Overview

Engineers and scientists of all types are often required to write reports, summaries, manuals, guides, and so forth. While these individuals certainly have had some sort of English or writing course, it is less likely that they have had any instruction in the special requirements of technical writing. Filling this void, Technical Writing: A Practical Guide for Engineers and Scientists enables readers to write, edit, and publish materials of a technical nature, including books, articles, reports, and electronic media. Written by a renowned engineer and widely published technical author, this guide complements the traditional writer's reference manuals and other books on technical writing. It helps readers understand the practical considerations in writing technical content. Drawing on his own work, the author presents many first-hand examples of writing, editing, and publishing technical materials. These examples illustrate how a publication originated as well as various challenges and solutions.

Full Product Details

Author:   Phillip A. Laplante (The Pennsylvania State University, Malvern, USA)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Inc
Imprint:   CRC Press Inc
Volume:   47
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.363kg
ISBN:  

9781439820858

ISBN 10:   1439820856
Pages:   250
Publication Date:   28 July 2011
Audience:   College/higher education ,  General/trade ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  General
Replaced By:   9781138628106
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Awaiting stock  

Table of Contents

The Nature of Technical Writing Introduction Who Writes Technical Documentation? Taxonomy of Technical Writing Technical Reporting Business Communications Scientific Writing Technical Writing Basics Introduction Structuring Your Writing Positioning Your Writing Choosing the Right Words Avoiding Traps Making Your Technical Writing More Interesting The 5 Cs of Technical Writing Referencing The Writing Process Introduction The Traditional Writing Process Environment Dealing with Writer’s Block Meeting Deadlines Writing Tools Permissions and Plagiarism Scientific Writing Introduction Technical Reports Tutorials Opinion Research Papers Reviews of Books, Papers, and Reports Business Communications Introduction Resumés Transmittal Letters Writing Letters of Reference Memos Meetings, Agendas, and Minutes Customer Relations Writing Press Releases Presentations Technical Reporting Introduction Technical Procedures Proposals Panel Sessions Strategic Plans and Planning Problem Reports Using Graphical Elements Breaking up the Monotony Modeling Ideas with Graphics Selecting the Best Model for a Schedule Dealing with Figures Dealing with Tables Dealing with Equations Dealing with Dynamic Content Publishing Your Work Introduction Making a Living as a Writer The Review Process Handling Rejection Open Access Publishing Self-Publishing Writing for E-Media Introduction E-Mail Can Be Dangerous E-Newsletters Blogging Social Networks E-Magazines E-Readers Writing with Collaborators Introduction Writing in Different Voices Very Large Collaborative Writing Projects Behavior of Groups Other Paradigms for Team Building Antipatterns in Organizations Glossary Index Exercises and References appear at the end of each chapter.

Reviews

"""Concisely written, fastpaced, comprehensive, and written with workplace expectations in mind, Laplante hits the mark when he says his book is intended to complement reference books or other technical communication books. … The language is easy for students to understand; the design, graphics, and examples keep readers engaged; and it can be a great supplement or primary text depending on how much original material of your own you would like to provide to your students."" —Diane Martinez, Technical Communication, May 2012"

Concisely written, fastpaced, comprehensive, and written with workplace expectations in mind, Laplante hits the mark when he says his book is intended to complement reference books or other technical communication books. ... The language is easy for students to understand; the design, graphics, and examples keep readers engaged; and it can be a great supplement or primary text depending on how much original material of your own you would like to provide to your students. -Diane Martinez, Technical Communication, May 2012

Author Information

Phillip A. Laplante is a professor of software engineering at Pennsylvania State University’s Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies. Dr. Laplante is an IEEE and SPIE fellow and a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania. His applied research encompasses software project management, software testing, and requirements engineering.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions