You can take technical-writing courses associated with this online textbook:
- For credit through the Technical Communications program at Austin Community College (ACC) in Austin, Texas USA.
- Through the online continuing education Technical Writing Certificate Program at Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York.
An enhanced hardcopy version of this online textbook entitled Power Tools for Technical Communication by David A. McMurrey is now available through Thomson Learning/Heinle Publishers. Use ISBN 0-15-506898-0 to get a copy:
- Direct from Heinle: Thomson Learning/Heinle (search on McMurrey).
- From amazon.com
Introduction: Technical Writing and This Course
Examples, Cases & Models: Index
Applications of Technical Writing
- Business correspondence and resumes
- Technical reports: structure and process
- Types of technical reports: an overview
- Business plans
- Proposals
- Progress reports
- Instructions
- User guides
- Organizational policies and procedures
- Recommendation and feasibility reports
- Abstracts, introductions, and conclusions
- Oral presentations
Document Design
- Book design overview
- Page design overview
- Headings
- Lists
- Special notices
- Graphics and tables
- Report format and final packaging
- Highlighting and emphasis
- Indexing
Processes and Guidelines in Technical Writing
- Writing process: from audience to rough draft
- Audience analysis
- Task analysis
- Power-revision techniques
- Libraries, documentation, cross-referencing
- Basic patterns and elements of the sentence
- Common grammar, usage, punctuation problems
- Common spelling problems
- Strategies for peer-reviewing and team-writing
- Information structures