| Acknowledgments |
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xiii | |
| Preface |
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xv | |
| PART 1 WHAT AM I GETTING MYSELF INTO? |
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What Is Technical Writing? |
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3 | (2) |
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5 | (3) |
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What Problems Come with the Territory? |
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8 | (4) |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (3) |
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16 | (1) |
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The Birth of a Profession |
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17 | (1) |
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The Computer Revolution and Beyond |
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18 | (1) |
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19 | (3) |
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Who Becomes a Tech Writer? |
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Tech Writers Have Varied Backgrounds |
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22 | (2) |
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24 | (2) |
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26 | (1) |
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27 | (1) |
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28 | (1) |
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29 | (2) |
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Marketing or Journalism? The Medium Is the Message |
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31 | (3) |
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Acquiring the Knowledge You Need |
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34 | (6) |
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40 | (1) |
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41 | (1) |
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Some Suggestions from Managers |
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42 | (1) |
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Resume Preparation for Writers |
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43 | (4) |
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47 | (1) |
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Preparing and Presenting Writing Samples |
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48 | (1) |
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48 | (1) |
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Getting Your Foot in the Door |
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49 | (1) |
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50 | (6) |
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56 | (1) |
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56 | (1) |
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Tech Writers Write, Right? |
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57 | (1) |
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What Do You Do Besides Write? |
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58 | (1) |
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Additional Responsibilities |
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58 | (2) |
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Different Stages, Different Days |
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60 | (2) |
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62 | (3) |
| PART TWO GATHERING INFORMATION |
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Becoming a Subject Expert |
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65 | (1) |
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66 | (1) |
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Learning About a Technical Product |
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66 | (6) |
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72 | (1) |
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73 | (2) |
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Communicating With Engineers |
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Preparing for the Interview |
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75 | (6) |
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81 | (1) |
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82 | (8) |
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90 | (1) |
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The Problem of Illiteracy |
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91 | (1) |
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92 | (1) |
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Characteristics of Your Audience |
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93 | (1) |
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Writing for a Single Audience |
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94 | (1) |
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Getting Acquainted with Your Audience |
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95 | (5) |
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100 | (1) |
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101 | (4) |
| PART THREE A DOCUMENT IS BORN |
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Planning a Writing Project, on Paper and Online |
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105 | (1) |
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106 | (2) |
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The Importance of Document Organization |
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108 | (1) |
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108 | (1) |
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Principles of Document Organization, on Paper and Online |
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109 | (1) |
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Differences Between Paper and Online Documentation |
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110 | (2) |
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Organizing a Documentation Set |
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112 | (1) |
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113 | (2) |
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Organizing a Technical Document |
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Ordering Technical Information |
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115 | (5) |
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Components of Technical Books |
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120 | (2) |
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122 | (2) |
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Designing Online Documentation |
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124 | (1) |
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125 | (4) |
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Elements of Online Documentation |
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129 | (1) |
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130 | (1) |
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131 | (1) |
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132 | (1) |
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Glossary of Online Documentation Terms |
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132 | (3) |
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Planning for Visual Impact |
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135 | (2) |
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137 | (1) |
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137 | (5) |
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Tables, Charts, and Graphs |
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142 | (1) |
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143 | (2) |
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145 | (1) |
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146 | (3) |
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Writing Is the Heart of Your Craft |
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149 | (8) |
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157 | (3) |
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160 | (1) |
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161 | (1) |
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162 | (3) |
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Writing and Editing--What's the Difference? |
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165 | (1) |
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166 | (1) |
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166 | (1) |
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167 | (5) |
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172 | (2) |
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174 | (1) |
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175 | (2) |
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177 | (2) |
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The Myth of Egoless Writing |
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179 | (1) |
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179 | (1) |
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180 | (2) |
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Asking for Trouble--Submitting and Retrieving Those Reviews |
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182 | (2) |
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Incorporating Review Comments |
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184 | (1) |
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184 | (1) |
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185 | (2) |
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Proofreading the Final Draft |
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187 | (1) |
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187 | (6) |
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193 | (4) |
| PART FOUR DOING BUSINESS |
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The Hazards of Being a Tech Writer |
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197 | (4) |
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Writers' Occupational Injuries |
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201 | (3) |
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204 | (3) |
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Succeeding at Your Career |
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207 | (1) |
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Climbing the Corporate Ladder |
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208 | (1) |
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208 | (6) |
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214 | (2) |
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216 | (3) |
| Appendixes |
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Appendix A: Academic Programs |
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219 | (24) |
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Appendix B: Professional Associations |
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243 | (4) |
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Appendix C: Document Plan |
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247 | (6) |
| Annotated Bibliography |
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253 | (6) |
| Index |
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259 | |
