Rhetorical Situation

The Rhetorical Situation applies to everything you write. These readings are foundational to the course. You’ll return to these concepts frequently.

• Ch 1.3: Understanding the Rhetorical Situation (Technical Writing Essentials)
• The Rhetorical Triangle for Stakeholders: Make Your Point and Get Your Way (NNGroup)
• Audience Characteristics (Technical Communication)

Correspondence

You’ll write correspondence ( letters, memos, or emails) more often then anything else in the workplace. You will write correspondence as a part of every major project in this course.

• Ch 7.1 Correspondence: Text Messages, Emails, Memos, and Letters (Technical Writing Essentials)
• Correspondence: An Introduction
  • Correspondence: Letter Components
  • Correspondence: Memo Components
  • Correspondence: Email Components
• Strong Subject Lines

Organization

How you put your message together matters to its success. These readings address both how you structure your message based on its purpose (e.g., persuasion, negative news) and how you use document design (e.g., headings, lists) to organize the information.

• Ch 3. Document Design, Sections 3.1 to 3.5 (Technical Writing Essentials)
• Ch 6: Routine Messages (Strategies for Effective Business Communication)
• Ch. 2.3: Writing to Persuade
• Organization: An Introduction
  • Organization: Organizing the Neutral News Message
  • Organization: Organizing the Negative News Message
  • Organization: Organizing the Persuasive Message
  • Organization: Writing Elements & Organization
  • Organization: Using Headings to Organize
  • Organization: Using Lists to Organize
  • Organization: Using Tables to Organize