Reporting Technical Information: The Ultimate Resource for Technical Writers (PDF 11th Edition Download)
Reporting Technical Information 11th Edition PDF Download
If you are a technical writer or aspire to be one, you need a reliable and comprehensive guide that can help you master all aspects of technical communication. One such guide is Reporting Technical Information, a best-selling textbook that has been revised and updated for its eleventh edition.
reporting technical information 11th edition pdf download
Reporting Technical Information is written by four experienced authors who have taught technical writing at various universities: Kenneth W. Houp (late), Thomas E. Pearsall (emeritus), Elizabeth Tebeaux (Texas A&M University), and Sam Dragga (Texas Tech University). The book covers everything from foundations to techniques to applications of technical writing in a clear and engaging style.
In this article, we will give you an overview of what this book offers and how you can download a PDF version of it for free or at a low cost. We will also give you some tips on how to use the PDF version effectively and how to cite it in your references.
What is Technical Writing?
Before we dive into the details of the book, let us first define what technical writing is and why it is important.
Technical writing is a type of professional communication that conveys specialized information to a specific audience for a specific purpose. Technical writing can take many forms and formats, such as reports, manuals, proposals, instructions, articles, emails, presentations, and more.
The main goal of technical writing is to inform, instruct, persuade, or solve problems for your readers. To achieve this goal, you need to consider several factors, such as your topic, purpose, audience, context, tone, style, format, and ethics.
Technical writing is a valuable skill that can help you advance your career in any field that requires clear and accurate communication of complex information. Technical writing can also help you improve your critical thinking, research, analysis, and design skills.
What are the Foundations of Technical Writing?
The first part of Reporting Technical Information covers the foundations of technical writing, which are essential for any technical writer to master. These foundations include:
Composing: This chapter teaches you how to plan, draft, and revise your technical documents using various strategies, such as situational analysis, discovery, arrangement, and peer review.
Writing Collaboratively: This chapter shows you how to work effectively with other writers and stakeholders in a team project, such as defining roles and responsibilities, managing conflicts, and using collaborative tools.
Writing for Your Readers: This chapter guides you on how to analyze and adapt to your audience's needs, expectations, and preferences, such as their background, level of expertise, attitude, and motivation.
Achieving a Readable Style: This chapter helps you improve your writing style by applying principles of clarity, conciseness, coherence, correctness, and courtesy.
Writing Ethically: This chapter discusses the ethical issues and dilemmas that technical writers may face, such as plagiarism, falsification, deception, bias, confidentiality, and social responsibility.
Writing for International Readers: This chapter advises you on how to communicate effectively with readers from different cultures and languages, such as using plain English, avoiding idioms and jargon, respecting cultural differences, and following international standards.
What are the Techniques of Technical Writing?
The second part of Reporting Technical Information covers the techniques of technical writing, which are useful for creating various types of technical documents. These techniques include:
Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Information: This chapter teaches you how to conduct research for your technical documents using various sources, methods, and criteria. It also shows you how to document your sources using different citation styles and formats.
Presenting Information: This chapter shows you how to organize and present your information using various patterns, such as chronological, spatial, topical, comparison-contrast, cause-effect, problem-solution, and classification-division.
Analyzing Information: This chapter helps you analyze your information using various techniques, such as definition, description, process analysis, comparison-contrast, cause-effect, and classification-division.
Document Design: This chapter guides you on how to design your technical documents using various elements, such as layout, color, typography, headings, lists, tables, and graphics.
Using Illustrations: This chapter advises you on how to use illustrations in your technical documents, such as photographs, drawings, charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams.
What are the Applications of Technical Writing?
The third part of Reporting Technical Information covers the applications of technical writing, which are specific examples of technical documents that you may encounter or produce in your field. These applications include:
Correspondence: This chapter covers the types and formats of correspondence that technical writers may use or receive, such as letters, memos, emails, and social media posts.
The Strategies and Communications of the Job Hunt: This chapter covers the strategies and communications that technical writers may need for their job hunt, such as resumes, cover letters, portfolios, interviews, and follow-ups.
Proposals and Progress Reports: This chapter covers the types and formats of proposals and progress reports that technical writers may write or read in their projects, such as solicited proposals, unsolicited proposals, internal proposals, external proposals, formal proposals, informal proposals, progress reports,
and status reports. Recommendation Reports: This chapter covers the types and formats of recommendation reports that technical writers may write or read in their projects,
such as feasibility studies,
evaluation reports,
justification reports,
and troubleshooting reports. Empirical Research Reports: This chapter covers the types and formats of empirical research reports that technical writers may write or read in their projects,
such as laboratory reports,
How to Access the Book Online?
One of the great features of Reporting Technical Information is that it comes with a companion website that offers a wealth of resources for both instructors and students. The website includes:
About the book: This section provides information about the authors, the key features, the table of contents, and other Oxford titles of interest.
Instructor resources: This section provides instructors with access to an instructor's manual, PowerPoint slides, a collaborative network, and a WebCT/Blackboard course content.
Student resources: This section provides students with access to chapter learning aids, such as overviews, checklists, exercises, flashcards, key terms and concepts, online resources, sample documents, and self tests. It also provides a collaborative network and a WebCT/Blackboard course content.
To access the companion website, you need to visit https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/0195178793/ and follow the instructions on the screen. You may need to register or log in with your Oxford account to access some of the features.
How to Download the PDF Version of the Book?
If you prefer to read the book in a PDF format, you have several options to download it from different sources. Here are some of them:
Oxford University Press: You can purchase the PDF version of the book directly from the publisher's website at https://global.oup.com/academic/product/reporting-technical-information-9780195178791?cc=us&lang=en&. The price is $49.95 for a single user license. You will need to create an account and provide your payment details to complete the purchase. After that, you will be able to download the PDF file to your device.
Perlego: You can access the PDF version of the book for free on Perlego, a platform that offers unlimited access to over 500,000 academic books and textbooks for a monthly subscription fee. You can sign up for a 14-day free trial at https://www.perlego.com/book/1406080/reporting-technical-information-pdf. After that, you will need to pay $12 per month or $96 per year to continue using the service. You will be able to read the book online or download it as a PDF file.
PDFRoom: You can download the PDF version of the book for free on PDFRoom, a website that allows you to search and download millions of PDF files from various sources. You can find the book at https://pdfroom.com/books/reporting-technical-information/Gk203nvKgpm. You will need to click on the "Download PDF" button and wait for a few seconds until the file is ready. Then, you will be able to save it to your device.
How to Use the PDF Version of the Book?
The PDF version of the book has some advantages and disadvantages compared to the print version. On one hand, it is more convenient, portable, and accessible. On the other hand, it may be less interactive, engaging, and comfortable.
To make the most out of the PDF version of the book, here are some tips and suggestions:
Print it out: If you prefer reading from paper rather than from a screen, you can print out the PDF file and bind it as a book. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of both formats.
Annotate it: If you want to take notes, highlight important points, or add comments to the PDF file, you can use various tools and apps that allow you to annotate PDF files. For example, you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Foxit Reader.
Bookmark it: If you want to mark your progress, save your favorite pages, or jump to specific sections of the PDF file, you can use the bookmark feature that most PDF readers offer. You can also create your own table of contents or index for easy navigation.
Share it: If you want to share the PDF file with your classmates, colleagues, or friends, you can use various platforms and services that allow you to send, upload, or store PDF files. For example, you can use email, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive.
How to Cite the Book in Your References?
If you use the book as a source for your own technical writing projects, you need to cite it properly in your references. Depending on the citation style that you or your instructor prefer, you may need to follow different rules and formats. Here are some examples and guidelines for some common citation styles:
APA (7th edition): Houp, K. W., Pearsall, T. E., Tebeaux, E., & Dragga, S. (2006). Reporting technical information (11th ed.). Oxford University Press.
MLA (8th edition): Houp, Kenneth W., et al. Reporting Technical Information. 11th ed., Oxford University Press, 2006.
Chicago (17th edition): Houp, Kenneth W., Thomas E. Pearsall, Elizabeth Tebeaux, and Sam Dragga. Reporting Technical Information. 11th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
What are Some Other Resources for Technical Writing?
Besides Reporting Technical Information, there are many other resources that can help you improve your technical writing skills. Here are some recommendations and links to other books, websites, blogs, podcasts, and more:
Books:
The Handbook of Technical Writing by Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu.
The Essentials of Technical Communication by Elizabeth Tebeaux and Sam Dragga.
The Insider's Guide to Technical Writing by Krista Van Laan.
The Art of Readable Writing by Rudolf Flesch.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.
Websites:
Purdue Online Writing Lab: Professional and Technical Writing
TechWhirl: Technical Communication Resource Site
Society for Technical Communication: The Professional Association for Technical Communicators
IEEE Professional Communication Society: The Society for Engineers and Scientists Who Communicate
Write the Docs: A Community of People Who Care About Documentation
Blogs:
I'd Rather Be Writing: A Blog by Tom Johnson on Technical Writing Trends and Best Practices
ffeathers: A Blog by Sarah Maddox on Technical Writing and Other Things That Interest Her
Technical Writing World: A Blog by Various Authors on Technical Writing Topics and Tips
ClickHelp Technical Writing Blog: A Blog by ClickHelp Team on Technical Writing Tools and Trends
Cherryleaf Blog: A Blog by Cherryleaf Team on Clear and Simple Information Your Users Will Love
Podcasts:
Conclusion
In this article, we have given you an overview of Reporting Technical Information, a best-selling textbook that covers all aspects of technical writing. We have also shown you how to download a PDF version of the book from different sources and how to use it effectively. Finally, we have provided you with some other resources that can help you improve your technical writing skills.
If you are a technical writer or aspire to be one, you should definitely get a copy of this book and use it as a reference and a guide. It will help you master the foundations, techniques, and applications of technical writing in a clear and engaging way.
So, what are you waiting for? Download the PDF version of Reporting Technical Information today and start learning from the experts!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the book and their answers:
What is the difference between the 10th and the 11th edition of the book?
The 11th edition of the book has been revised and updated to reflect the changes and trends in technical communication. It includes new topics, such as social media, usability testing, document management systems, and global communication. It also features new examples, exercises, and illustrations from various fields and disciplines.
How can I access the instructor's manual and the PowerPoint slides for the book?
You can access the instructor's manual and the PowerPoint slides for the book by visiting the companion website at https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/0195178793/ and clicking on "Instructor Resources". You will need to register or log in with your Oxford account to access them.
How can I get a print version of the book?
You can purchase a print version of the book from various online retailers, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Book Depository. You can also order it directly from Oxford University Press at https://global.oup.com/academic/product/reporting-technical-information-9780195178791?cc=us&lang=en&. The price is $74.95 for a paperback copy.
How can I contact the authors of the book?
You can contact the authors of the book by visiting the companion website at https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/0195178793/ and clicking on "Contact Authors". You will be able to send them an email with your questions or comments.
How can I join a community of technical writers?
You can join a community of technical writers by becoming a member of a professional association, such as the Society for Technical Communication (STC) or the IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS). You can also participate in online forums, blogs, podcasts, and social media platforms that are dedicated to technical writing.
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