Writing and Speaking in the Technology Professions: A Practical Guide

An updated edition of the classic guide to technical communication
Consider that 20 to 50 percent of a technology professional’s time is spent communicating with others. Whether writing a memo, preparing a set of procedures, or making an oral presentation, effective communication is vital to your professional success. This anthology delivers concrete advice from the foremost experts on how to communicate more effectively in the workplace.
The revised and expanded second edition of this popular book completely updates the original, providing authoritative guidance on communicating via modern technology in the contemporary work environment. Two new sections on global communication and the Internet address communicating effectively in the context of increased e–mail and web usage. As in the original, David Beer’s Second Edition discusses a variety of approaches, such as: Writing technical documents that are clear and effective Giving oral presentations more confidently Using graphics and other visual aids judiciouslyHolding productive meetings Becoming an effective listener
The new edition also includes updated articles on working with others to get results and on giving directions that work. Each article is aimed specifically at the needs of engineers and others in the technology professions, and is written by a practicing engineer or a technical communicator. Technical engineers, IEEE society members, and technical writing teachers will find this updated edition of David Beer’s classic Writing and Speaking in the Technology Professions an invaluable guide to successful communication.

Spis treści:
Preface.
PART I: Getting Started: Writing the First Drafts Can Engineers Write?
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(1) March 1984 (Joan Knapp).
Preparing to Write the Document: A Worksheet for Situational Analysis in the Workplace .
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(1) March 1990 (Ronald J. Nelson).
Issue Trees: A Tool to Aid the Engineering Writer.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–37(2) June 1994 (Joan Temple Dennett and Michael Hseih).
Ready, Aim—Write!
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–31(1) March 1988 (Ruth C. Savakinas).
Beginnings and Endings: Keys to Better Engineering Technical Writing.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–40(4) December 1997 (Marcia Martens Pierson and Bion L. Pierson).
Could You Be Clearer? An Examination of the Multiple Perspectives of Clarity.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–35(2) June 1992 (Ronald E. Dulek).
The Grammar Instinct.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–45(2) June 2002 (Alan D. Manning).
Comparing the Two Cultures in Technical Writing.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–34(2) June 1991 (Don Bush).
PART II: Construction and Content: Putting Documents Together Creating a Doc Spec.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–42(2) June 1999 (Liz Wing).
Write a Good Technical Report.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(1) March 1984 (Gael D. Ulrich).
How to Avoid the Transitional Ax in Indirect Bad News Messages.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–34(1) March 1991 (Thomas L.Wiseman).
Job Hunting: Sharpening Your Competitive Edge.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(4) December 1984 (Ron S. Blicq).
How to Write a Recommendation.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(4) December 1984 (Alan D. Wilcox).
Some Guidance on Preparing Technical Articles for Publication.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–32(1) March 1989 (Richard Manley, Judith Graham, and Ralph Baxter).
Today’s Style Guide:Trusted Tool with Added Potential.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–41(1) March 1998 (Jane Perkins and Cassandra Maloney).
“Professional Communication” and the “Odor of Mendacity”: The Persistent Suspicion that Skillful Writing is Successful Lying.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–38(3) September 1995 (Edmond H. Weiss).
PART III: Text and Graphics: Presenting Information Visually Editing Visual Media.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–41(1) March 1998 (Thomas R. Williams and Deborah A. Harkus).
Visual Discriminability of Headings in Text.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–35(2) June 1992 (Thomas R. Williams and Jan H. Spyridakis).
Choosing the Right Graph.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–45(1) March 2002 (Jean–Luc Doumont and Philippe Vandenbroek).
Table Construction: Do’s and Don’ts.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–32(1) March 1989 (Eva Dukes).
Safety Labels: What to Put in Them, How to Write Them, and Where to Place Them.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–30(3) September 1987 (Christopher Velotta).
Editing Math: What to Do with the Symbols.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–33(3) June 1990 (Barry W. Burton).
Displaying Scientific Graphics on Computer.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–40(2) June 1997 (Janet E. Lincoln and Donald L. Monk).
PART IV: Manuals and Procedures: Giving Directions that Work Designing and Writing Operating Manuals.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(1) March 1984 (Lidia Lopinto).
Manual Dexterity—What Makes Instructional Manuals Usable.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–27(2) June 1984 (J ames P. Gleason and Joan P. Wackerman).
Selecting and Switching: Some Advantages of Diagrams Over Tables and Lists for Presenting Instructions.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–41(4) December 1998 (Angelique Boekelder and Michael Steehouder).
Using a Structured Design Analysis To Simplify Complex In–House Computer Manuals.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–35(1) March 1992 (John S. Craig).
Single–Source Manuals.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–37(2) June 1994 (Gary Bist).
The Effects of Screen Captures in Manuals: A Textual and Two Visual Manuals Compared.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–42(2) June 1999 (Mark Gellevij, Hans van der Meij, Ton deJong, and Jules Pieters).
The User Edit: Making Manuals Easier to Use.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–24(1) March 1981 (Marshall A. Atlas).
PART V: Proposals: Writing to Win the Customer Fifteen Questions to Help You Write Winning Proposals.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–26(2) June 1983 (T. M. Georges).
The Short Proposal: Versatile Tool for Communicating Corporate Culture in Competitive Climates.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–32(2) June 1989 (Bernard E. Budish and Richard L. Sandhusen).
Technical Writing and Illustrating Strategies for Winning Government Contracts.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–28(2) June 1992 (Robert B. Greenly).
Storyboarding Can Help Your Proposal.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–32(1) March 1989 (Robert A. Barakat).
Developing Winning Proposal Strategies.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–34(3) September 1991 (Robert A. Barakat).
Clarification Questions That Work.
IEEE Trans. Prof. Comm. PC–31(2) June 1988 (