Practical models for technical communication - Shannon Kelley 2021
Glossary index
The glossary index increases the usability of this book by providing definitions, chapter numbers, and page numbers where extended discussion of important terms can be found. All defined terms below can be found in bold within the text. Additionally, the bold numbers tell you where to find the definition of that term within the text. Additional page numbers direct you to where the term is discussed in depth.
The index does not include every mention of a word. If we did that, the entry for technical communication would be almost as long as the book itself. Instead, we have selected the most relevant locations for these terms. Additional page numbers refer to illustrations, models, examples, and extended discussion of these relevant terms. “See also” directs you to a similar term within the index. “See” directs you to the full entry for that term.
A
abstract: 307; model of, 318; see also summary.
A brief summary of an entire report, including the problem, methodology, results, and conclusions.
abstract language: 22
Words that describe ideas, feelings, and concepts that are understood through the mind rather than the senses; as opposed to concrete language.
accuracy: 23
The use of error-free information.
agenda: 187
An outline of the planned contents of a business meeting.
alignment: 66; 159, see also center alignment, justified alignment, left alignment, and right alignment.
The horizontal or vertical connection between separate elements that fall along straight lines.
alternate steps: 245
A type of instruction that allows for two or more ways to accomplish the same task.
ambiguity: 37
The presentation of two meanings at the same time that can lead to uncertainty.
analysis: 120, 294; see also causal analysis, comparative analysis, and feasibility analysis.
The act of examining an object or idea closely to understand its parts and how they work.
anchoring: 256; see also research.
A cognitive bias that favors the first piece of information you hear.
APA style: 127; 48, model of, 316—333
A style of writing and documentation defined by the American Psychological Association for behavioral and social sciences.
appendix: 278, 314
A section at the end of a report that provides additional information on subjects requiring further explanation or reference.
audience: 5; 200, 213, 250 see also user.
The group of people to whom a document or deliverable is addressed.
B
bar graph: 80
A visual representation of data in horizontal or vertical bars.
bibliography: 314; see also Chicago style.
A list of sources used for research in a report.
C
causal analysis: 296
A type of report that investigates why something happens.
causation: 297
The process of showing the direct relationship between a cause and effect; see also correlation.
center alignment: 66
A consistent connection in vertical text along a straight line at the center of a document, creating ragged left and right margins.
Chain Method: 226; see also Fork Method and Known-New Contract.
A way of explaining new information that begins with a topic sentence followed by a comment; subsequent sentences (chains) present new comments related to the topic.
characteristics: 218; see also class and name.
The unique set of traits that makes a term stand out within its class.
chart: 79; see also Gantt chart.
The organization of data to show relationships by using shapes, arrows, lines, and other design elements.
Chicago style: 128; 49
A style of writing and documentation used within the publishing industry and some business and history courses.
chronological organization: 74
A method of arranging information based on the progress of time.
circumlocution: 40
The use of evasive or excessive language to disguise one’s meaning.
citation: 45
The academic convention that gives credit to the owner or creator of content and provides an ethical way to use content, sometimes referred to as a parenthetical or in-text citation.
claim: 140
The assertion of a particular message that requires evidence to establish its validity.
clarity: 15
A quality of writing that make it understandable and easy to follow.
class: 217; see also characteristic and name.
The category in which a defined word belongs.
cliché: 166
A phrase that is overused and shows a lack of originality.
clients: 12
A person or organization who pays for work from a technical communicator.
code of ethics: see ethics.
code-switching: 194
The conscious act of changing the way you speak to fit a situation.
collaboration: 202
An activity or project where tasks are divided among several individuals who combine their separate efforts into a final product.
color: 65
A visual element that results from the perception of light on the surface of an object.
comparative analysis: 295
A type of report that identifies criteria for determining the best choice from multiple options.
conciseness: 20
The use of the right amount of detail and information.
conclusion: 312
The section of a report that ties the results together and often includes steps for implementing a solution or other recommendations.
concrete language: 222
Words that describe specific and tangible objects that exist in the world and are understood through the body’s five senses; as opposed to abstract language.
context: 211
The setting or situation that gives words additional meaning.
contrast: 70
A way to create emphasis by highlighting differences between elements in a document.
copyright law: 131; 45
The legal protection that exists for people who own their content.
correlation: 297
The process of showing the approximate connection between two related factors; see also causation.
Creative Commons: 46
An organization that provides legal designations called licenses that allow copyrighted content to be used in an “open-source” style.
D
data: 23
Units of information used to create meaning.
definition: 211; see also extended definition, parenthetical definition, and sentence definition.
A statement that expresses the meaning of a word or group of words.
demographics: 14
The group characteristics of an audience.
description: 210; see also process description and product description.
A statement of the physical characteristics of an object.
design: 56; 243, 253
The intentional and planned presentation of information to an audience.
diagram: 80
A visual representation of how objects or parts of an object fit together.
digital literacy: 94
A form of technological knowledge that provides essential skills for finding, using, and sharing information.
directive: 185
A type of memo that issues an order to staff.
document design: 59; see also layout.
The deliberate organization of text and images on a page.
E
end matter: 314
The parts of a formal report that follow the main body, which may include a bibliography, appendix, glossary, and/or index.
end user: see user.
ethics: 31
A system of principles or morals that determine the actions of an individual or group.
etiquette: 172; 184, 205
A code of behavior that explains the proper way to act in situations.
euphemism: 38
A word or set of words that replace other words to blunt or soften the intended message.
exploded diagram: 247
An illustration that allows the user to see all the parts and how they fit together.
extended definition: 219
An explanation over multiple sentences.
external proposal: 272
A persuasive form of business writing intended for audiences outside an organization.
F
fact: 23
Verifiable information.
fair use: 132
A narrowly defined legal use of copyrighted content for specific purposes.
feasibility analysis: 297
A type of report that helps determine if a strategy, plan, or design is a good idea based on finances, outcomes, or possibility.
feasibility report: 283; see also Appendix A.
A technical document that examines whether a proposed idea or product is likely to succeed.
fixed-order steps: 245
A type of instructions that must be performed in the order they are presented.
font: 63
The style of a set of characters used in typesetting and design.
Fork Method: 225; see also Chain Method and Known-New Contract.
A way of explaining new information that begins with a topic and is followed by a sentence that starts with a word or phrase related to the topic that provides more information and furthers understanding about the topic.
formal report: 292
A long document that presents solutions to complex issues involving research, analysis, methodology, results, and recommendations.
format: 192
The style of a document based on how the sections and paragraphs are or are not indented; includes block, indented, or modified block formats.
freelancer/contractor: 342
A self-employed individual who performs duties for a defined period of time according to a contract agreed on with a client.
front matter: 306
The opening pages of a report that introduces the report’s topic and often includes a letter of transmittal, title page, table of contents, and abstract.
G
Gantt chart: 276; see also chart.
A visual that represents tasks and timelines in collaborative projects where multiple assignments need to be completed at different times to achieve a specific outcome.
glossary: 217, 314
A list of terms used in a document, located near the end.
graph: 80; see also bar graph and line graph.
A visual that represents data points and allows the viewer to compare two or more variables.
grid: 68
The underlying structure used to help create visual order in documents.
group work: 202
A type of project where multiple individuals are given a task or set of tasks to complete regardless of individual strengths and skills.
H
heading: 72; see also subheading.
A word or phrase used as a title for a section of text.
honesty: 35
The state or quality of sticking to the facts and speaking the truth; one of the six ethical principles embraced by the society for technical communicators; see also ethics.
hypothesis: 109
An educated guess that serves as a testing ground for a research process.
I
idiom: 42
A phrase that has a specific meaning in one language that cannot be directly translated into another.
IEEE style: 130; 49
A style of writing and documentation defined by the institute for electrical and electronics engineers for use in the electrical, electronics, computer science, and computer programming fields.
illustration: 80
A visual representation of a physical object or concept, usually a sketch or drawing by hand or computer.
index: 314
A list of specific terms in a report and the page numbers where they can be found.
inference: 23
A conclusion that can be reached based on available data.
instructions: 234; 260
A set of detailed steps that function as directions for how to complete actions successfully; as opposed to procedures.
intellectual property: 131; see also copyright.
A product of the human imagination that is protected by copyright law.
internal proposal: 271
A persuasive form of business writing intended for audiences inside an organization.
introduction: 310
A section of a report that describes the problem and defines the report’s purpose, scope, background, and method of analysis.
J
jargon: 43, 214
Words and phrases, technical or otherwise, that are unfamiliar to a general audience.
judgment: 24
The use of opinion-based, reasonable actions based on available facts, inferences, and values.
justified alignment: 67
A consistent connection in vertical text along a straight line at the left and right margins.
K
keyword: 163
A specific word or phrase that relates directly to a specific topic.
Known-New Contract: 225; see also Fork Method and Chain Method.
The principle of communication where the creator begins with what their audience knows before introducing new information.
L
layout: 56
The intentional placement of visual elements within a document
left alignment: 66
A consistent connection in vertical text along a straight line at the left margin, creating a ragged right margin.
letter of transmittal: 306; model of, 308
A brief document that precedes a report, informing the audience of the report’s delivery.
levels of evidence: 303
A continuum on which each piece of evidence falls, with specialized knowledge at one end and general knowledge at the other end.
line graph: 80
A visual representation of data as points that are connected by a through line.
M
medium/media: 9, 90; see also multimedia communication.
A means of transmission to store or deliver information
memo: 185
A document distributed or displayed internally within a workplace to inform or remind the audience of a decision.
message: 6
The content of a document or deliverable.
methodology: 310
The section of a formal report that explains how research was conducted.
minutes: 187
A document that records the outcomes of a business meeting.
MLA style: 125; 48
A style of writing and documentation defined by the Modern Language Association for use in literature, languages, and the humanities.
mode: 89; 9, see also multimodal communication.
A style or manner in which communication occurs or is experienced, expressed, or done.
multimedia communication: 11, 89
A process involving the use of more than one means of information transmission.
multimodal communication: 10, 89
A process involving the use of more than one method of generating content.
N
name: 217; see also characteristic and class.
The specific word for a term, thing, or concept.
negation: 221
An explanation of what a term does not mean, used to help clarify meaning.
nested steps: 245
A type of instructions for a complex process that is broken down into substeps.
network: 352
The act of maintaining mutually beneficial professional relationships.
O
objectivity: 303
The use of external evidence and verifiable facts to support a conclusion.
P
page design: see document design, layout.
parallelism: 73; 241
A technique where elements in a group or list all take the same form, creating a pattern.
paraphrase: 123
A restatement of someone else’s information in your own words.
parenthetical definition: 215
An explanation of a term immediately after its first use, typically enclosed in parentheses.
peer review: 119
A process of critical examination by a panel of experts used by scholarly publications before an article or other researched work is published.
plagiarism: 130
A violation of the scholarly and professional expectation that, unless otherwise cited, the ideas, words, and research you present in a document are your own.
precision: 20
A quality of writing that uses exact and specific language.
primary research: 117; 301
The process of acquiring new data that has not been collected before; as opposed to secondary research.
Problem-Solution Framework: 5; 267, 279, 293
An illustration of how technical communication moves from problem to solution by considering the needs of audience, purpose, and message.
problem-solution organization: 77
A two-part structure that describes an issue and suggests a response or resolution.
procedure: 236
An overview of the best methods required to complete a process; as opposed to instructions.
process description: 223
A document that explains how complex events occur with attention to sequence, timing, movement, and necessary tools.
product description: 222
A document that details an object’s physical characteristics and ask questions that focus on elements that you can see or touch.
proposal: 264; see also solicited proposal and unsolicited proposal.
A form of business writing that persuades someone to approve a service or course of action.
proximity: 72
The spatial distance between two or more elements in a document that can create meaning.
public domain: 132; 46
The designation for content that is not under any form of legal copyright.
purpose: 5, 299
The reason behind a report’s creation.
R
reference: 167
People who can talk about your work skills and experiences.
report body: 312
The sections of a report that contain the collected data, analyses, or results.
request for proposal (RFP): 270
A document companies use to gather information about services, not products.
research: 117; see also primary research and secondary research.
The act of looking for, collecting, and evaluating information on a specific topic.
research report: 281
A short document that presents data about a specific topic.
results: 312
A section of a formal report and part of the conclusion that presents the research outcomes.
rhetoric: 93
The artful use of language to persuade an audience.
rhetorical awareness: 93
The act of thinking critically about the choices involved in the creation of a persuasive appeal.
right alignment: 66
A consistent connection in vertical text along a straight line at the right margin, creating a ragged left margin.
S
sales report: 282
A short document that presents data about product sales over a specific period of time.
sans serif font: 64
Typography that is simplistic and uses more separation between characters to provide a cleaner appearance.
scanning: 24
The act of looking for a specific piece of information in a document; as opposed to skimming.
scope: 299
The boundaries of what a report will and will not include.
secondary research: 118; 301
The collection of existing data extracted from interpretations by other creators; as opposed to primary research.
sentence definition: 216
An explanation of a term within a complete sentence.
sequential organization: 76
A method of organizing information along a logical, step-by-step progression.
serif font: 64; see also font.
Typography that is decorative and contains connective flourishes that aid in faster reading.
short report: 278
A brief document that informs others about a specific objective, event, or ongoing issue.
skimming: 24
Looking for the general or main ideas in a document; as opposed to scanning.
S.M.A.R.T.: 143
An acronym used for goal setting that stands for specific, measurable, attractive, realistic.
solicited proposal: 272
A persuasive form of business writing that has been specifically requested by its audience.
status report: 281
A short document that provides an update about an ongoing situation; see also report, progress.
subheading: 72; see also heading.
A word or phrase that creates a secondary unit of information within a larger section of text.
subjectivity: 303
The use of personal perception and interpretations to support a conclusion.
subject matter expert (SME): 134
A source of knowledge who lends their expertise to a specific process, function or technology.
summary: 120
A one-paragraph description of an entire source.
T
table of contents: 307
A list of the various sections in a report and their page numbers.
table: 78
The organization of numbers or words in columns and rows for easy comparison.
technical communication: 3
The act of creating and delivering content requiring precision, clarity, and accuracy.
technical communicator: 339
People working in fields where they transmit specialized knowledge.
technical document: 3
A mode of communication, whether online or in print, that involves content designed to meet a specific need and produce a desired result.
technical writer: 342
A person who creates instruction manuals, informational reports, and other documents communicating complicated technical information to specific audiences.
thread: 180
The back-and-forth dialogue in an email exchange.
title page: 306
A single page including basic information about a report, including the report’s title, author(s), sponsoring organizations, and date of preparation.
tone: 197
The attitude conveyed by one’s choice of words.
U
unsolicited proposal: 272
A persuasive form of business writing that has not been specifically requested by its audience.
usability testing: 254
An unbiased examination of the effectiveness of a document.
user profile: 14
A collection of information about potential audiences.
user: 12; see also audience.
The audience for a given technical communication.
V
variable-order steps: 245
A type of instructions that allow a user to perform the suggested steps in any order.
W
white space: 70
Any space surrounding figures, tables, visuals, or text that is otherwise empty.
work for hire: 132
A type of contract where a hired creator releases ownership of the content they create to a client.
workplace communication: 178
The exchange of information that takes place between individuals or groups trying to complete a job or task.