Technical Writing
Recent Additions
25 Nov Dec 2001;
by Dennis G. Jerz
Titles
for Web Pages: In Context and Out of Context
Most writers know the value of an informative title, but
but many beginning web authors don't know that each web page needs
two kinds of titles.
13 Nov 2001; by Dennis G. Jerz
Short Reports:
How To Write Routine Technical Documents
This collection of documents uses examples and commentary to teach technical
writing principles. Chief among them: good writers don't need fancy
words; a technical document is not a mystery novel; and, break your
content into appropriate sections (Abstract or Executive Summary? Introduction
or Background? Recommendations or Conclusions?).
05 Feb 2001;
by Dennis G. Jerz
Blurbs:
How to write them for web pages
A blurb is a short paragraph that previews what's on the
other end of a link. You're reading a blurb now. If it helps you
decide whether you should click the link, then it has done its job.
23 Jan 2001; by Jessica Bauer (UWEC
Student) and Dennis G. Jerz
Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips
These ten tips will help teach you how to write effective, high-quality
e-mails in today's professional environment. Write a meaningful subject
line; keep the message short and readable; avoid attachments; identify
yourself; don't flame (and more).
08 Nov 2000; by Dennis G. Jerz
Oral Presentations: Delivering
Technical Information Face-to-face
The content is the most obvious component of an oral
presentation -- after all, if you are talking, you had better have something
worthwhile to say. But no matter how well-written, an oral
presentation is only as effective as its delivery.
08 Nov 2000; by Dennis G. Jerz
Florida
County Ballot Design Raises Questions about Election 2000
The 2000 U.S. Presidential race was so
close that some Democratic Party officials think a hard-to-use Florida
ballot may have unfairly decided the presidency.
09 Oct 2000; by Dennis G. Jerz
Making a
Simple Web Site with FrontPage
This document will guide you through the basic steps of creating
a web page with MS Front Page 2000. You will still need to publish
your site in order for the
rest of the world to see it, but these instructions will get you started.
10 Oct 2000; by Dennis G. Jerz
Publishing a Web Site to Geocities
This document assumes that you have already created a simple
website with MS FrontPage, and that you want to publish your
page in order for the rest of the world to see it.
20 Jul 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz
Writing for
the Internet: Why is the Advice so Scant?
Turning the pages of a book is still (and will probably always be) the
best way to read a novel; after all, the novel was designed for a "novel"
device -- the book. But the Internet has spawned new writing genres
which demand a different writing mode. Learn about that mode here.
19 Jul 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz
Usability Testing: What
Is It?
The first rule of technical writing is "know your audience."
But even the best planning cannot predict all possible user
errors. This document introduces the concept of
testing for usability, which measures whether test subjects can actually
use your prototype to complete assigned tasks.
19 Jul 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz
Prototypes in Technical
Writing: What Are They?
A good prototype will help you identify gaps in your research or mistaken
assumptions long before you have dug yourself into a hole by investing
a lot of time in it. A sculptor makes a scale model in clay -- a prototype
-- before chiseling away at a full-sized chunk of marble. It it much
easier to fix major mistakes in clay than it is to throw away a ruined
chunk of marble and start over again.
13 Jul 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz
Writing for the
Internet: Illustration of the Need
Many on-line web tutorials give practical,
useful technical advice on everything from non-clashing color combinations
to effective uses of animated GIFs, but barely mention writing at
all. Web designers too frequently ignore their content.
18 May 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz
URL-Hacking:
Do-it-yourself navigation
You wind up on a strange web page without any hyperlinks, and with the
unhelpful message "Use the 'Go Back' button to return to the table
of contents." If you want to explore this web site, what
do you do? Try hacking the URL.
11 May 2000; Dennis
G. Jerz
Cover Letters -- Top 5 Tips
You can't simply say "I am a good match" -- you have
to prove it. A detailed resume is only part of the game plan. Your cover
letter should emphasize why your experiences and attributes make you
a good match for the job
09 May 2000; Dennis
G. Jerz
Resumes -- Top 5 Problems
I regularly ask my students to submit resumes early in the semester.
Here are the top 5 problems that typically cause stress
for my students (and me) during this assignment.
01 May 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz (Updated 25 Nov 2001)
Navigation:
An often neglected component of web authorship
To make the best use of hypertext, you should not blindly follow the
convention of printed, linear text. Instead, divide your content
into logical, free-standing units that can be strung together, like
beads on a string, in different orders.
28 Apr 2000; by Dennis
G. Jerz
Instructions:
Write for Busy, Grouchy People
People hate reading instructions, and will only glance at them
when they are hopelessly lost. By then, they will already be frusrated
and behind schedule. Organize your instructions carefully, phrase them
clearly, and make them as brief as you possibly can.
Fall, 1999; by Erin Vanden Wymelenberg
and Dennis G. Jerz
Resumes -- Content
Employers read resumes in order to find
evidence that a particular applicant is well qualified for a particular
job. Experience, education, training, and personal qualities relevant
to the job are all important. The resume should describe what has led
the applicant to where he or she is now.
Fall, 1999; by Erin Vanden Wymelenberg
and Dennis G. Jerz
Resumes
-- Presentation
Many employers look for creativity and imagination when the
job calls for it. However, it is best to aim for a professional, neat,
and organized look for your resume. If you are applying for a
job that requires radical creativity, you can always include a portfolio
of your wildest, most unbusinesslike work!
See Also |
Online
Class Projects: What You Should
Know First |
