Technical Communication, 15th edition

Published by Pearson (May 17, 2019) © 2020
  • John M. Lannon
  • Laura J. Gurak

Title overview

For courses in technical communication.

Complete coverage for any course in technical communication, business communication, or professional writing

Technical Communication guides students to write persuasively, effectively and with perspective on technological innovations and global communications. The authors incorporate the interpersonal, logical, ethical and cultural demands of different forms of workplace communications and encourage the development of skills students will need to navigate these considerations.

The 15th Edition incorporates the latest innovations in workplace communication and today's technologically sophisticated, diverse and global workforce.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Offers an organized, reader-friendly style that uses straightforward explanations to build from foundational concepts and research to document design and applications.
  • Provides breath of coverage that includes the latest workplace technology, as well as ethical considerations, teamwork, and complex technical, societal, and global issues.
  • Focuses on critical thinking throughout as the basis of information literacy.
  • Features annotated model documents and figures that make abstract concepts and technical document creation easy to grasp.
  • Uses up-to-date MLA and APA styles and provides a grammar, mechanics and usage appendix handbook. Free download: The Pearson Guide to the 2021 MLA Handbook.
  • Reinforces learning with sample documents, cases, guidelines, and projects throughout that underscore clear chapter-opening objectives.

New and updated features of this title

  • REVISED: Updated, streamlined chapter coverage and fully revised end-of-chapter projects connect the latest in digital communication to chapter-opening objectives in fewer, more easily navigated sections.
  • UPDATED: Social media's impact is integrated throughout and is reflected in new coverage of workplace uses of Instagram, as well as guidelines for creating instructional videos for YouTube and other social media (Ch. 25).
  • NEW: The challenges of assessing credible information from online sources are discussed in coverage of research (Ch. 7-9) that includes confirmation bias (the ways online information tends to reinforce pre-existing beliefs).
  • REVISED: Coverage of designing visual information (Ch. 12) includes an earlier introduction to the Planning Sheet for Preparing Visuals and new sections on understanding and creating infographics and presenting visuals.
  • REVISED: Coverage of 3 major types of email (primary, transmittal, and formatted) now includes interpersonal issues when using email; related global, ethical and legal issues; and new and revised sample emails (Ch.14).
  • REVISED: Oral presentations and video conferencing content includes a new section on when/how to use handouts; expanded discussion of presentation apps; emphasis on the needs of off-site audiences; and updated figures.

Table of contents

I. COMMUNICATING IN THE WORKPLACE

  1. Introduction to Technical Communication
  2. Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences
  3. Persuading Your Audience
  4. Weighing the Ethical Issues
  5. Teamwork and Global Considerations
  6. An Overview of the Technical Writing Process

II. THE RESEARCH PROCESS

  1. Thinking Critically about the Research Process
  2. Evaluating and Interpreting Information
  3. Summarizing Research Findings and Other Information

III. ORGANIZATION, STYLE, AND VISUAL DESIGN

  1. Organizing for Readers
  2. Editing for a Professional Style and Tone
  3. Designing Visual Information
  4. Designing Pages and Documents

IV. SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS

  1. Email
  2. Workplace Memos and Letters
  3. Résumés and Other Job-Search Materials
  4. Technical Definitions
  5. Technical Descriptions, Specifications, and Marketing Materials
  6. Instructions and Procedures
  7. Informal Reports
  8. Formal Analytical Reports
  9. Proposals
  10. Oral Presentations and Video Conferencing
  11. Blogs, Wikis, and Web Pages
  12. Social Media

V. RESOURCES FOR TECHNICAL WRITERS

  • Appendix A: A Quick Guide to Documentation
  • Appendix B: A Quick Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics

Works Cited

Index

Author bios

About our authors

John Lannon is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Writing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he developed the undergraduate major in professional writing and later codeveloped the M.A. program in professional writing. He has also taught at Cape Cod Community College, University of Idaho, Southern Vermont College and University of Strasbourg. He has authored and coauthored 5 major textbooks in business communication, rhetoric and technical communication, book reviews, filmstrips and environmental documents and instructional software. He is the recipient of an NDEA Fellowship and Fulbright Lectureship. He holds a B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His initial training and work were in biomedical science and technology with the USAF. He has served as a communications consultant for various companies and government institutions. He worked 7 years in medical laboratories.

Laura J. Gurak is professor and founding chair of the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches courses in technical writing and digital communication. She holds an M.S. in technical communication and a Ph.D. in communication and rhetoric from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is author of 2 books from Yale University Press, one of which was the first book-length study of online social actions. Gurak is also coeditor of several edited collections and author on numerous conference presentations and papers. She is a recipient of the Society for Technical Communication's Outstanding Article award. Gurak has authored and coauthored five textbooks in technical communication published by Pearson. She has worked as a software developer, technical writer and communications consultant for various companies and organizations.

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