Chapter 1 of Information
in Action
-Tech comm is the process by which researchers
and tech experts develop info for products users
-The scene of a potential action is a rhetorical situation, which can
use an audience analysis to make a profile
-Tech commers' rhetorical situation is to solve a problem or need for
those without tech knowledge
-These situations must be context sensitive and consider situations
and cultures involved.
-producers and users work in 2 fields of action- context of use (for
readers) and context of production (for writers).
-in a transition model, the producer (writer) provides input to a system
of communication which is output to the user (the reader).
-the info must to relevant and understandable to the user and the writer
should be audience aware (intracompany writings would be different than
consumer writings).
-conduct an audience-action analysis and create a profile to better
understand the what docs need to do for a certain reader.
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Chapter 2 of Information
in Action
-collaboration is common in tech comm and involves
spreading of responsibility. though common, most Americans don't like collabs.
-the classic team model is to divide labor parts between team members.
one newer team model is 'integrated teams,' where members work together
at every development stage.
-the classic model reinforces the US ideal of individualism but the
newer model has members more involved with each other and their tasks.
-collabs involve ethical considerations. members are responsible to
the team with respect to their part of the job and other members should
be able to rely on them.
-problems in these issues and in issues of strained communication between
members can lead to office politics.
-utilitarian ethics are often used sense it acts in the best interest
of all users.
-the model for making rational, ethical decisions includes: data, information,
knowledge, backing and warrants, and decision. rushing or skipping the
model can lead to dangerous consequences, as was the case in the Challenger
space shuttle explosion.
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Chapter 3 of Information
in Action
-a common production model is the CORE model.
a doc is made that serves as the core of communication.
-it's important to consider the different learning styles of the audience,
including formal, informal and technical.
-the 4 media of tech comm are live speech, writing, audio-visual communication,
and computer-mediated communication. each has advantages and disadvantages
can will effect the way info is presented and taken by the audience.
-categories of information products are called genres. the main tech
comm genres are report, proposal, and manual and all have varied contexts
of use and production.
-The CORE method involves 1. conducting an audience-action analysis
and creating a profile for it with info on needs of users, the comm situation,
and ability of producers 2. writing the core doc that gives a sense of
the kind of info the audience needs. 3. developing graphics to support
main points. 4. presenting an oral report to the audience 5 developing
full do.
-The advantages to the CORE method are that it is realistic, practical
and collaborative.
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Chapter 11 of Information
in Action
-everyone has discourse communities of people
who talk/write/read alike. Tech discourse are the work groups like engineers
and doctors. Public discourses are social groups, like clubs and families.
-local discourse is the place you work in. global discourse in the
broad arena of people in your field.
-letters and memos are genres of correspondence. They're used to closely
communicate directly with single people or groups near you. They have a
personal quality do to directly addressing the reader (you and I).
-letters are best used out side of an organization while memos are
best used inside. letters generally have more contact info and a more formal
heading/ending.
-correspondence memos can be used for a variety of purposes that include
1. reporting info or work progress 2. instructing readers 3. proposing
projects or solutions to problems.
-letters can be used to gain entry into new communities. common forms
are applications and resumes.
-rising technology has advanced the use of new correspondence tools,
such as email, newsgroups, hypertext and electronic conferencing. they
create a wider field of communication.
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Chapter 13 of Information
in Action
-This chapters takes the core and audience-action
analysis methods and applies them to scientific papers
-scientific papers differ from technical reports due to the shift in
audience. Technical papers target non-experts while scientific ones target
experts.
-scientific papers discuss new contributions made by the author to
a certain field with other experts in the field. They hope to influence
new directions in experiment and research focus within a field.
-Reports usually include sections for Introduction, Methods, Results
and Conclusions. They whole structure in often called the IMRaD structure.
-writings often uses a passive style, in order to take the author out
of the report and have it seem as if any scientist could be doing the tasks.
-writings often use scientific terms, rather than simple terms, to
keep writing brief. It's usually assumes the audience will know what the
terms mean.
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Chapter 14 of Information
in Action
-proposals are used to put forth a plan that
will convince higher ups that the author can take action in solving a problem.
-But first there must be an actual problem, the author must understand
it, and the author must know how to solve it.
-props. show include information, to show you've researched, reasons,
to show it will produce wanted outcomes, and a plan of action that's better
than alternative actions.
-props. often start as concept papers, short docs that briefly follow
the steps of what will be the final prop.
-graphics (charts, tables) can be used to highlight, emphasis, or outlines
the overall argument
-some situations make require an oral report.
-important things to include are credibility noting of the people who'll
work on the project and info on costs and time management to assure the
bosses that the project is worth doing.
-solicited proposals are requested from company bosses to solve a problem
they id, which usually made using a set format. unsolicited proposals are
put forth by the writers to the bosses, who must define the problem and
solution themselves and use their own format.
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Foss, Foss & Trapp: "Perspectives
on the Study of Rhetoric"
The article is a detailed
overview of rhetoric's history. It began in 5th century Syracuse. The term
was coined by Corax in a writing he created to help citizens argue for
themselves in court (there were no lawyers at this time). He brought forth
the basic structure of "introduction," "argument and "conclusion."
Others were involved in the advancement of
rhetoric the teaching of it, including Corax's pupil, Titias, and Protagora
of Abdera. Much influence came from Aristotle, who was a student of Plato
(who was against rhetoric). Through his writings, he recognized five main
canons. A great orator named Cicero wrote De Oratore and advocated the
union of rhetoric and philosophy.
Over the years, there have been three main
rhetorical trends, including the epistemology, belletristic and elocutionist.
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Faigley: "Nonacademic Writing:
The Social Perspective"
This article discusses writing
done in a work environment and goes over three main rhetorical perspectives:
textual, individual, and social. Four work settings are used to illustrate
them. The textual perspective focuses on analysis of texts to find specific
features in different genres and to make texts more readable. The individual
perspective looks at the writer and their process of making texts with
the goal of learning how and why they write the ways they do. The social
perspective takes the much of the other trends and also considers the influence
of social relationships and culture.
Personal Experience: The books give a story about
a boss you had to correct new employees for making an inadequate report.
In a previous class, i was given an assignment that i completed, but did
handwritten. When the teacher got back to me, she said usually liked work
typed because some students hand writing would be hard to read (i'm guessing
i was one of those students).
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Miller: "What's Practical
About Technical Writing?"
This article goes into the
practicality of technical writing. It argues that for texts to be practical
they must to usable in real life situations and not just in theory. Points
are mentioned about how higher education too often is not taught well enough
to be applicable in job situations, which results in unprepared graduates.
As a college student near graduation, i understand
the issues around this. Alot of times i wonder if what i'm doing in class
really will be used in the real world or if i'm not even being taught the
right things. I guess i won't know 'til i get out there, but regardless,
employers give heavy weight to higher education, and you need it for a
stepping stone to those opportunities.
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Regli: "Whose Ideas? The
Technical Writer's Expertise in Invention"
-tech comm jobs should reject stereotype as
'clean ups' of 'real inventors.' Instead, articulate techniques of intention
ourselves.
-too often, tech comm writings focus on dealing solely with data from
other people. Regli knows those in the profession don't want be pegged
as 'glorified type setters,' and questions how they can contribute to the
invention.
-she sites writers that theorize writing as more collaborative and
communal and see writers as retors who treat knowledge as a activity and
not a passive noun.
-writers should focus less on persuading and actions of individual
and more on linking together what people have to offer.
-Regli still advocates using traditional models in tech comm, like
audience analysis, situation analysis, and Info structure analysis, but
using a more team oriented process that has the group share tasks and info.
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Driskill: "Understanding
the Writing Context in Organizations"
-writing is often influenced by standards imposed
by a industry wide set of standards that may deem certain styles of writing
unacceptable
-most current models and theories of business communication neglect
context.
-some systems of communication appear to look at context, but don't
concern themselves with meaning or transaction between people. the structural-functionalist
model is an example of one.
-schramm revised this model but still used vague categories of 'feedback'
and 'environment,' that didn't detail analysis of communication context
or processes.
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Katz: "Writing Review as
an Opportunity for Individuation"
-Individuation is 'the development of specific
personalities.' In the workplace, it the the willingness of workers to
differentiate themselves from others in their environment. This can be
from experience, abilities, and knowledge.
-Organizational individuation when an individual develops their particular
character within the organization.
-Authority is the ability of someone to influence work of the company
and workers within.
-Personal authority comes from your own knowledge and not others knowledge
of the abilities you have.
-Social Authority is when a person is an expert because they are seen
that why by others.
-Situational Authority is the ability to fulfill immediate needs of
a company.
Personal- I've shown authority in my Eng. 328 class when dealing with
making websites. I've developed personal authority when creating my personal
class website because i had built my abilities and could use them for my
own assignments and for others in the class how needed help.
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Spilka: "Orality and Literacy
in the Workplace: Process- and Text-Based Strategies for Multiple-Audience
Adaptation"
-The chapter discusses how orality plays a role
work play environments. theorist say workers must know about the social
contexts of their rhetorical situations in order to communicate effectively.
-In the author's studies, she found that Orality was the central means
of analyzing multiple audiences, adapting discourse to multiple audiences,
fulfilling rhetorical goals, and fulfilling social goals and building sustaining
corporate culture.
-The study found that isolated workers and interacting workers had
different perceptions on the rhetorical situations that they worked in.
-Interacting workers were usually more accurate in this respect and
were able to produce better writings by talking with and considering the
suggestions that other workers may have
-Isolated workers didn't consider the social climate or input from
other workers and thus had their writings suffer in terms of accuracy and
quality.
Personal- I have indeed found it easier writing papers in classes when
there's a lot of interaction as opposed to everyone being alone by themselves.
It helps get ideas on subjects and ways to writing and also gives opportunities
to correct mistakes in writing.
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