Technical Writing Course Outline

Below is a detailed table of contents for the Technical Writing course.

About the course

Course overview Goals and objectives Computing requirements Course prerequisites How do I communicate? How will I be graded? How do I start? Course outline

Getting started
Working with a structured editor Getting started - the basics Installing the software Authoring documents Saving files Publishing files Conducting a search in the course Using course resources

Writing letters
Thinking critically about letters Using the You Attitude Focusing on the benefits for the reader Understanding human nature Avoiding objectionable expressions Using a positive tone Connecting with the reader Organizing your letter Salutation Introductory paragraph (body) Middle paragraphs (body) Concluding paragraph (body) Closing Writing a persuasive letter Setting the scene Center on one action Capture the readers interest Do not thank in advance Is there a deadline? Sample letter Proofreading Exercises Summary Further reading

Assignment one
Description Requirements Grading Creating the letter Preparing your files for submission

What is technical communication?

Technical communication skills Principles of technical writing Technical writing is interpreting Planning is crucial Technical writing is not creative writing Focus on user tasks Not just manuals Software for technical writers

Summary Further reading

Writing technical documents

The Seven Cs Clarity Concreteness Conciseness Consistency Coherence Cohesion Complete Active voice Positive and negative phrases Reader focus Parallel form Tone Jargon Gender-neutral words Chunking Minimalism Headings Descriptive headings Types of headings Parallelism in headings Capitalization for headings Task-oriented information Introductory information Using lists for instructions Single action in each step Providing one method of completing a task Limiting the number of steps Graphics Standards for procedures Results or examples Quiz Summary Further reading Exercises

Assignment two
Description Requirements Grading Submitting the assignment

Preparing to write a manual

Post your letter Read the letters Form a group Working in a group Description Requirements Submit the manual proposal Writing process Stage one - Planning and setup Stage two - Research Stage three - Creating an outline Stage four - Writing the manual Stage five - Editing Get started

Understanding the audience

The audience question What is an audience? Types of audiences Write for your audience Meet your audience's needs Be careful about assumptions

Audience analysis Analyzing multi-faceted audiences Analyze your audience Identify the characteristics of the audience Assess the objectives of the audience Create a user profile Using personas General user characteristics Focus on the audience Quiz Summary Further reading

Planning a manual
Learning about the product Preparing an information plan Defining the project Describing the audience Completing a task analysis Defining the design implications Creating a project plan Quiz Summary Further reading

Writing a manual
No one wants to read your user manual Types of manuals Online vs print manuals Understanding information types Reference information Procedural information Instructional information Conceptual information Combining information types Planning the manual outline Creating an outline Grouping related tasks Sample manual structure Writing the manual Writing modular content Thinking like a user Maintaining a consistent style Writing content Ensuring retrievability Usability principles Table of contents Glossary Index Revising the manual Editing Substantive edit Copyedit Proofreading Peer review Testing for usability Quiz Summary Further reading

Using graphics
Why use graphics? Graphics in technical documents Design issues Choosing your graphic Captions Callouts Types of graphics Graphs

Diagrams and illustrations Photographs Icons Sources of graphics Screen capture Scanning pictures Graphics in online documents Pixels in graphics Image formats File size Image maps Saving graphics from Web pages Making graphics with irregular shapes Guidelines for Web graphics Graphic software Graphic checklist Quiz Summary Further reading

Assignment three
Description Requirements Grading Writing the manual Publishing the manual to HTML Writing tips Manual checklist Submitting the assignment

Testing the manual

Verification phase Usability testing defined Mental models The costs of not testing Usability testing and product quality A do-it-yourself usability kit Simplified user testing Will usability testing help? Setting up the test Quiz Summary Further reading

Maintaining standards
Why use standards? Setting standards Selecting authorities Determining your writing standards Setting your tone Deciding on your writing level Organizing your material Capitalizing words Using foreign words and phrases Using words consistently Using bias-free language Punctuating lists Deciding on serial commas Using other punctuation marks Using bold, italics and underlining Representing numbers and fractions Reproducing phone numbers Setting standards for print Standards as an editing tool Sample style guide Sample writing standards Sample layout standards Summary Further reading

Assignment four
Description Preparation Requirements Grading Conducting the usability test Preparing for your usability test Creating a task list Conducting the usability test Writing the usability testing report Submitting the assignment

Reporting
Introduction Purpose of report writing What is reporting? Informal reports Formal reports Audience Specialized audience General audience Content and evidence Style Writing the report Determining the purpose Gathering the data Analyzing the data Organizing the information Writing the draft Revising the content Formatting your information Preliminary pages Summary Main section Conclusion Recommendations References Glossary (optional) Appendix (optional) Writing effective reports Summary Further reading

Designing documents
Design and technical writing Design principles Consistency and emphasis Balance Contrast Size of elements Sample elements resized Typography Page layout Using grids for page composition Text organizers White space Using color Integrating text and graphic devices Design tips Web design Considerations for Web design Content is king Page identity Backgrounds Links Designing for browsers Site structure and navigation Typography

What is a typeface? Typeface categories Type properties Type alignment Type size Emphasis Monospaced versus proportional fonts Typography on the web Choosing the right typeface Developing good design Summary Further reading

Assignment five
Description Requirements Writing your report Assessing the quality of online resources Grading A note on plagiarism Submitting the assignment

Writing guide
Paragraphs Paragraph length Topic sentence Paragraph unity and coherence Consistency of tense and pronoun Sentences Sentence problems Run-on sentences Sentence fragments Dangling and misplaced modifiers Lack of parallel structure Lack of sentence variation Wordiness Agreement Unclear pronoun reference Matters of style Non-sexist language Jargon and technical terminology Passive and active voice Punctuation Comma Semicolon Colon Period Question mark Hyphen Dash Punctuation quiz Revision tactics Revision checklist Glossary

Resources
Quick reference sources Scholarly societies Writing resources
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