Technical Genres
What is the conventional font size for most technical documents?
11-12 point font
What are 2 adaptation strategies that can be used to communicate technical information to non-expert audiences?
Narrative
Examples
Graphics
Comparison
Definition
Analysis
What is the design principle where communicators arrange and format document elements from most prominent to least prominent?
Visual Hierarchy
What is another name for a “progress report”?
Interim report
What term is often preferable to “stakeholders” for First Nations and Indigenous communities?
Partners
What are 3 ways to reduce “noise” on presentation slides?
- Aligning message with audience + purpose
- Minimizing non-essential visual elements
- Using principles of visual hierarchy (e.g., contrast + proximity)
- Avoiding PowerPoint’s auto-design feature
- Designing charts and figures with minimal non-data ink (+ avoiding 3D-style charts
- Avoiding blocks of text and bullet lists
What is the name for the slide design style where you place a full-sentence claim in the “title” position, typically followed by visual or graphical support of that claim?
Assertion-Evidence model
What is the name for the embedded information that you can add to images to make them accessible for people using screen readers?
Alt text
What are 2 technical genres where you might find a technical diagram / description in engineering?
Reports
Proposals
Memos
Presentations
Posters
What does the “GPT” in ChatGPT stand for?
Generative Pre-trained Transformer
What are the 4 pieces of information conventionally included in a memo heading?
To
From
Date
Subject / RE
What are the “3P’s” that can be used to critically situate technical communication situations in real-world inequities?
Privilege
Positionality
Power
What issue(s) might arise when using the passive voice, in terms of clarity?
Can obscure who / what performed actions, thus downplaying agency and accountability.
(1) Need Statement, (2) Goal Statement, (3) Objectives, and (4) Constraints are all steps of what process common in engineering design?
Problem Formulation model (via Barry Hyman), AKA Problem-Solving Process
What are 3 criteria of the CRAAPO test for evaluating sources?
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Objectivity
Any time you include a figure or table in a document like a report, what are 3 things you should do to ensure it is fully incorporated?
- Caption it
- Enumerate it
- Refer to it in text
- Explain it in text
- Place it in suitable location
- BONUS: Add alt text
What are 2 limitations for using generative A.I. tools like ChatGPT in technical writing situations?
- Output usually draws only from freely-accessible web data
- Gen A.I. tools don't understand language or rhetorical situations
- Models are well-trained for general prompts, but lose accuracy for more localized, recent, or technical content
- Is well-known to invent false academic sources, authors, or information
What are 2 benefits of using the Styles feature in Microsoft Word?
- Consistent design / visual hierarchy
- Auto-populate TOC
- Facilitate screen reader accessibility
- Streamline workflow
What grammatical perspective is most conventional in engineering reports?
Third person perspective (i.e., they, she, he; using name of engineering firm in narration)
What are 2 strategies for writing with concision, as outlined by Dr. B?
- Get to the point
- Reduce prepositions
- Convert complex nouns to verbs
- Cut filler phrases
- Use active voice (when conventional)
According to Bob Watson’s explanation of how readers interact with information, what reader goal does this chart visualize?
Reading to Learn (in contrast with Learning to Do)
What are 3 elements of the rhetorical situation, as defined in the Technical Writing Essentials textbook?
Writer
Purpose
Audience
Context & Culture
Message
What are 3 of the “7C’s” of professional / technical writing, as defined in the Technical Writing Essentials textbook?
Clear
Coherent
Concise
Concrete
Correct
Complete
Courteous
Complete the following tenet from the Code of Ethics recorded by Engineers Canada:
“Uphold and enhance the _____ and _____ of the profession.”
Honour + Dignity
What city did Dr. B move to PG from?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA