cover image

8.3.1.3. date

8.3.1.4. byline

8.3.1.5. table of contents

8.3.1.6. list of figures

8.3.1.7. executive summary/abstract

8.3.1.8. materials, parts, or tools lists

8.3.1.9. inside and return addresses

8.3.1.10. definitions

8.3.1.11. alerts and warnings

8.3.1.12. introductions

8.3.1.12.1. purpose/objective

8.3.1.12.2. scope

8.3.1.12.3. statement of problem

8.3.1.12.4. information/background

8.3.1.12.5. key terms

8.3.1.12.6. overview of organization

8.3.1.12.7. summary

8.3.2. body

8.3.2.1. procedures

8.3.2.2. data

8.3.2.3. steps

8.3.3. end matter

8.3.3.1. conclusions

8.3.3.2. additional information

8.3.3.3. troubleshooting suggestions

8.3.3.4. additional warning/alerts

8.3.3.5. recommendations

8.3.3.6. indexes

8.3.3.7. appendixes

8.3.3.8. glossaries

8.3.3.9. contact information

8.3.3.10. follow-up information

8.4. review

8.5. distribute

9. Problems

9.1. workplace

9.1.1. perceived problems

9.1.2. real problems

9.2. Rhetorical

9.2.1. Aristotle: "study of the available means of persuasion in any given situation"

9.2.2. Thinking rhetorically

9.2.2.1. exigency

9.2.2.1.1. To inform

9.2.2.1.2. To define

9.2.2.1.3. To explain

9.2.2.1.4. To propose

9.2.2.1.5. To convince

9.2.2.2. workplace writer

9.2.2.2.1. correctness

9.2.2.2.2. experience/expertise

9.2.2.2.3. goodwill

9.2.2.2.4. identification

9.2.2.2.5. Trust

9.2.2.3. audience

9.2.2.3.1. vary/ multiple audiences

9.2.2.3.2. expectations/attitudes

9.2.2.3.3. use documents differently

9.2.2.4. document

9.2.2.4.1. audience needs

9.2.2.4.2. create credibility

9.2.2.5. contextual factors/ constraints

9.2.2.5.1. don't exist in a vacuum

9.2.2.5.2. Ex. Location

10. Creating Documents

10.1. word processors

10.2. presentation software

10.3. graphics/imaging software

10.4. web-authoring

10.5. desktop publishing software

10.6. help/ e-learning authoring tools

10.7. single-sourcing programs

11. communicating-collaboration

11.1. internet

11.1.1. intranets

11.1.1.1. private networks to share/collab

11.1.1.2. authentication needed

11.2. WWW

11.2.1. access

11.2.2. storage

11.2.3. multimedia

11.2.4. transmission

11.2.5. collab

11.3. email

11.3.1. speed

11.3.2. price

11.3.3. convenience

11.3.4. organization

11.4. HTW: messaging

11.4.1. AOL

11.4.2. Yahoo!

11.5. videoconfrencing

11.6. groupware

11.6.1. plan, draft, revise, manage documents

11.6.2. HTW: presentations, spreadsheets, documents

11.6.3. share documents/files

11.6.4. IM, videoconfrencing, blogging

11.6.5. email/text message

11.6.6. whiteboards

11.6.7. webpages

11.6.8. manage contacts

12. Culture

12.1. differences

12.1.1. language

12.1.1.1. target language

12.1.1.2. national languages

12.1.1.3. international English

12.1.1.4. text direction

12.1.1.5. writing style

12.1.2. technology

12.1.2.1. same technology?

12.1.2.2. machine translation

12.1.2.2.1. limited capabilities

12.1.3. education

12.1.3.1. literacy

12.1.3.2. common knowledge

12.1.3.3. learning style

12.1.4. politics/law

12.1.4.1. trade issues

12.1.4.2. legal issues

12.1.4.3. political traditions/symbols

12.1.5. society

12.1.5.1. age

12.1.5.2. business etiquette

12.1.5.3. family/social interaction

12.1.6. economics

12.1.6.1. currency value

12.1.6.2. exchange rates

12.1.6.3. assigning monetary value

12.1.7. religion

12.2. stereotypes

12.2.1. assumptions

12.3. learning

12.3.1. asking questions

12.3.2. work with a translator

12.3.2.1. translation

12.3.2.1.1. terminology

12.3.2.1.2. clarity

12.3.2.1.3. cultural/rhetorical

12.3.2.1.4. design