Technical Communication 13th Edition John M. Lannon, Laura J. Gurak - Solutions

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Have I identified my relationship to these readers? (17)
Have I identified primary and secondary audiences? (17)
Social media has global reach-you can use these tools to collaborate with team members from other countries.Locate a wiki related to your major (for science or engineering majors, the plastics wiki on page 637 is a good example). Sec if the wiki is available in languages other than English. Also,
Go to a customer review site and locate a customer complaint or bad review of a restaurant in your area. In groups of 2-3 students, discuss the appropriate tone, word choice, and approach you as the restaurant owner would take in response. Write your response, limiting the number of words to
In teams of 3-11 students, pick an on-campus organization(a club, an athletic group. a professional society for students). What arc some ways a social networking page, such as r:accbook, could help the organization network with current members and reach out to potenti al new members? Discuss what
Locate a blog related to your major or an area where you've had an internship or job. Follow the discussion for a few days; then write a brief analysis of the blog and what you observed. Who is the audience? What topics are discussed? Is the blog sui table for professionals or is ii more of a
Find Web sites that are in different languages or based in different countries. Besides differences in language, note any other differences between non-U.S. Web sites and those that originate in the United States. Here are some features to look for:• Use of color. Different cultures often
Do some research to develop your own "top ten" list of effective Web design pri nciples. Begin by reviewing this chapter and ex ploring the two Web sites listed below. Then find other resources on Web style and Web design. Based on what you find, assemble your list. Using your list as a guide, find
Divide into groups by m11jor. As a team, compare the versions of 1he Web page you each designed individually for General Project 2, above. Now, create a team version oft hat same Web page
2. Design a new Web page for your major. Note: Do not use any such existing page on your school or department Web site as a model.
l. With a classmate, locate one or l:\vo Web sites you might use as research sources for a project. Using the guidelines in this ch11p1er, assess these sites for qua lity of structure, style, use of visuals, and design.Write up your findi ngs in an email message lo your instructor. Include the Web
Write appropriate Web-based content
Imagine that you've been assigned to represent your company at an international conference or before international clients. As you plan and prepare your presentation, what can you do to remain sensitive to various cultural expectations? For example, some cultures might be offended by a presentation
Using the prior Team Project, and in the same group of 3-4 people, investigate how you would create a presentation if each of you worked in a different location (too remote from each other to have a face-to-face meeting).If everyone has a Google account, try creating a shared Google presentation
In today's work world, presentations are often prepared by, and sometimes delivered by, more than one person. In groups of 3-4 people, come up with a simple presentation topic that everyone can work on.(You might want to base this topic on a group writing activity from earlier in the semester.)
3. Observe a lecture or speech, and evaluate it according to the Checklist. Write a memo to your instructor (without naming the speaker), identifying strong and weak areas and suggesting improvements.
2. Prepare an oral presentation for your class, based on your written long report. Develop a sentence outline and a storyboard that includes at least three visuals. If your instructor requests, create one or more of your presentation visuals using PowerPoint software.Practice your presentation with
I. In a memo to your instructor, identify and discuss the kinds of oral reporting duties you expect to encounter in your career.
Compare the sorts of proposals regularly done in the United States with those created in other countries. For example, is the format the same? Are there more proposals for certain purposes in the United States than in another country? You can learn about this topic by interviewing an expert in
As noted earlier, solicited proposals are usually written in response to a formal "request for proposal" (RFP).Most RFPs are available on the Web. For instance, the National Science Foundation's site at provides links for all sorts of research funding opportunities. There is a link for
Working in groups of four, develop an unsolicited planning proposal for solving a problem, improving a situation, or satisfying a need in your school, community, or workplace. Begin by brainstorming as a group Projects to come up with a list of possible issues or problems to address in your
3. As an alternate term project to the formal analytical report (Chapter 22). develop a long proposal for solving a problem, improving a situation, or satisfying a need in your school, community, or job.Choose a subject sufficiently complex to justify a formal proposal, a topic requiring research
2. Write a research proposal to your instructor (or an interested third party) requesting approval for your final term project (a formal analytical report or formal proposal). Verify that adequate primary and secondary sources are available. Convince your audience of the soundness and usefulness of
1. After identifying your primary and secondary audience, write a short planning proposal for improving an unsatisfactory situation in the classroom, on the job, or in your dorm or apartment (e.g., poor lighting, drab atmosphere, health hazards, poor seating arrangements). Choose a problem or
IJI> Differentiate between. formal .and informal proposals
IJI> Differentiate between solicited and unsolicited proposals
Use the Internet to look for reports written in English by government agencies of different countries. Look for similarities to the reports you are familiar with in the United States (or the one you are preparing for class}, as well as differences in features such as organization, word choice,
Many reports, particularly government reports, are turned into PDF documents and are available on the Web. When you have a draft of your report, turn it into a PDF file. See the Digital and Social Media project in Chapter 13 (page 316) for hints on how to create a PDF.Read a few pages of the PDF
2. In the workplace, it is common for reports to be written in teams. Think of an idea for a report for this class that might be a team project. How would you divide the tasks and ensure that the work was being done fairly? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a team approach to a report?
I. Divide into small groups. Choose a topic for group analysis-preferably, a campus issue-and brainstorm.Draw up a working outline that could be used as an analytical report on this subject.
Prepare an analytical report, using this procedure:a. Choose a problem or question for analysis from your major or a subject of interest.b. Restate the main question as a declarative sentence in your audience and purpose statementc. Identify an audience-other than your instructor-who will use your
Assume that you are a team leader of a company based in the United States but with offices worldwide. You have been assigned a new manager who is a citizen of another country. This week you need to write a report recommending that all the staff on your team receive bonuses. You know the tone you
Many Web-based recommendation reports are not in the brief memo or email format described in this chapter. Examine some Web-based recommendation reports and describe the differences in length, format, look, and feel for these Web-based reports. For instance, the page at
With 2-3 other classmates, identify a dangerous or inconvenient area or situation on campus or in your community (endless cafeteria lines, an unsafe walkway, slippery stairs, a bad campus intersection).Observe the problem for several hours during a peak use period. Write a recommendation report to
3. Take notes at the next group event or meeting that you attend Write up minutes for the meeting.thinking about how much detail to include and what kinds of information will be useful to the other members of the team.
2. For a current or past job or internship, write a periodic activity report in which you report on the past week's activities (actual or typical). Follow the guidelines in this chapter.
1. For this or another class, write a progress report to your instructor, describing the progress you've made on a project (your final project, for instance).Use the guidelines suggested in this chapter. Or, write a peer review report of a classmate's draft of an upcoming assignment
• Differentiate between informational and analytical reports
Differentiate between info rmal a nd fo rma l repo rts
In many cultures, the use of imperative mood is considered impolite or too direct. For instance, instructions that state "Place the disk into the disk drive"may sound bossy and inconsiderate. Find a set of instructions that use imperative mood (for example, Figure 20.8 in this chapter) and rewrite
Do the research and prepare a set of instructions that will show general readers how to become more environmentally informed consumers and how to find, identify, evaluate, and compare environmentally friendly consumer goods such as appliances, building materials, and household products. Design your
3. Test the usability of a document prepared for this course. As a basis for your test, adapt the Audience and Use Profile Sheet on page 31, the general Checklist for Usability (page 32), whichever specific checklist applies to this particular document (as on pages 485-86, for example), and the
2. Divide into small groups and visit your computer center, library, or any place on campus or at work where you can find operating manuals for computers, lab or office equipment, or the like.(Or look through the documentation for your own computer hardware or software.) Locate fairly brief
I. Draw a map of the route from your classroom to your dorm, apartment, or home-whichever is closest. Be sure to include identifying landmarks.When your map is completed, write instructions for a classmate who will try to duplicate your map from the information given in your written instructions.
6. Find a set of instructions or some other technical document that is easy-to-use. Assume that you are Associate Director of Communications for the company that produced this document and you are doing a final review before the document is released. With the Checklist for Instructions and
5. Select any one of the instructional visuals in Figure 20.5 and write a prose version of those instructions-without using visual illustrations or special page design. Bring your version to class and be prepared to discuss the conclusions you've derived from this exercise.
4. Choose a topic from your major, or an area of interest. Using the general outline in this chapter as a model, prepare instructions for a task that requires at least three major steps. Address a general audience, and begin by completing an audience and use profile. Include (a) all necessary
3. Assume that coll eagues or classmates will be serving six months as volunteers in agr iculture, education, or a similar capacity in a developing country. Do the research and create a set of procedures that will prepare individuals for avoiding diseases and dealing with medical issues in that
2. Select part of a technical manual in your field or instructions for a general audience and make a copy of the mater ial. Using the checklist on pages 485-86, evaluate the sample's usabi lit y. In a memo to your instructor, discuss the strong and weak points of the instructions. Or explain your
I . Improve readability by revising the style and design of these instructions.of wood placed beneath it to prevent the wheel from rolling. The spare wheel, jack, and lug wrench should be removed from the luggage compartment.What to Do Before Jacking Up Your Car Whenever the misfortune of a flat
Write a set of instructions and a set of procedures
Descriptions, especially those for nonspecialized or nontechnical audiences, are often written by comparing the item being described to an item that is already familiar to readers. For instance, the human heart is often described as a pump and compared to a pump people already know about (the pump
Use the Internet to search for a description of a product or process that is related to your field of study. Look for places where the description might be confusing for general readers, and rewrite the description for their understanding.
3. Assume your group is an architectural firm designing buildings at your college. Develop a set of specifications for duplicating the interior of the classroom in which this course is held.Focus only on materials, dimensions, and equipment(whiteboard, desk, etc.), and use visuals as appropriate.
2. Select a specialized process you understand well or that you can learn about quickly by searching the Web (e.g., how gum disease develops, how an earthquake occurs, how steel is made, how a computer compiles and executes a program). Write a brief description of the process, incorporating at
l. Divide into groups. Assume your group works in the product development division of a diversified manufacturi ng company. Your division has just thought of an idea for an inexpensive consumer item with a potent ially vast market (choose a simple mechanism, such as nail clippers or a stapler).Your
4. How do specifications function in your workplace or home? find one example of specifications used in your home or workplace and analyze it in terms of its usability. Are the specifications written for consistency, quality, and safety? How?What could the writers have done to im prove the
3. The solar-collector description in this chapter is aimed toward a general audience. Evaluate its effectiveness for this audience. In one or two paragraphs, discuss your evaluation and suggest revisions.
2. Select a spcciali1,ed process that you understand well and that has several dist incl steps. Using the process description on page 440 as a model, explain this process to classmates who are unfamiliar with it.
1. Choose a product requiring a description. Identify the audience and purpose, and prepare a desc ription for this audience's level of technical understanding.As you prepare your description, refer to the Guidelines on page 443.
Write a product and/or process description
Write a technical marketing document
Differentiate between product and process descriptions
Any definition you write may be read by someone for whom English is not a first language. Locate an expanded definition on Wikipedia that may be difficult for a non-American or non-native English speaker to understand for some reason (use of idioms, use of abbreviations, use of American metaphors
Convert your expanded definition from the General Project into a Web page. Include links to your information sources using a question and answer format, as in Figure 18.6.
Divide into groups by majors or interests. Appoint one person as group manager. Decide on an item, concept, or process that would require an expanded definition for laypersons. Some examples follow:From computer science: an algorithm, binary coding, or systems analysis From nursing: a pacemaker,
Choose a situation and an audience, and prepare an expanded definition designed for this audience's level of technical understanding. Use at least four expansion strategics, including at least one visual. In preparing your expanded definition, consult no fewer than four outside references. Cite and
Differentiate among levels of detail in a definition
Assume that you and other students in your major would like to work in a particular country after graduation. Select a country and do some research on the economy, culture, and employment issues.Write a short memo that tells prospective students what they need to know about finding employment
Look at one or more of the following: ,, and . Learn about how you would go about preparing a reswne to upload to one of these sites. If the site provides sample reswnes, look at a few and compare these to the strategies provided in this chapter. Create a draft resume for one of these sites and
In groups, prepare a listing of five Web sites that job seekers should visit for advice about cover letters and resumes, including online postings. Include a one-paragraph summary of material on each site.Compare findings of your group with those of others in your class. In addition to sites
5. Write an unsolicited application letter to the human resources director of a company that interests you. Go to the company's Web site to research the various positions for which you may be qualified. Select one, and name that position in your letter. Also learn the name of the human resources
4. A friend has asked you for help with the following application letter. Rewrite it as needed.Dear Ms. Brown, Please consider my application for the position of assistant in the Engineering Department I am a second-year student majoring in electrical engineering technology. I am presently an
3. Make your reswne scannable and ready for sending via email or posting online. Be sure to use an easily scannable font; remove headers, boldface, underlining, bullets, tabs, and other formatting; and proofread it after you've converted the reswne to "text only" or "rich text" fonnat.
2. Write an application letter for a part-time or swnmer job in response to a specific ad and tailor your reswne for the job. Choose an organization related to your career goals. Identify the exact hours and calendar period during which you are free to work.Submit a copy of the ad along with your
1. Prepare a hard-copy resume. If you already have a resume, revise it to follow this chapter's guidelines.
Interview a person whose work takes him or her to one or more countries outside the United States. Ask that person to describe the way letters are used for international communication, and whether any special issues involving grammar, forms of address, direct or indirect organizational patterns, or
Word-processing programs such as Microsoft Word offer series of templates for writing letters. (Templates are preformatted layouts that can be used to create resumes, memos, letters, and other documents.)Templates can help you get started with the writing.Templates can also be a problem, however,
Working in groups, respond to the following scenario.Appoint one group member to present the letter in class.As director of Consumer Affairs, you've received an adjustment request from Brian Maxwell Two years ago, he bought a pair of top-of-the-line Gannon speakers. Both speakers, he claims, are
6. The following sentences need to be overhauled before being included in a letter. Identify lhe weakness in each statement, and revise as needed. For example, you would revise the accusatory You were 1101 very c/enr to We did 11ot 1111dcrstr111d your message.a. I need all the information you have
5. Par Class Oisc11ssio11: Under what circumstances might. it. be acceptable to contact a potential inquiry respondent by email? When should you just leave the person alone?
4. Write a claim letter about a problem you've had with goods or services. Stale your case clearly and objectively, and request a specific adjustment.
3.a. As a student in a state college, you learn that your governor and legislature have cul next year's operating budget for all stale colleges by 20 percent.This cut will cause the firing of young and popular faculty members; drastically reduce admissions, fin ancial aid, and new programs; and
2. Write and mail an unsolicited feller ofinquiry about the topic you are investigating for an analytical report or research assignment. In your letter you might request brochures, pamphlets, or other informative literature, or you might ask specific questions.Submit a copy of your letter. and the
1. Bring to class a copy of a business letter addressed to you or a friend. Compare letters. Choose the most and least effective.
Write inquiry letters, claim letters, sales letters, and adjustment letters
You've been appointed by your manager to be team leader for an important new project. The team involves people from the following countries: China, Germany, India, Italy, and the United States. Your first assignment is to come up with a communication plan. You decide that given the time
Imagine a situation in which you you are waiting for a friend to arrive at the airport. Compose a text message to your friend asking if she has arrived yet and where the two of you should meet Now imagine the same situation, but instead of a friend, you are waiting for a co-worker you've never met
Work with a team to write a collaborative version of the "position" email (see General Project I). Your team could plan this collaborative email by first conversing via IM about how it should be written.
2. Individually or in small groups, decide whether each of the following documents would be appropriate for transmission via a company email network. Be prepared to explain your decisions.Sarah Burnes's memo about benzene levels (page 13)The "Rational Connection" memo (page 42)The "better" memo to
1. Choose a topic and an audience, and write an email expressing your position on a debatable issue that affects your school, dorm, or community. Provide convincing support for your position.
Write an email appropriate for a global audience
Write an email using a professional style and tone
Identify the components of a workplace email me$sage
Is the standard memo format discussed in this chapter a U.S. standard or an international standard? What sorts of memos are typically written in other countries?Interview someone who works in an international business, and write a short memo to your instructor explaining what you learned about memo
Does the shape and layout of a memo influence how it is written? Conduct this small experiment. In teams of 3-4 people, consider a dangerous or inconvenient area or situation on campus (endless cafeteria lines, a poorly lit intersection, slippery stairs, a poorly timed traffic light). Select one of
Divide into teams and assume you own a company(create a name for it). Revise the following message so that it gets the intended results. Pay close attention to tone. Use a memo format. Make sure the subject line clearly forecasts your topic. Appoint one team member to present the revised memo in
2. Write a memo as the sales director of a company to both in-house sales department employees and the sales representatives. Announce and outline a new dress code policy and diplomatically explain why the policy is more strict for the sales reps.Remember to keep an informal but professional tone,
1. Think of an idea you would like to see implemented in your job (e.g., a way to increase productivity, improve service, increase business, or improve working conditions). Write a routine miscellaneous memo requesting action and persuading your audience that your idea is worthwhile.
Write various common types of memos

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Technical Communication 13th Edition John M. Lannon, Laura J. Gurak - Solutions

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