Technical Communication: Blueprinting

1. Technical Communication: Blueprinting Prof. Q

2. The Importance of Structure Thinking is Random!!!! What does the data suggest? What should be emphasized? How will the document be approached? What belongs where? What should you say in what order? Why? How should you end?

3. Basic Structure Introduction – Announces the topic and provides an overview. Body – Provides evidence, data, and details. Conclusion – Summarizes by taking a position and making recommendations.

4. P. 84

5. Strategies for Outlining List key topics Set up a standard outline Place key topics where they fit Be consistent with outline notation Refine your outline as you work

6. Sample Outline (Complex Reports, Proposals) • I. INTRODUCTION • Background • Purpose of Report • Sources • Limitations of Report • Scope • II. DATA • III. CONCLUSION • Summary of Findings • Interpretation of Findings • Recommendations

7. More Strategies for Outlining • Chunking (brake down info in sections) • Sequencing • Spatial • Chronological • Problem-Solution • Cause and Effect • Paragraphing • Topic Sentence • Cohesiveness • Coherence • Clarifying Heads • Providing an Overview (Manuals, Long Documents)

8. Class Activity I In your teams, answer the questions on column A for two of the documents in column B.

9. About Style • Avoid ambiguous pronoun references. • Avoid ambiguous modifiers. • Bill told Darius that he was working too hard. • Janice dislikes working with Magdalena because she’s impatient. • Just place the dishes back in the cabinets after 8 p.m. • Before she passed away, Jane told her mother that she admired her.

10. About Style II • Use active voice whenever possible. • The evaluation was performed by us. • Hard hats should be worn at all times. • Use passive voice selectively (don’t be blunt). • You did a poor job at editing the report. • Joe’s company fired him.

11. About Style III • Avoid Nominalization • My recommendation is for a larger budget vs. I recommend a larger budget. • Unstack Modifying Nouns • Be sure to leave enough time for today’s training session participant evaluation vs. Be sure to leave enough time for participants to evaluate today’s training session.

12. About Style IV Avoid Jargon Write Concisely Eliminate Redundancy Combine Related Ideas Avoid Sexist, Racist, and Biased Language

13. Avoiding Sexism Use gender-neutral expressions Don’t mention gender if it’s not relevant Avoid sexist pronouns Drop condescending endings Use Ms.

14. Doing It Wrong!!!!

15. Doing It Wrong!!!

16. Class Activity http://academicmaps.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-cope-and-overcome-irritated-and.html http://blog.uta.edu/englishmatters/2012/10/01/customer-service/

17. Optional Homework Read and Comment on Dr. Morris’ post regarding today’s exercise: http://blog.uta.edu/englishmatters/2012/10/01/customer-service/

18. Using Visuals To support text On their own Don’t include too much information Provide brief descriptions Label rows and columns Line up data Keep data brief Credit your sources Consider Audience

19. Types of Visuals Tables (Numeric, Textual) Graphs (Bar, Line) Charts (Flow, Pie) Illustrations (Full art) Diagrams (How the parts fit) Photographs and Video Icons and Symbols

20. Further Reading: Additional Strategies (p. 136)

21. Class Activity As a team, find two websites that use images to compliment text. Do these sites use the visuals in a rhetorically effective way? Why / Why not?

22. Document Design Header includes Logo Uses headings and bullets Has ample margins Bullet list breaks up paragraphs. Samples on P. 142 - 143

23. Design Elements • Font Style • Font Size • Headings (Navigation) • Color, Shading, Boldface, Italics, Underlining • Bullet Lists and Numbers • Running Header and Footer • TOCs, Indexes Grid Patterns Margins Paragraphs Justification White Space Line Spacing Indentation

24. Class Work Fix the Document Check your e-mail for link