Evaluating sources for relevance and credibility is important to establish the validity of the data and ideas within.

Sometimes, the information you need is not yet written or published. For example, if you are creating a report over the feasibility of implementing a food pantry on your college campus, you will not likely find published data on how many enrolled students would actively contribute to the pantry.

For example, for a basic argumentative essay, you generally use secondary research from published, peer-reviewed sources. However, with technical documents, the type of research will often vary.

A hypothesis is tentative, testable answer to a question.

Research is much more than doing a simple search engine query and reviewing the first ten results it returns—you need to be information literate in order to plan and perform your own research efficiently, effectively, and with the needs of your audience in mind.

On the job, you may be asked to create smaller, more concise proposals, often limited to a single page or, when spoken, a few minutes.

A professional appearance is a basic requirement. If your document is less than professional, you can count on its prompt dismissal.

Most proposals contain a section that shows not only the projected completion date but also key milestones for the project.

The proposal is often the beginning of a weeks-long research and writing process that goes through many stages until it gets to the end point: the recommendation report.

Getting your tailored message to your target audience is often a significant challenge if it is unsolicited.

A good proposal often leads to conducting research and creating a report; therefore, whatever topic you choose, you must be able to conduct research on it, which will be integrated into that final report.

Graphics can never fully replace text, and they MUST be referred to within the step-by-step part of the instructions

However, all instructions should have at minimum an Opening/Introduction, a Body with numbered steps that are divided into separate tasks or phases, and a Conclusion and/or Closing sections.

As you begin to plan your project, it is crucial to define the audience, purpose, and context for your instructions.

it is always a good idea to have a peer or coworker proofread your documents

Documenting source use in such a way as to either mislead your reader about the source or make identifying the source difficult is also unethical—that would include using just a URL or using an article title without identifying the journal in which it appears (in the works cited/references; you would not likely identify the journal name in the report’s body).

NASA engineers wrote about the problem with O-ring seals on the space shuttle Challenger. The unethical feature was that the crucial information about the O-rings was buried in a middle paragraph, while information approving the launch was in prominent beginning and ending spots.

In either case, weighing the costs, and having a strong value system would help you feel like you did the right thing, especially upon reflection after the event.

The Cultural Iceberg below illustrates patterns of world communication, showing indicators of Institutional Culture

R is for Repetition: Repeat design strategies throughout your document to provide a sense of connection.

Callouts and captions contain information that help readers to interpret graphics; they identify specific elements or features.

Use special typography

For each document design, you will need to know which set of conventions applies to it.

how to capture readers’ attention and hold it.

If a person’s name is not available, or if the email addresses a diverse group, try something both generic and polite: To whom it may concern, Dear members of the selection committee, or Hello everyone.

Also keep in mind: just as an email’s subject line can communicate either professionalism or a lack of it, so also does your own email address. Consider two brief examples: jackjohnson@yahoo.com and bigdaddy2000@gmail.com

A clear structure with a greeting, message body, and closing is also expected of this genre.

If you write to the lowest common denominator of reader, you are likely to end up with a cumbersome, tedious, book-like report that will turn off the majority of readers. However, if you do not write to that lowest level, you lose that segment of readers.

characteristics

First, identify the primary audience of your document. Then, identify likely secondary audiences

However, most documents you create will have multiple audiences: often, a primary audience—the main audience for the document—and a secondary audience—other audiences that are likely to read the document, but who are not the main focus

Each of these focal points has unique patterns in various cultures, and the differences in nonverbal communication behavior may have deeper cultural meanings. Some cultures may avoid eye contact out of respect; their high-context nature means direct confrontation is discouraged. Other cultures tend to judge low eye contact rather harshly, as either dishonest, disinterest, or indicating low self-esteem. In many Western cultures, punctuality is valued strongly. Other cultures simply do not understand the Western love affair with the hands on the clock.

And plan to write about it in such a way that your audience will understand.

Technical Communication Quarterly, Journal of Technical Writing and Communication; Journal of Business and Technical Communication; English for Specific Purposes; and Issues in Writing

The technical writer and reader have a vis-à-vis