ppt05

Technical Communication: Process and Product
Seventh Edition
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
Pearson Education, Inc.
Technical Communication: Process and Product

Seventh Edition
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
Chapter 5: Research and Documentation
Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 5: Research and Documentation

This chapter discusses the following: Objectives Criteria for Writing Long, Formal Research Reports Process
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson
Copyright 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All Rights Reserved
Objectives
Perform research to create content support commentary and content with details prove points emphasize the importance of an idea enhance the reliability of an opinion show the importance of a subject to the larger business community address the audiences need for documentation and substantiation
Researching Primary Sources

Primaryresearch that you originate by
Preparing a survey or a questionnaire targeting a group of respondents Networking to discover information from other individuals Visiting job sites Performing lab experiments Interviewing
Researching Secondary Sources

Secondaryresearch from already printed and published information taken from
Books Periodicals Newspapers Encyclopedias Reports Proposals or other business documents Web site or blogs
Criteria for Writing Research Reports

Audience
If you are performing research for an oral presentation or written report, who is your audience?
High tech? Low tech? Lay? Multiple?
Criteria for Writing Research Reports (cont.)

Style
Research reports tend to be more formal than other kinds of technical communication. Research requirements (documentation) are formally rigid. Strive for objectivity and correctness (to avoid plagiarism).

Formatting
Overall organization. As with all technical communication, a research report (oral or written) should consist of an
Introduction Body Conclusion

Formatting (cont.)
Internal organization. You can use many methods of organization within the body of a report, including
Problem/solution Comparison/contrast Analysis Cause/effect
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Formatting (cont.)
Documentation. Research demands that you tell where you got your information. Include
Source citations Works cited or Reference pages See Appendix B in your textbook for information about parenthetical source citations and documentation.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 7/e Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson Copyright 2012, 2008, 2003, 1992, 1980 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All Rights Reserved
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Process
To ensure the success of your research,
Prewrite Write Rewrite
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Process (cont.)
Prewriting techniques
Gather data, determine your audience, and decide on goals.
Select a topic to research Spot-check sources of information Establish a focus Research the topic thoroughly, using
Books Periodicals The Internet
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Process (cont.)
Prewriting techniques (cont.)Sources
Business Periodicals Index ABI/Inform General Science Index Social Sciences Index ERIC (Education Resources Information Center PubMed PsycINFO LEXIS/NEXIS
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Process (cont.)
Prewriting techniques (cont.)
Gather data, determine your audience, and decide on goals (cont.).
Take notes Isolate key points Write a statement of purpose (to maintain focus) Create an outline
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Process (cont.)
Writing
Review your research. Organize your report effectively. Write a rough draft. Cite your sources carefully and correctly.
Source citations Works cite or Reference pages
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Process (cont.)
Rewriting
Revise the rough draft by
Adding detail for clarity Deleting dead words and phrases for conciseness Simplifying terms for easy understanding Moving text for emphasis Reformatting for easy access Enhancing the tone Correcting errors for professionalism
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Practice
Use the end-of-chapter activities to practice writing research reports.
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Technical Communication: Process and Product

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Pearson Education, Inc.

Technical Communication: Process and Product

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Chapter 5: Research and Documentation

Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 5: Research and Documentation

Researching Primary Sources

Researching Secondary Sources

Criteria for Writing Research Reports

Criteria for Writing Research Reports (cont.)

Criteria for Writing Research Reports (cont.)

Criteria for Writing Research Reports (cont.)

Criteria for Writing Research Reports (cont.)

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