This market-leading text, which reflects recent changes in technology, workplace practices and the global marketplace, progresses from concepts and basic copyediting to comprehensive editing, management and production issues. The addition of Angela Eaton of Texas Tech University brings a fresh tone to her updates of content and pedagogy while retaining the authoritative voice of Carolyn Rude. Some of the text's changes include an update ot Chapter 6, 'Electronic Editing,' and examples about editing Web sites are found throughout the text to support the increased role of online resources in every aspect of communication. / 701 Technical Editing Plus MyWritingLab - Access Card Package Package consists of: / 291 MyWritingLab Generic - Glue in Access Card 013393330X / 307 MyWritingLab Generic - Inside Star Sticker / 718 Technical Editing Synopsis. Here’s how MyTechCommLab can help you save time and improve results: Interactive Model Documents—Nearly 90 models will help you create effective documents.
Many models include dynamic annotations that highlight key features, design elements, and usability guidelines. Activities and Case Studies—Document-based Activities and usability-centered Case Studies will allow you to practice your knowledge of workplace situations and audiences. Gradebook Youcan monitor your progress throughautomated grading of quizzes and assignments. About the Author. CAROLYN RUDE teaches professional writing and chairs the Department of English at Virginia Tech. Before becoming a professor, she worked as a technical writer and editor. She is past president and fellow of the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing.
Rude is the author of Technical Editing (5th Edition) (3.58 avg rating, 167 ratings, 14 reviews, published 1991), The Longman Guide to Technic.
She is also a fellow of the Society for Technical Communication and winner of its Jay R. Gould Award for excellence in teaching. She believes that understanding editing has enhanced her administrative work, not just because of required writing and document design but also because of the focus of comprehensive editing on readers and purposes, reading styles, and project management.
ANGELA EATON ([email protected]) is an Associate Professor of Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech University. Her research interests include technical editing, grant writing, and technical communication practices and pedagogies. She is the owner of the technical editing and grant writing firm Angela Eaton & Associates, LLC, is a member of the Association of the Teachers of Technical Writing, and is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication. She was the 2005-2006 winner of the Society for Technical Communication's $10,000 Research Award. Her research has been published in Technical Communication, Business Communication Quarterly, and three edited collections. Table of Contents.
PEOPLE AND PURPOSES. Editing: The Big Picture. Scenario One: A Full-Time, In-House Editor. The Product Team. Planning for Design and Production Editorial Review Client Review Scenario Two: A Freelance Editor. The Team, the Project, and the Process.
Comment: Editing In-House and Freelance. The Editing Process. Text Editing. Comprehensive Editing Basic Copyediting Proofreading Preparing Documents for Publication. Document Development and Production: Summary of the Process. The Technical Part of Technical Editing.
Technical Subject Matter and Method. Technical Genres. What Skills Does a Technical Editor Need? Reader Expert. Communication Expert Language Expert. Technical Editors Deal Tactfully with Writers Technical Editors Manage Projects Competently Technical Editors Aren’t Afraid of Technical Information Technical Editors Double-Check Their Instincts Using Your Knowledge Discussion and Application 2. Readers, Users, Browsers, Problem Solvers.
Texts and Contexts. Origins and Impact: The Problem and Solution. Readers and Use of the Document. Culture and Expectations. Constraints on Development and Production. Context in Review.
How Readers Use Documents. Creating Meaning. Reading Selectively. Reading To Comprehend: Content, Signals, Noise.
Undesirable Signals: Noise. Researching Readers, Usability Testing. Designing Documents for Use. Using Your Knowledge. Further Reading. Discussion and Application.
What Is “Open Heart Surgery”? Bricker, M.D. Collaborating with Writers. Who Are the Writers of Technical Documents? The Editor–Writer Relationship.
What Writers Like Most about Editors What Writers Dislike Most about Editors Strategies for Working with Writers. Edit Effectively. Manage Efficiently and Communicate Well. Be Your Professional Self Correspondence with Writers. Queries and Comments Letters of Transmittal.
Corresponding with International Writers. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. METHODS AND TOOLS.
Marking Paper Copy. The Symbols of Editorial Markup. Placing the Marks on the Page.
Marking Consistently. Distinguishing Marginal Notes from Text Emendations. Special Problems of Markup. Hyphens and Dashes. Ambiguous Letters and Symbols; Unusual Spellings. Headings, Tables, References, and Lists.
Marks for Graphic Design. Queries to Writers. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Computer Viruses 5. Marking Digital Copy. Procedural Markup versus Structural Markup.
Styles and Templates. Markup Languages for Online Documents. Cascading Style Sheets. Editing and Information Management. Using Your Knowledge.
Discussion and Application. Electronic Editing by David Dayton. How Do Technical Communicators Edit Online? What’s It to You?
An Overview of On-Screen Markup and Query Methods. Automated Typographic Markup. Manual Typographic Markup. Electronic Overlay Markup.
Electronic Queries. Benefits of Electronic Editing. Working Efficiently at a Distance Speeding Up the Process Semi-Automating tedious Tasks Improving Job Satisfaction Tradeoffs of Electronic Editing.
The Problem of On-Screen Markup. Reading Difficulties and Quality Concerns. Portability and Compatibility Constraints. The Hazards of Heavy Computer Use.
Change Tracking in Word: Tips and Techniques. Configuring and Activating Track Changes. Tips for Using Track Changes in Word.
Using Your Knowledge. Websites for Products Mentioned Discussion and Application.
BASIC COPYEDITING. Basic Copyediting: An Introduction. Making the Document Correct and Consistent. Making the Document Accurate. Making the Document Complete. Parts of a Book, Manual, or Long Report. Parts of a Website.
Copyediting Illustrations. Parts of Illustrations. Callouts, Legends, Captions, and Footnotes. Placement of Illustrations in the Text. Quality of Reproduction. Copyediting Online Documents.
Steps in Copyediting. Using Your Knowledge. Copyediting for Consistency. Document Consistency. Verbal Consistency. Visual Consistency.
Consistency of Mechanics. Structural Consistency. Content Consistency.
A Foolish Consistency Style Manuals. Comprehensive Style Manuals. International Style Manuals. Discipline Style Manuals. Organization (“House”) Style Manuals.
Document Style Sheet. Using Your Knowledge.
Discussion and Application. Spelling, Capitalization, and Abbreviations. Guidelines and Tools. Frequently Misused Words. International Variations. Identifying Abbreviations.
Periods and Spaces with Abbreviations. Measurement and Scientific Symbols.
Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application.
Grammar and Usage. Parts of Speech. Sentence Structure. Verbs and Sentence Patterns.
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Adjectives, Adverbs, and Modifying Phrases. Relationships among Words in Sentences. Subjects and Predicates. Verb Tense and Sequence. Misplaced Modifiers. Dangling Modifiers.
Conventions of Usage. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Clauses, Conjunctions, and Relative Pronouns.
Independent and Dependent Clauses. Relative Pronouns.
Sentence Types and Punctuation. Punctuating Simple Sentences: Don’t Separate the Subject and Verb with a Single Comma. Punctuating Compound Sentences: Determine Whether There Is a Coordinating Conjunction. Punctuating Complex Sentences. Punctuating Compound-Complex Sentences. Punctuating Phrases.
Series Comma and Semicolon. Commas with a Series of Adjectives (Coordinate Adjectives).
Introductory and Interrupting Phrases. Punctuation within Words. The Apostrophe.
Marks of Punctuation. Quotation Marks. Parentheses Dash. Ellipsis Points. Typing Marks of Punctuation to Emulate Typesetting.
Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Quantitative and Technical Material. Using Numbers. Marking Mathematical Material. Grammar and Punctuation Markup for Typesetting. General Guidelines.
Application: Editing a Table. Standards and Specifications. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Distinguishing Proofreading from Copyediting. The Value and Goals of Proofreading. Proofreading Marks and Placement on the Page.
Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. COMPREHENSIVE EDITING. Comprehensive Editing: Definition and Process. Example: Copyediting versus Comprehensive Editing. The Process of Comprehensive Editing.
Analyze the Document’s Purpose, Readers, and Uses. Evaluate the Document. Establish Editing Objectives. Review Your Editing Plans with the Writer. Complete the Editing.
Evaluate the Outcome. Review the Edited Document with the Writer or Product Team. Application: The Service Call Memo. Editing Objectives. The Outcome of Editing. Determining Whether Comprehensive Editing is Warranted.
Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Style: Definition and Sentence Structures. Definition of Style. Writer’s Persona and Tone. Style and Comprehension. Example: Analysis of Style.
Guidelines for Editing for Style. Context: Make Style Serve Readers and Purpose. Sentence Structures: Use Structure to Reinforce Meaning. Place the Main Idea of the Sentence in the Structural Core. Use Subordinate Structures for Subordinate Ideas. Use Parallel Structure for Parallel Items. Sentence Arrangement.
Place the Subject and Verb Near the Beginning of the Sentence. Arrange Sentences for End Focus and Cohesion. Prefer S-V-O or S-V-C Word Order. Sentence Length and Energy. Adjust Sentence Length to Increase Readability.
Use People as Agents When Possible. Prefer Positive Constructions. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application.
Style: Verbs and Other Words. Verbs: Convey the Action in the Sentence Accurately. Build Sentences around Action Verbs. Choose Strong Verbs.
Avoid Nominalizations. Prefer the Active Voice. Use Concrete, Accurate Nouns. Prefer Single Words to Phrases or Pairs and Simple to Complex Words. Application: Editing for Style.
Evaluation and Review. The Language of Discrimination.
Application: Discriminatory Language. Editing for a Nonsexist Style. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Organization: The Architecture of Information.
Organization for Performance: Task-Based Order. Organization for Comprehension: Content-Based Order. Principles of Content Organization. Follow Pre-Established Document Structures. Anticipate Reader Questions and Needs. Arrange from General to Specific and Familiar to New.
Use Conventional Patterns of Organization: Match Structure to Meaning. Group Related Material. Use Parallel Structure for Parallel Sections. Paragraph Organization. Linking Sentences.
Repetitions and Variations. Application: The Problem Statement for a Research Proposal. Organizing for Reuse. Using Your Knowledge.
Discussion and Application. Visual Design. Definitions of Terms Related to Visual Design. Visual Design Options. Display of information. Structural Signals, Navigation. Functions of Visual Design.
Headings Levels. Heading Frequency. Application: Radar Target Classification Program.
Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Editing Illustrations. What Illustrations Do. Help Readers Understand and Use Information. Motivate Readers, Convey Values. Types of Illustrations.
Editing Illustrations for Accuracy and Clarity: Content, Organization, and Style. Content: Appropriateness and Number, Accuracy and Clarity.
Match of Form, Content, and Purpose=. Organization: Sequential and Spatial. Style: Discriminatory Language and Good Taste. Editing for Graphic Elements.
Emphasis and Detail. Perspective, Size, and Scale. Maximizing Data Ink. Integrating Text and Illustrations.
Placement on the Page or Screen. Nonverbal Instructions. Application: Cassette Instructions. Preparing Illustrations for Print or Online Display. Using Your Knowledge.
Discussion and Application. Editing for Global Contexts. Preparing Documents for a Global Workplace. International Rhetorical Expectations. Globalization versus Localization. Terminology Management and Controlled Language.
International English. Using Visual Instructions. Writing to Facilitate Translation: Minimize Ambiguity. Translation Quality. Machine Translation.
Other Localization Tips. Researching Social and Cultural Information. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application.
MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION. Legal and Ethical Issues in Editing.
Legal Issues in Editing. Intellectual Property: Copyright, Trademarks, Patents, Trade Secrets. Permissions and “Fair Use”. Copyright and Online Publication. Trademarks, Patents, and Trade Secrets. Product Safety and Liability.
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Libel, Fraud, and Misrepresentation. Ethical Issues in Editing. Users, Clients, and Employers. Misrepresentation of Content or Risks. Professional Codes of Conduct. Environmental Ethics. Bases for Ethical Decisions.
Establishing Policies for Legal and Ethical Conduct. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Type and Production. Working with Type.
Fonts and Their Uses. Font Selection.
Leading, Letterspacing, Wordspacing, and Line Length. Design Tips for Beginning Designers. Working with Illustrations. Correction of Photographs.
Photographic Releases from Subjects. Choosing Paper.
Understanding the Production Process for Print Documents. Desktop Publishing and Digital Printing. Fullscale Commercial Services: Typesetting, Page Makeup, and Offset Printing. Working with Commercial Printers. Obtaining a Quotation from a Printer. Delivering Materials to the Printer. Using Your Knowledge.
Discussion and Application. Project Management. The Case for Managing the Document Development Process. The Life-Cycle Model of Publications Development.
Estimating Time and Developing Budgets. Classification of Editorial Tasks and Responsibilities. Record Keeping. Setting Priorities.
Document Scheduling and Tracking. Scheduling Due Dates Scheduling reviews. Tracking the Document through Development and Production. Version Control. Setting Policy.
Project Management for Online Documents. Using Your Knowledge. Discussion and Application. Client Projects.
Selecting a Good Project. Project Plans and Proposals Analysis and Evaluation Objectives and Deliverables. Schedule and responsibilities Budget Establishing a Contract Conferencing with the Writer or Client Conference Organization Review of the Edited Document The Language of Good Relationships Further Arrangement Presenting the Project Orally Content, Organization, and Illustrations Presentations Professionalism Using Your Knowledge Discussion and Application.
Posted by Anastasia in on 4/16/2018 5 min read National Libraries Day is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the USA each April. This year it takes place on April 16th. This annual event is the celebration of the contributions made by libraries and librarians to American society. During this day a wide range of activities are held like events, meetings with authors and competitions organized by universities, community groups, library vendors and service suppliers. History In the mid-1950s people were spending increasingly more time on television and radio, and less on reading. For that reason in 1954 the American Library Association (ALA) in partnership with the American Book Publishers founded National Book Committee, a nonprofit organization. Its purpose was to 'encourage people to read in their increasing leisure time', 'improve incomes and health' and 'develop strong and happy family life'.
In 1957, the National Book Committee developed a plan for its first National Library Week. The idea behind it was that once people were motivated to read more, they would visit and support libraries. Next year ALA and the Advertising Council opened the first National Library Week under the slogan 'Wake Up and Read!' The National Library Week was celebrated again in 1959. It had been agreed to continue the annual celebration.
Wake Up and Read Best Technical Writing Books! In celebration of National Libraries Day we’ve created a list of useful books about technical writing to improve your skills, help you grow as a professional and join the festival community. This full color 5th edition of Technical Writing: Process and Product guides readers through the entire writing process—prewriting, writing, and rewriting—developing an easy-to-use, step-by-step technique for writing the types of documents to encounter on the job.
Written in a reader-friendly manner, it engages readers in the writing process and encourages hands-on application. Discussed topics include prewriting, writing, and rewriting in relation to ethics, audience identification, electronic communication, and the role of technical writing in the workplace. This book will suit the needs of those looking to utilize more effective written communication in their jobs. In order to succeed in technical writing, you need a lot more than just strong writing skills. Technical Writing 101: A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Content details the skills you need as a technical writer to create both printed and online content.
This valuable reference describes the entire development process-planning, writing, visual design, editing, indexing, and production. It also provides tips on how to write in a manner that would allow to translate information easily into other languages. You'll learn about the importance of following templates and about how structured authoring environments based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) streamline the content development process.
This edition features updated information on the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) standard for structured authoring, and explains the impact of Web 2.0 technologies - blogs, wikis, and forums - on technical communication. Every complex product needs to be explained to its users, and technical writers, also known as technical communicators, are the ones who do that job. A growing field, technical writing requires multiple skills, including an understanding of technology, writing ability, and great people skills. Whether you're thinking of becoming a technical writer, just starting out, or you've been working for a while and feel the need to take your skills to the next level, The Insider's Guide to Technical Writing can help you be a successful technical writer and build a satisfying career. This market-leading text, which reflects recent changes in technology, workplace practices and the global marketplace, progresses from concepts and basic copyediting to comprehensive editing, management and production issues. The addition of Angela Eaton of Texas Tech University brings a fresh tone to her updates of content and pedagogy while retaining the authoritative voice of Carolyn Rude. Examples about editing websites are found throughout the text to support the increased role of online resources in every aspect of communication.
This popular handbook presents a step-by-step method for clearly explaining a product, system, or procedure. The easy-to-follow text - packed with examples and illustrations - explains the unique demands of this form of writing and shows how to set up the best user model. The book covers developing a modular outline and storyboard, generating the draft, revising, developing a formal usability test, and supporting and updating user documentation. Also included are a glossary of terms, a listing of books and periodicals for additional information, and an index. Our Technical Writing Library at ClickHelp As for us, we’ve also managed to lay the foundation of our own library!
Recently the 1st edition of became available for free download. Whether you only consider becoming a technical writer and not sure where to start, or you already have a job and desire to become a professional, you may benefit from the gem tips and guidance, that we’ve gathered in one place. This ebook covers a wide range of questions, from the history of technical writing in antiquity (yes, it's that old!) to technical writing skills, modern tools, workflows and documentation design. See for yourself:. What industries use technical writing?. What technical writers really do?.
Freelance vs. Essential skills of a good technical writer.
Technical writer career path. Technical writing job challenges. Free tools for technical writers. Tips for documentation design. How to optimize documentation team workflow?. Cross-team communication for technical writers. and much more!.
Happy National Libraries Day! Author, host and deliver user documentation across platforms and devices.