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MyTechCommLab™, IFC-1
Specific Usability Features of Technical Communication, Eleventh Edition, i
Why Do You Need this New Edition?, ii
Copyright, iv
List of Sample Documents, xix
Preface, xxi
Chapter 1: Introduction to Technical Communication, 1
Chapter 1. Introduction to Technical Communication, 1
Technical Communication Is User Centered, 2
Technical Communication Is Accessible, 2
Technical Communication Comes in All Shapes and Sizes, 5
Technical Communicators Rely on Many Skills, 7
Technical Communication Is Part of Most Careers, 7
Communication Has Both an Electronic and a Human Side, 8
Communication Reaches a Diverse Audience, 9
Consider This: Twenty-First Century Jobs Require Portable Skills, 10
On the Job...: Types of Writing, 11
Exercises, 12
Collaborative Project, 12
Service-Learning Project, 12
Part I. Communicating in the Workplace, 13
Chapter 2. Preparing an Effective Technical Document, 14
Complete the Key Tasks, 15
Rely on Creative and Critical Thinking, 18
Make Proofreading Your Final Step, 21
Guidelines: for Proofreading, 21
Checklist: Proofreading, 22
Consider This: Workplace Settings Are Increasingly “Virtual”, 23
Exercises, 23
Collaborative Project, 24
Service-Learning Project, 24
Chapter 3. Delivering Usable Information, 25
Know What Different Audiences Expect, 26
Assess the Audience’s Information Needs, 27
Identify Levels of Technicality, 28
The Highly Technical Document, 28
The Semitechnical Document, 29
The Nontechnical Document, 30
Primary and Secondary Audiences, 31
Web-Based Documents for Multiple Audiences, 33
Develop an Audience and Use Profile, 34
Audience Characteristics, 34
Purpose of the Document, 34
Intended Use of the Document, 34
Audience’s Technical Background, 36
Audience’s Cultural Background, 36
Performance Objectives for This Document, 36
Setting, 37
Possible Hazards or Sources of Error, 38
Appropriate Details and Page Design, 38
Due Date and Timing, 38
Create a Design Plan for the Document, 38
Write, Test, and Revise Your Document, 42
Checklist: Usability, 43
Consider This: Communication Failure Can Have Drastic Consequences, 44
On the Job...: Audiences, 45
Exercises, 46
Collaborative Project, 46
Service-Learning Project, 47
Chapter 4. Being Persuasive, 48
Identify Your Specific Goal, 50
Try to Predict Audience Reaction, 51
Expect Audience Resistance, 51
Know How to Connect with the Audience, 53
Allow for Give-and-Take, 55
Ask for a Specific Response, 56
Never Ask for Too Much, 56
Recognize All Constraints, 56
Organizational Constraints, 56
Legal Constraints, 57
Ethical Constraints, 58
Time Constraints, 58
Social and Psychological Constraints, 58
Consider This: People Often React Emotionally to Persuasive Appeals, 59
Support Your Claims Convincingly, 60
Offer Convincing Evidence, 61
Appeal to Common Goals and Values, 62
Consider the Cultural Context, 63
Guidelines: for Persuasion, 65
Shaping Your Argument, 67
Checklist: Persuasion, 71
On the Job...: Persuasive Challenges, 72
Exercises, 73
Collaborative Project, 74
Service-Learning Project, 74
Chapter 5. Weighing the Ethical Issues, 75
Recognize Unethical Communication in the Workplace, 76
Know the Major Causes of Unethical Communication, 77
Yielding to Social Pressure, 77
Mistaking Groupthink for Teamwork, 78
Understand the Potential for Communication Abuse, 79
Suppressing Knowledge the Public Needs, 79
Hiding Conflicts of Interest, 80
Exaggerating Claims about Technology, 80
Falsifying or Fabricating Data, 80
Using Visual Images That Conceal the Truth, 80
Stealing or Divulging Proprietary Information, 80
Misusing Electronic Information, 81
Withholding Information People Need for Their Jobs, 81
Exploiting Cultural Differences, 81
Rely on Critical Thinking for Ethical Decisions, 82
Reasonable Criteria for Ethical Judgment, 82
Ethical Dilemmas, 83
Anticipate Some Hard Choices, 84
Never Depend Only on Legal Guidelines, 85
Learn to Recognize Plagiarism, 87
Consider This: Ethical Standards Are Good for Business, 88
Decide Where and How to Draw the Line, 88
Checklist: Ethical Communication, 90
Guidelines: for Ethical Communication, 92
On the Job...: Ethical Issues, 93
Exercises, 94
Collaborative Project, 94
Service-Learning Project, 95
Chapter 6. Working in Teams, 96
Teamwork and Project Management, 97
Guidelines: for Managing a Collaborative Project, 97
Conducting Meetings, 98
Guidelines: for Running a Meeting, 101
Sources of Conflict in Collaborative Groups, 101
Interpersonal Differences, 101
Gender and Cultural Differences, 102
Managing Group Conflict, 103
Overcoming Differences by Active Listening, 103
Guidelines: for Active Listening, 104
Thinking Creatively, 105
Brainstorming, 105
Brainwriting, 106
Mind-Mapping, 106
Storyboarding, 106
Reviewing and Editing Others’ Work, 107
Guidelines: for Peer Reviewing and Editing, 107
Face-to-Face Versus Electronically Mediated Collaboration, 108
Ethical Abuses in Workplace Collaboration, 109
Intimidating One’s Peers, 109
Claiming Credit for Others’ Work, 109
Hoarding Information, 109
On the Job...: Collaborative Writing, 110
Exercises, 111
Collaborative Projects, 111
Service-Learning Project, 111
Part II. The Research Process, 113
Chapter 7. Thinking Critically about the Research Process, 114
Asking the Right Questions, 115
Exploring a Balance of Views, 117
Achieving Adequate Depth in Your Search, 117
Evaluating Your Findings, 119
Interpreting Your Findings, 119
Consider This: Expert Opinion Is Not Always Reliable, 119
Guidelines: for Evaluating Expert Opinion, 120
Exercise, 121
Chapter 8. Exploring Electronic and Hard Copy Sources, 122
Internet Sources, 123
Online News and Magazines, 123
Government Sites, 124
Community Discussion Groups and Bulletin Boards, 124
Blogs and Wikis, 124
Email Lists, 125
Library Chatrooms, 125
Library Databases Searchable via the Internet, 125
Other Types of Web Sites, 126
Guidelines: for Researching on the Internet, 126
Intranets and Extranets, 127
Other Electronic Sources, 127
Compact Discs, 127
Online Retrieval Services, 127
Hard Copy Sources, 128
Reference Works, 128
Card Catalog, 129
Guides to Literature, 129
Indexes, 129
Abstracts, 131
Access Tools for U.S. Government Publications, 131
Microforms, 132
Consider This: Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright of Hard Copy Information, 132
Consider This: Information in Electronic Form Is Copyright Protected, 134
On The Job...: The Role of Research, 135
Exercise, 136
Collaborative Projects, 136
Service-Learning Project, 136
Chapter 9. Exploring Primary Sources, 137
Informative Interviews, 138
Guidelines: for Informative Interviews, 138
Surveys and Questionnaires, 140
Defining the Survey’s Purpose and Target Population, 140
Identifying the Sample Group, 140
Defining the Survey Method, 140
Guidelines: for Developing a Questionnaire, 142
A Sample Questionnaire, 143
Inquiry Letters, Phone Calls, and Email Inquiries, 143
Public Records and Organizational Publications, 146
Personal Observation and Experiments, 146
Exercises, 147
Collaborative Project, 147
Service-Learning Project, 147
Chapter 10. Evaluating and Interpreting Information, 149
Evaluate the Sources, 150
Guidelines: for Evaluating Sources on the Web, 153
Evaluate the Evidence, 154
Interpret Your Findings, 155
Identify Your Level of Certainty, 156
Examine the Underlying Assumptions, 156
Be Alert for Personal Bias, 157
Consider Other Possible Interpretations, 157
Consider This: Standards of Proof Vary for Different Audiences and Cultural Settings, 158
Avoid Errors in Reasoning, 158
Faulty Generalization, 159
Faulty Causal Reasoning, 159
Faulty Statistical Reasoning, 162
Acknowledge the Limits of Research, 166
Obstacles to Validity and Reliability, 166
Flaws in Research Studies, 166
Measurement Errors, 167
Deceptive Reporting, 167
Guidelines: for Evaluating and Interpreting Information, 168
Checklist: The Research Process, 170
Exercises, 171
Collaborative Projects, 172
Service-Learning Project, 172
Chapter 11. Summarizing and Abstracting Information, 173
Purpose of Summaries, 174
What Users Expect from a Summary, 175
Guidelines: for Summarizing Information, 175
A Situation Requiring a Summary, 176
Forms of Summarized Information, 182
Closing Summary, 183
Informative Abstract (“Summary”), 183
Descriptive Abstract (“Abstract”), 184
Executive Abstract, 184
Ethical Considerations in Summarizing Information, 186
Checklist: Usability of Summaries, 187
On the Job...: The Importance of Summaries, 188
Exercises, 189
Collaborative Project, 189
Service-Learning Project, 189
Part III. Structure, Style, Graphics, and Page Design, 193
Chapter 12. Organizing for Users, 194
Partitioning and Classifying, 195
Outlining, 196
A Document’s Basic Shape, 196
The Formal Outline, 196
Organizing for Cross-Cultural Audiences, 200
The Report Design Worksheet, 200
Storyboarding, 200
Paragraphing, 204
The Support Paragraph, 204
The Topic Sentence, 205
Paragraph Unity, 205
Paragraph Coherence, 206
Paragraph Length, 207
Sequencing, 207
Spatial Sequence, 207
Chronological Sequence, 208
Effect-to-Cause Sequence, 208
Cause-to-Effect Sequence, 209
Emphatic Sequence, 209
Problem-Causes-Solution Sequence, 209
Comparison-Contrast Sequence, 210
Chunking, 211
Creating an Overview, 212
Exercises, 213
Collaborative Project, 213
Chapter 13. Editing for Readable Style, 215
Editing for Clarity, 217
Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun References, 217
Avoid Ambiguous Modifiers, 217
Unstack Modifying Nouns, 218
Arrange Word Order for Coherence and Emphasis, 218
Use Active Voice Whenever Possible, 219
Use Passive Voice Selectively, 221
Avoid Overstuffed Sentences, 222
Editing for Conciseness, 223
Avoid Wordy Phrases, 223
Eliminate Redundancy, 223
Avoid Needless Repetition, 223
Avoid There Sentence Openers, 224
Avoid Some It Sentence Openers, 224
Delete Needless Prefaces, 224
Avoid Weak Verbs, 225
Avoid Excessive Prepositions, 226
Fight Noun Addiction, 226
Make Negatives Positive, 227
Clean Out Clutter Words, 228
Delete Needless Qualifiers, 228
Editing for Fluency, 229
Combine Related Ideas, 229
Vary Sentence Construction and Length, 231
Use Short Sentences for Special Emphasis, 232
Finding the Exact Words, 232
Prefer Simple and Familiar Wording, 232
Avoid Useless Jargon, 233
Use Acronyms Selectively, 234
Avoid Triteness, 234
Avoid Misleading Euphemisms, 235
Avoid Overstatement, 235
Avoid Imprecise Wording, 236
Be Specific and Concrete, 238
Adjusting Your Tone, 238
Guidelines: for Deciding about Tone, 240
Consider Using an Occasional Contraction, 240
Address Readers Directly, 240
Use I and We When Appropriate, 241
Prefer the Active Voice, 241
Emphasize the Positive, 242
Avoid an Overly Informal Tone, 242
Avoid Personal Bias, 242
Avoid Sexist Usage, 243
Guidelines: for Nonsexist Usage, 243
Avoid Offensive Usage of All Types, 244
Guidelines: for Inoffensive Usage, 244
Considering the Cultural Context, 245
Legal and Ethical Implications of Word Choice, 246
Using Automated Editing Tools Effectively, 247
Checklist: Style, 248
On the Job...: Revising a Document, 249
Exercises, 250
Collaborative Project, 251
Chapter 14. Designing Visual Information, 252
Why Visuals Matter, 253
When to Use Visuals, 254
Types of Visuals to Consider, 255
How to Select Visuals, 257
Tables, 257
Graphs, 260
Bar Graphs, 260
Guidelines: for Displaying a Bar Graph, 265
Line Graphs, 266
Guidelines: for Displaying a Line Graph, 269
Charts, 269
Pie Charts, 269
Guidelines: for Displaying a Pie Chart, 271
Organization Charts, 271
Flowcharts, 271
Tree Charts, 271
Gantt and PERT Charts, 272
Pictograms, 274
Graphic Illustrations, 275
Diagrams, 276
Maps, 278
Photographs, 279
Guidelines: for Using Photographs, 280
Software and Downloadable Images, 282
Using the Software, 282
Using Symbols and Icons, 282
Using Web Sites for Graphics Support, 283
Using Color, 283
Guidelines: for Incorporating Color, 288
Ethical Considerations, 288
Present the Real Picture, 288
Present the Complete Picture, 289
Don’t Mistake Distortion for Emphasis, 290
Cultural Considerations, 290
Guidelines: for Fitting Visuals with Text, 292
Checklist: Usability of Visuals, 293
Exercises, 294
Collaborative Projects, 296
Chapter 15. Designing Pages and Documents, 297
Page Design in Workplace Documents, 298
How Page Design Transforms a Document, 298
Design Skills Needed in Today’s Workplace, 301
Desktop Publishing, 301
Electronic Publishing, 301
Using Style Sheets and Company Style Guides, 301
Creating a Usable Design, 302
Shaping the Page, 303
Using Typography Effectively, 308
Guidelines: for Highlighting for Emphasis, 311
Using Headings for Access and Orientation, 312
Guidelines: for Using Headings, 315
Audience Considerations in Page Design, 317
Designing On-Screen Documents, 318
Web Pages, 318
Guidelines: for Designing a Web Page, 318
Online Help, 320
Adobe Acrobat™ and PDF Files, 320
CDs and Other Media, 320
Checklist: Usability of Page Design, 321
On the Job...: Designing Documents, 322
Exercises, 323
Collaborative Project, 323
Part IV. Specific Documents and Applications, 325
Chapter 16. Memo Reports and Electronic Correspondence, 326
Documents in Hard-Copy Versus Digital Format, 327
Informational Versus Analytical Reports, 327
Formal Versus Informal Reports, 327
Purpose of Memo Reports, 328
Elements of a Usable Memo, 328
Interpersonal Considerations in Writing a Memo, 328
Direct Versus Indirect Organizing Patterns, 330
Informational Reports in Memo Form, 331
Progress Reports, 331
Periodic Activity Reports, 335
Meeting Minutes, 337
Analytical Reports in Memo Form, 338
Feasibility Reports, 338
Recommendation Reports, 341
Justification Reports, 341
Checklist: Usability of Memo Reports, 345
Electronic Mail, 346
Email Benefits, 347
Email Copyright Issues, 348
Email Privacy Issues, 348
Guidelines: for Using Electronic Mail, 349
Guidelines: for Choosing Email Versus Paper, Telephone, or Fax, 350
Checklist: Email, 351
Instant Messaging, 351
Corporate Blogs and Wikis, 352
Internal Blogs, 352
External Blogs, 353
RSS Feeds, 353
Ethical, Legal, and Privacy Issues, 353
Exercises, 356
Collaborative Projects, 357
Chapter 17. Workplace Letters, 359
Elements of Usable Letters, 360
Standard Parts of Letters, 360
Specialized Parts of Letters, 364
Design Features, 365
Interpersonal Considerations in Workplace Letters, 369
Focus on Your Recipient’s Interests: The “You” Perspective, 369
Use Plain English, 370
Focus on the Human Connection, 370
Anticipate the Recipient’s Reaction, 371
Decide on a Direct or Indirect Organizing Pattern, 371
Conveying Bad or Unwelcome News, 372
Guidelines: for Conveying Bad News, 372
Inquiry Letters, 373
Guidelines: for Writing an Inquiry, 373
Telephone and Email Inquiries, 377
Claim Letters, 377
Routine Claims, 377
Guidelines: for Routine Claim Letters, 378
Arguable Claims, 379
Guidelines: for Arguable Claim Letters, 379
Adjustment Letters, 381
Granting Adjustments, 382
Guidelines: for Granting Adjustments, 382
Refusing Adjustments, 383
Guidelines: for Refusing Adjustments, 383
Checklist: Usability of Letters, 385
Exercises, 386
Collaborative Project, 386
Chapter 18. Employment Correspondence, 388
Employment Outlook in the Twenty-First Century, 389
Prospecting for Jobs, 389
Assess Your Skills and Aptitudes, 389
Research the Job Market, 390
Search Online, 390
Learn to Network, 392
Preparing Your Résumé, 393
Typical Components of a Résumé, 393
Organizing Your Résumé, 397
Sample Résumés for Different Situations, 397
Guidelines for Résumés, 398
Preparing Your Job Application Letter, 402
The Solicited Application Letter, 402
The Unsolicited Application Letter, 406
Guidelines: for Job Application Letters, 408
Consider This: How Applicants Are Screened for Personal Qualities, 409
Submitting Electronic Résumés, 409
How Scanning Works, 410
Guidelines: for Preparing a Scannable Résumé, 410
Types of Electronic Résumés, 411
Protecting Privacy and Security When You Post a Résumé Online, 414
Protecting Your Good Name Online, 414
Support for the Application, 415
Your Dossier, 415
Your Professional Portfolio, 415
Guidelines: for Preparing a Portfolio, 416
Employment Interviews, 416
Guidelines: for Surviving a Job Interview, 418
The Follow-Up Letter, 420
Letters of Acceptance or Refusal, 421
Checklist: Résumés, 421
Checklist: Job Application Letters, 422
Exercises, 423
Collaborative Projects, 423
Chapter 19. Web Pages, 425
HTML: Hypertext Markup Language, 426
Elements of a Usable Web Site, 427
Guidelines: for Creating a Web Site, 432
Privacy Issues in Online Communication, 435
Checklist: Usability of Web Sites, 436
Individual or Collaborative Projects, 438
Service-Learning Project, 438
Chapter 20. Technical Definitions, 439
Purpose of Technical Definitions, 440
Levels of Detail in a Definition, 441
Parenthetical Definition, 441
Sentence Definition, 442
Expanded Definition, 442
Expansion Methods, 444
Etymology, 444
History and Background, 445
Negation, 445
Operating Principle, 445
Analysis of Parts, 446
Visuals, 447
Comparison and Contrast, 447
Required Materials or Conditions, 448
Example, 448
Situations Requiring Definitions, 449
Placement of Definitions, 454
Guidelines: for Defining Clearly and Precisely, 456
Checklist: Usability of Definitions, 457
Exercises, 458
Collaborative Projects, 460
Service-Learning Project, 460
Chapter 21. Technical Descriptions and Specifications, 462
Purposes and Types of Technical Description, 463
Objectivity in Technical Description, 463
Elements of a Usable Description, 466
Clear and Limiting Title, 466
Appropriate Level of Detail and Technicality, 466
Visuals, 467
Clearest Descriptive Sequence, 467
An Outline and Model for Product Description, 469
Introduction: General Description, 470
Description and Function of Parts, 471
Summary and Operating Description, 472
A Situation Requiring Product Description, 472
An Outline for Process Description, 475
A Situation Requiring Process Description, 476
Specifications, 479
Technical Marketing Literature, 482
Checklist: Usability of Technical Descriptions, 485
Exercises, 486
Collaborative Projects, 486
Chapter 22. Instructions and Procedures, 490
Purpose of Instructional Documents, 491
Formats for Instructional Documents, 491
Faulty Instructions and Legal Liability, 492
Elements of Usable Instructions, 495
Clear and Limiting Title, 495
Informed Content, 495
Visuals, 496
Appropriate Level of Detail and Technicality, 496
Guidelines: for Providing Appropriate Detail, 501
Logically Ordered Steps, 502
Notes and Hazard Notices, 502
Readability, 503
Effective Design, 505
Guidelines: for Designing Instructions, 505
An Outline for Instructions, 507
Introduction, 507
Body: Required Steps, 508
Conclusion, 508
A Situation Requiring Instructions, 508
Online Documentation, 510
Testing the Usability of Your Document, 512
How Usability Testing Is Done, 512
Usability Testing in the Classroom, 514
Procedures, 514
Checklist: Usability of Instructions, 517
Exercises, 518
Collaborative Projects, 520
Service-Learning Project, 520
Chapter 23. Proposals, 522
How Proposals and Reports Differ in Purpose, 523
The Proposal Audience, 523
The Proposal Process, 524
Proposal Types, 526
Planning Proposal, 528
Research Proposal, 530
Sales Proposal, 532
Elements of a Persuasive Proposal, 534
A Forecasting Title, 534
Clear Understanding of the Audience’s Needs, 534
A Clear Focus on Benefits, 535
Honest and Supportable Claims, 535
Appropriate Detail, 536
Readability, 537
Convincing Language, 537
Visuals, 537
Accessible Page Design, 538
Supplements Tailored for a Diverse Audience, 538
Proper Citation of Sources and Contributors, 538
An Outline and Model for Proposals, 539
Introduction, 539
Body, 541
Conclusion, 543
A Situation Requiring a Proposal, 544
Checklist: Usability of Proposals, 555
Exercises, 557
Service-Learning Project, 557
Chapter 24. Formal Analytical Reports, 560
Purpose of Analysis, 561
Typical Analytical Problems, 562
Causal Analysis: “Why Does X Happen?”, 562
Comparative Analysis: “Is X or Y Better for Our Purpose?”, 562
Feasibility Analysis: “Is This a Good Idea?”, 563
Combining Types of Analysis, 564
Elements of a Usable Analysis, 564
Clearly Identified Problem or Goal, 564
Adequate but Not Excessive Data, 564
Accurate and Balanced Data, 565
Fully Interpreted Data, 567
Subordination of Personal Bias, 567
Appropriate Visuals, 567
Valid Conclusions and Recommendations, 567
Self-Assessment, 569
An Outline and Model for Analytical Reports, 571
Introduction, 572
Body, 573
Conclusion, 581
Supplements, 583
A Situation Requiring an Analytical Report, 583
Guidelines for Reasoning through an Analytical Problem, 593
Checklist: Usability of Analytical Reports, 594
Exercise, 595
Collaborative Projects, 596
Chapter 25. Front Matter and End Matter in Long Documents, 597
Cover, 598
Title Page, 598
Letter of Transmittal, 598
Table of Contents, 601
List of Tables and Figures, 603
Abstract or Executive Summary, 603
Glossary, 604
Appendices, 605
Documentation, 606
Exercises, 607
Chapter 26. Oral Presentations, 608
Advantages and Drawbacks of Oral Reports, 609
Avoiding Presentation Pitfalls, 609
Planning Your Presentation, 610
Analyze Your Listeners, 610
Work from an Explicit Purpose Statement, 610
Analyze Your Speaking Situation, 611
Select a Delivery Method, 611
Preparing Your Presentation, 612
Research Your Topic, 612
Aim for Simplicity and Conciseness, 613
Anticipate Audience Questions, 613
Outline Your Presentation, 613
Plan Your Visuals, 615
Prepare Your Visuals, 617
Guidelines: for Readable Visuals, 620
Guidelines: for Understandable Visuals, 620
Consider the Available Technology, 620
Use PowerPoint or Other Software Wisely, 620
Guidelines: for Using Presentation Software, 623
Rehearse Your Delivery, 624
Delivering Your Presentation, 624
Cultivate the Human Landscape, 625
Keep Your Listeners Oriented, 625
Manage Your Visuals, 626
Guidelines: for Presenting Visuals, 627
Manage Your Presentation Style, 627
Manage Your Speaking Situation, 628
Guidelines: for Managing Listener Questions, 628
Consider This: Cross-Cultural Audiences May Have Specific Expectations, 629
Exercises, 630
Part V. Resources for Writers, 633
A Quick Guide to Documentation, 634
Taking Notes, 635
Guidelines: for Recording Research Findings, 635
Quoting the Work of Others, 636
Guidelines: for Quoting the Work of Others, 636
Paraphrasing the Work of Others, 638
Guidelines: for Paraphrasing, 638
What You Should Document, 638
How You Should Document, 639
MLA Documentation Style, 640
MLA Parenthetical References, 640
MLA Works Cited Entries, 641
MLA Sample Works Cited Pages, 652
APA Documentation Style, 653
APA Parenthetical References, 653
APA Reference List Entries, 657
APA Sample Reference List, 664
CSE and Other Numbered Documentation Styles, 665
CSE Numbered Citations, 667
References, 667
CSE Reference List Entries, 667
A Quick Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, 670
Common Sentence Errors, 671
Sentence Fragment, 671
Acceptable Fragments, 672
Comma Splice, 673
Run-On Sentence, 673
Faulty Agreement—Subject and Verb, 674
Faulty Agreement—Pronoun and Referent, 675
Faulty Coordination, 675
Faulty Subordination, 676
Faulty Pronoun Case, 677
Faulty Modification, 678
Faulty Parallelism, 679
Sentence Shifts, 680
Effective Punctuation, 681
End Punctuation, 681
Semicolon, 682
Colon, 683
Comma, 683
Apostrophe, 687
Quotation Marks, 688
Ellipses, 689
Italics, 690
Parentheses, 690
Brackets, 690
Dashes, 691
Avoiding Ambiguous Punctuation, 691
Lists, 691
Embedded Lists, 691
Vertical Lists, 692
Transitions Within and Between Paragraphs, 693
Mechanics, 694
Abbreviations, 694
Hyphenation, 695
Capitalization, 695
Use of Numbers, 696
Spelling, 697
A Casebook: The Writing Process Illustrated, 698
Critical Thinking in the Writing Process, 699
Case 1: An Everyday Writing Situation: The Evolution of a Short Report, 700
Working with the Information, 701
Planning the Document, 702
Drafting the Document, 704
Revising the Document, 705
Case 2: Preparing a Personal Statement: For Internship, Medical School, or Law School Applications, 709
Audience Expectations in a Personal Statement, 709
Discussion of Mike’s First Draft, 710
Discussion of Mike’s Final Draft, 713
Two Additional Examples for Analysis and Discussion, 713
Case 3: Documents for the Course Project: A Sequence Culminating in the Final Report, 716
The Project Documents, 718
The Proposal Stage, 718
The Progress Report Stage, 718
The Final Report Stage, 721
Is It Plagiarism? Test Yourself on In-Text (Parenthetical) References, 735
Works Cited, 737
Index, 755
Editing and Revision Symbols, IBC-1

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