Thousands of students have successfully improved their writing and design skills using Anderson's TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION: A READER-CENTERED APPROACH. Known for its treatment of the rhetorical situation and coverage of usability and persuasion, this edition contains new chapters and an innovative design reflecting the visual orientation of today's students.

Part I: Introduction.
1. Communication, Your Career, and This Book.

Communication Expertise Will Be Critical to Your Success. Writing at Work Differs from Writing at School. At Work, Writing is an Action. The Main Advice of This Book: Think Constantly About Your Readers. Qualities of Effective On-the-Job Communication: Usability and Persuasiveness. The Dynamic Interaction Between Your Communication and Your Readers. Some Reader-Centered Strategies You Can Begin Using Now. Communicating Ethically. What Lies Ahead in this Book. Guidelines, Your Creativity, and Your Good Judgment. Exercises. Case: Selecting the Right Forklift Truck.

2. Overview of the Reader-Centered Communication Process: Obtaining a Job.

Central Principles of the Reader-Centered Approach. A Reader-Centered Approach to Writing Your Résumé. Writer's Tutorial: Using Tables to Design a Résumé. Electronic Résumés: Special Considerations. Writing Your Job Application Letter. Ethical Issues in the Job Search. Writing for Employment in Other Countries. Conclusion. Exercises. Case: Advising Patricia.

Part II: Defining Your Communication's Objectives.
3. Defining Your Communication's Objectives.

The Importance of Defining Objectives. Guideline 1 Focus on What You Want to Happen while Your Readers Are Reading. Guideline 2 Define Your Usability Goal: Analyze Your Readers' Reading Tasks. Guideline 3 Define Your Persuasive Goal: Analyze Your Readers' Attitudes. Guideline 4 Learn Your Readers' Personal Characteristics. Guideline 5 Global Guideline: Learn Your Readers' Cultural Characteristics. Guideline 6 Study the Context in Which Your Readers Will Read. Guideline 7 Ask Others to Help You Understand Your Readers and Their Context. Guideline 8 Learn Who All Your Readers Will Be. Guideline 9 Identify Any Constraints on the Way You Write. Guideline 10 Ethics Guideline: Identify Your Communication's Stakeholders. Expertise in Action: An Example. Conclusion. Exercises. Case: Announcing the Smoking Ban.

Part III: Planning.
4. Planning for Usability.

Your Goal When Planning for Usability. Guideline 1 Identify the Information Your Readers Need. Guideline 2 Organize around Your Readers' Tasks. Guideline 3 Identify Ways to Help Readers Quickly Find What They Want. Guideline 4 For a Complex Audience, Plan a Modular Communication. Guideline 5 Look for a Technical Writing Superstructure You Can Adapt. Guideline 6 Plan Your Graphics. Guideline 7 Global Guideline: Determine Your Readers' Cultural Expectations about What Makes a Communication Usable. Guideline 8 Outline, If This Would Be Helpful. Guideline 9 Check Your Plans with Your Readers. Guideline 10 Ethics Guideline: Investigate Stakeholder Impacts. Conclusion. Exercises. Case: Filling the Distance Learning Classroom.

5. Planning Your Persuasive Strategies.

The Two Goals of Persuasion. How Persuasion Works. Guideline 1 Listen--And Respond Flexibly To What You Hear. Guideline 2 Focus on Your Readers' Goals and Values. Guideline 3 Address--And Learn From--Your Readers' Concerns and Counterarguments. Guideline 4 Reason Soundly. Guideline 5 Organize to Create a Favorable Response. Guideline 6 Build an Effective Relationship with Your Readers. Guideline 7 Determine Whether To Appeal to Your Readers' Emotions. Guideline 8 Global Guideline: Adapt Your Persuasive Strategies to Your Readers' Cultural Background. Guideline 9 Ethics Guideline: Employ Ethical Persuasive Techniques. Conclusion. Exercises. Case: Debating a Company Drug-Testing Program.

6. Conducting Reader-Centered Research.

Special Characteristics Of On-the-Job Research. Guideline 1 Define Your Research Objectives. Guideline 2 Create an Efficient and Productive Research Plan. Guideline 3 Check Each Source for Leads to Other Sources. Guideline 4 Carefully Evaluate What You Find. Guideline 5 Begin Interpreting Your Research Results Even as You Obtain Them. Guideline 6 Take Careful Notes. Guideline 7 Ethics Guideline: Observe Intellectual Property Law and Document Your Sources. Conclusion. Exercises.
Writer's Reference Guide: Using Five Reader-Centered Research Methods.
Exploring Your Own Memory and Creativity. Searching the Internet. Writer's Tutorial: Three Ways to Search Efficiently on the Internet. Using the Library. Writer's Tutorial: Conducting Efficient Library Research. Interviewing. Conducting a Survey.

PART IV: Drafting Prose Elements.
7. Drafting Paragraphs, Sections, and Chapters.

Drafting Paragraphs, Sections, and Chapters. Guideline 1 Begin by Announcing Your Topic. Guideline 2 Present Your Generalizations before Your Details. Guideline 3 Move from Most Important to Least Important. Guideline 4 Consult Conventional Strategies When Having Difficulties Organizing. Guideline 5 Global Guidelines: Consider Your Readers' Cultural Background When Organizing. Guideline 6 Reveal Your Communication's Organization. Guideline 7 Smooth The Flow Of Thought From Sentence To Sentence. Guideline 8 Ethics Guideline: Examine the Human Consequences of What You're Drafting. Conclusion. Exercises. Case: Increasing Organ Donations.
Writer's Reference Guide: Using Seven Reader-Centered Organizational Patterns.
Formal classification (Grouping Facts). Informal classification (Grouping Facts). Comparison. Describing an Object (Partitioning). Describing a Process (Segmenting). Cause and Effect. Problem and Solution. Combinations of Patterns. Exercises.

8. Developing an Effective Style.

Creating Your Voice. Guideline 1 Find Out What's Expected. Guideline 2 Consider the Roles Your Voice Creates for Your Readers and You. Guideline 3 Consider How Your Attitude Toward Your Subject Will Affect Your Readers. Guideline 4 Say Things in Your Own Words. Guideline 5 Global Guideline: Adapt Your Voice To Your Readers' Cultural Background. Guideline 6 Ethics Guideline: Avoid Stereotypes. Constructing Sentences. Guideline 1 Simplify Your Sentences. Guideline 2 Put the Action in Your Verbs. Guideline 3 Use the Active Voice Unless You Have a Good Reason to Use the Passive Voice. Guideline 4 Emphasize What's Most Important. Guideline 5 Vary Your Sentence Length and Structure. Guideline 6 Global Guideline: Adapt Your Sentences For Readers Who Are Not Fluent In Your Language. Selecting Words. Guideline 1 Use Concrete, Specific Words. Guideline 2 Use Specialized Terms When--And Only When--Your Readers Will Understand Them. Guideline 3 Use Words Accurately. Guideline 4 Choose Plain Words over Fancy Ones. Guideline 5 Choose Words with Appropriate Associations. Guideline 6 Global Guideline: Consider Your Readers' Cultural Background When Choosing Words. Guideline 7 Ethics Guideline: Use Inclusive Language. Conclusion. Exercises.

9. Beginning a Communication.

Introduction to Guidelines 1 Through 3. Guideline 1 Give Your Readers a Reason to Pay Attention. Guideline 2 State Your Main Point. Guideline 3 Tell Your Readers What to Expect. Guideline 4 Encourage Openness to Your Message. Guideline 5 Provide Necessary Background Information. Guideline 6 Adjust the Length of Your Beginning to Your Readers' Needs. Guideline 7 For Longer Communications, Begin with a Summary. Guideline 8 Adapt Your Beginning to Your Readers' Cultural Background. Guideline 9 Ethics Guideline: Begin to Address Unethical Practices Promptly--And Strategically. Conclusion. Exercises.

10. Ending a Communication.

Guideline 1 After You've Made Your Last Point, Stop. Guideline 2 Repeat Your Main Point. Guideline 3 Summarize Your Key Points. Guideline 4 Refer to a Goal Stated Earlier in Your Communication. Guideline 5 Focus on a Key Feeling. Guideline 6 Tell Your Readers How to Get Assistance or More Information. Guideline 7 Tell Your Readers What to Do Next. Guideline 8 Identify Any Further Study That is Needed. Guideline 9 Follow Applicable Social Conventions. Conclusion. Exercises.

11. Writing Reader-Centered Front and Back Matter.

Guideline 1 Review The Ways Your Readers Will Use The Communication. Guideline 2 Review Your Communication's Persuasive Goals. Guideline 3 Find Out What's Required. Guideline 4 Find Out What's Expected. Guideline 5 Evaluate And Revise Your Front And Back Matter. Conventions and Local Practice in Front and Back Matter. Writing Reader-Centered Front Matter. Writing Reader-Centered Back Matter.

PART V: Drafting Visual Elements.
12. Creating Reader-Centered Graphics.

A Reader-Centered Approach To Creating Graphics. Guideline 1 Look for Places Where Graphics Could Increase Your Communication's Usefulness and Persuasiveness. Writer's Tutorial: Graphics Help Readers Understand and Use Information. Guideline 2 Select the Type of Graphic That Will Be Most Effective at Achieving Your Objectives. Guideline 3 Make Each Graphic Easy to Understand and Use. Guideline 4 Use Color to Support Your Message. Guideline 5 Use Graphics Software And Existing Graphics Effectively. Writer's Tutorial: Creating Reader-Centered Graphs With a Spreadsheet Program. Guideline 6 Integrate Your Graphics with Your Text. Guideline 7 Get Permission and Cite the Sources for Your Graphics. Guideline 8 Global Guideline: Adapt Your Guidelines When Writing to Readers in Other Cultures. Guideline 9 Ethics Guideline: Avoid Graphics That Mislead. Conclusion. Exercises.
Writer's Reference Guide: Creating Eleven Types of Reader-Centered Graphics.
Table. Line graph. Bar graph. Pictograph. Pie chart. Photograph. Drawing. Screen shot. Flowchart. Organizational chart. Schedule chart.

13. Designing Reader-Centered Pages and Documents.

A Reader-Centered Approach to Design. Design Elements of a Communication. Guideline 1 Begin by Considering Your Readers and Purpose. Guideline 2 Create A Grid To Serve As The Visual Framework For Your Pages. Writer's Tutorial: Designing Grid Patterns for Print
[h1] Introduction to Guidelines 3 Through 6. Guideline 3 Align Related Elements with One Another. Guideline 4 Group Related Items Visually. Guideline 5 Use Contrast to Establish Hierarchy and Focus. Using Word Processors to create Page Designs. Guideline 6 Use Repetition to Unify Your Communication Visually. Guideline 7 Select Type That is Easy to Read. Guideline 8 Design Your Overall Document for Ease of Use and Attractiveness. Conclusion. Exercises.

PART VI: Revising.
14. Revising Your Drafts.

The Three Activities of Revising. Checking Your Draft Yourself. Guideline 1 Check from Your Readers' Point of View. Guideline 2 Check from Your Employer's Point of View. Guideline 3 Distance Yourself from Your Draft. Guideline 4 Read Your Draft More Than Once, Changing Your Focus Each Time. Guideline 5 Use Computer Aids to Find (But Not to Cure) Possible Problems. Guideline 6 Ethics Guideline: Consider the Stakeholders' Perspective. Reviewing. Guideline 1 Discuss the Objectives of the Communication and the Review. Guideline 2 Build a Positive Interpersonal Relationship with Your Reviewers or Writer. Guideline 3 Rank Suggested Revisions--And Distinguish Matters of Substance from Matters of Taste. Guideline 4 Explore Fully the Reasons for All Suggestions. Guideline 5 Use Computer Aids for Reviewing in a Reader-Centered Way. Guideline 6 Ethics Guideline: Review from the Stakeholders' Perspective. Guidelines for Managing Your Revising Time. Guideline 1 Adjust Your Effort to the Situation. Guideline 2 Make the Most Significant Revisions First. Guideline 3 Be Diplomatic. Guideline 4 To Revise Well, Follow the Guidelines for Writing Well. Guideline 5 Revise to Learn. Conclusion. Exercises.

15. Testing Drafts for Usability and Persuasiveness.

The Logic of Testing. Guideline 1 Establish Your Test Objectives. Guideline 2 Pick Test Readers Who Truly Represent Your Target Readers. Guideline 3 Focus on Usability: Ask Your Test Readers to Use Your Draft the Same Way Your Target Readers Will. Guideline 4 Focus on Persuasiveness: Learn How Your Draft Affects Your Readers' Attitudes. Guideline 5 Interview Your Test Readers after They Have Read and Used Your Draft. Guideline 6 Avoid Biasing Your Test Results. Guideline 7 Interpret Your Test Results Thoughtfully. Guideline 8 Test Early and Often. Guideline 9 Global Guideline: With Communications For Readers In Other Cultures, Choose Test Readers From The Culture. Guideline 10 Ethics Guideline: Obtain Informed Consent from Your Test Readers. Conclusion. Exercises.

PART VII: Applications of the Reader-Centered Approach.
16. Creating Communications with a Team.

Varieties of Team Structures. Guideline 1 Develop A Shared Understanding Of The Communication's Objectives. Guideline 2 Make and Share Detailed Plans. Guideline 3 Make a Project Schedule. Guideline 4 Share Leadership Responsibilities. Guideline 5 Make Meetings Efficient. Guideline 6 Encourage Discussion, Debate, and Diversity of Ideas. Guideline 7 Use Computer Tools for Collaboration. Guideline 8 Global Guideline: Be Sensitive to Possible Cultural and Gender Differences in Team Interactions. Conclusion. Exercises.

17. Creating and Delivering Listener-Centered Oral Presentations.

Guideline 1 Define Your Presentation's Objectives. Guideline 2 Plan the Verbal and Visual Parts of Your Presentation as a Single Package. Writer's Tutorial: Creating a Listener-Centered Presentation. Guideline 3 Focus on a Few Main Points. Guideline 4 Use a Simple Structure--And Help Your Listeners Follow It. Guideline 5 Speak in a Conversational Style. Guideline 6 Create Easy-to-Read, Understandable Graphics. Guideline 7 Involve Your Audience in Your Presentation. Guideline 8 Prepare for Interruptions and Questions--And Respond Courteously. Guideline 9 Global Guideline: Adapt Your Presentation Strategies To Your Audience's Cultural Background. Guideline 10 Rehearse. Guideline 11 Accept Your Nervousness--And Work with It. Making Team Presentations. Conclusion. Exercises.

18. Creating Reader-Centered Web Pages and Websites.

How the World Wide Web Works. Guideline for Defining Objectives. Guideline 1 Learn About Your Site's Readers And Define Its Purpose. Guideline for Planning. Guideline 2 Create the Map for a Site That Includes What Your Readers Want and Enables Them to Get It Quickly. Guideline 3 Gather the Information Your Readers Need. Writer's Tutorial: Creating a Web Page in HTML Code. Guideline 4 Ethics Guideline: Respect Intellectual Property and Provide Valid Information. Guidelines for Drafting. Guideline 5 Design Pages That are Easy to Use and Attractive. Writer's Tutorial: Designing Grid Patterns for Web Pages. Guideline 6 Provide Navigational Aids that Help Your Readers Move Quickly Through Your Site to the Information They Want. Guideline 7 Unify Your Site Verbally and Visually. Guideline 8 Construct a Site That Readers With Disabilities Can Use. Guideline 9 Global Guideline: Design Your Site for International and Multicultural Readers. Guideline 10 Help Readers Find Your Site on the Internet. Revising Guideline. Guideline 11 Test Your Site Before Launching It. Exercises.

19. Managing Client and Service-Learning Projects.

Overall Project Management Strategy. Guideline 1 Determine Exactly What Your Client Wants and Why. Guideline 2 Develop Your Own Assessment of the Situation. Guideline 3 Create a Project Management Plan. Guideline 4 Submit a Written Proposal to Your Client--and Ask for Written Agreement. Guideline 5 Communicate with Your Client Often--Especially at All Major Decisions. Guideline 6 Advocate and Educate, But Defer to Your Client. Guideline 7 Hand Off the Project in a Helpful Way. Conclusion. Exercises.

Part VIII: Superstructures.
20. Writing Reader-Centered Correspondence: Letters, Memos, and E-mail.

Guideline 1 Adopt A Reader-Centered "You-Attitude". Guideline 2 State Your Main Point Up Front--Unless Your Readers Will React Negatively. Guideline 3 Keep It Short. Guideline 4 Give Your Readers The Background They Need. Guideline 5 Use Headings, Lists, and Graphics. Guideline 6 Global Guideline: Learn The Customs Of Your Readers' Culture. Guideline 7 Follow Format Conventions. Writing Reader-Centered Letters. Writer's Tutorial: Writing Letters. Writing Reader-Centered Memos. Writing Reader-Centered Email. Writer's Tutorial: Writing Memos. Writer's Tutorial: Writing Email.

21. Writing Reader-Centered Reports.

Your Readers Want to Use the Information You Provide. Readers' Six Basic Questions. General Superstructure for Reports. Sample Outlines and Report. Conclusion.
Writer's Reference Guide: Creating Three Types of Special Reports.
Empirical Research Reports. Feasibility Reports. Progress Reports.

22. Writing Reader-Centered Proposals.

The Variety of Proposal-Writing Situations. Proposal Readers Are Investors. The Questions Readers Ask Most Often. Strategy of the Conventional Superstructure for Proposals. Superstructure for Proposals. Sample Proposal.

23. Writing Reader-Centered Instructions.

Four Important Points. Superstructure for Instructions. Physical Construction of Instructions. Online Instructions. Sample Instructions. Exercises.
Appendix A: Documenting Your Sources.
Choosing a Format for Documentation. Deciding Where to Place In-Text Citations. Writing APA In-Text Citations. Writing An APA Reference List. Writing MLA In-Text Citations. Writing an MLA Works Cited List.
Appendix B: Projects
Project 1 Résumé and Job Application Letter. Project 2 Informational Web Site. Project 3 Informational Page. Project 4 Unsolicited Recommendation. Project 5 Brochure. Project 6 Instructions. Project 7 User Test and Report. Project 8 Project Proposal. Project 9 Progress Report. Project 10 Formal Report or Proposal. Project 11 Oral Briefing I: Project Plans. Project 12 Oral Briefing II: Project Results.
Acknowledgments.
References.
Index.