Technical Writing (CSC379)

Course Description:

This course is designed for students to enhance their skills for workplace writing. It helps them in the process of ‘listening, researching, planning, composing, revising, and editing’ documents for use in business, science, hi-tech, and other practical fields. Technical Writing for Success provides students with practical approach to producing their own proposal content, manual instructions, informative briefs, news releases, and other pragmatic documents. Abundant in sample documents, critical thinking questions, and insightful writing advice on style and voice, this textbook prepares students for successful technical writing.

Course Objective:

Enable students to identify the importance and characteristics of technical writing and produce some quality technical pieces of workplace writing.


1.

What Is Technical Writing

Introduction; You Are a Technical Writer!; Characteristics of a Technical Writing; How Technical Writing Compares to Other Writing

2.

Audience and Purpose

Introduction; Meeting the Audience’s Needs; Planning Your Document’s Purpose, Scope, and Medium

3.

Writing Process

Introduction; A Process for Technical Writing; Planning; Drafting and Revising; Copyediting and Publishing; Writing Collaboratively

4.

Brief Correspondence

Introduction; Introduction to Text Messages; E-mails; Memos, and Letters; Audience; Prewriting; Formatting; Composing the Message

5.

Document Design and Graphics

Introduction; Designing the Document; Who Reads Graphics?; Designing Graphics; Constructing Graphics

6.

Writing for the Web

Introduction; Getting Started on Web Pages; Organizing and Designing Web Pages; Writing Text for the Web; Special Web Pages

7.

Information Reports

Introduction; Getting Started on Informative Reports; Summary and Abstract; Mechanism and Description; Periodic Reports; Progress Reports; News Releases

8.

Employment Communication

Introduction; Getting Started on Employment Communication; Formatting and Organizing Resumes; Types of Resumes; Composing Resumes; Composing Employment Letters

9.

Presentations

Introduction; Getting Started on Presentations; Planning; Organizing and Composing; Preparing; Rehearsing; Presenting; Organizing a Group Presentation

10.

Recommendation Reports

Introduction; What Is a Recommendation Report?; Starting a Recommendation Report; Formatting and Organizing Recommendation Reports; Composing Recommendation Reports

11.

Proposals

Introduction; What Is a Proposal?; Getting Started on Proposal; Composing Informal Proposals; Composing Formal Proposals

12.

Ethics in the Workplace

Introduction; What Is Ethics?; Creating a Culture of Ethics; What Do you When Faces with an Ethical Dilemma?; Why Is It So Difficult to Behave Ethically?