THIS TEXTBOOK EXPLORES how people in the working world find, create, and deliver technical information. Even if you do not plan on becoming a technical communicator (a person whose main job is to produce documents such as manuals, reports, and websites), you will often find yourself writing documents on your own, participating in teams that write them, and contributing technical information for others who read and write them. The purpose of Practical Strategies for Technical Communication is to help you learn the skills you need to communicate more effectively and more efficiently in your professional life.
People in the working world communicate technical information for a number of purposes, many of which fall into one of two categories:
To help others learn about a subject, carry out a task, or make a decision. For instance, the president of a manufacturing company might write an article in the company newsletter to explain to employees why management decided to phase out production of one of the company’s products. Administrators with the Social Security Administration might hire a media-
To reinforce or change attitudes and motivate readers to take action. A wind-
Notice that when you communicate in the workplace, you always have a clear purpose—what you want to achieve—