Deck 1: Introduction to Technical Communication

Question 1

Most technical documents are produced by professional technical communicators working alone.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Chapter 1 cites three reasons for ensuring that technical communication is honest. The first is that being honest is the right thing to do. What is one other reason?

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

Chapter 1 lists nine measures of excellence in technical communication. For example, excellent technical communication is honest. What are three other measures of excellence?

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

Chapter 1 lists six defining characteristics of technical communication. One characteristic is that technical communication addresses particular readers. What are three other characteristics mentioned in the chapter?

Question 5

Why is the ability to prioritize and respond quickly more valuable in the contemporary workplace than ever before?

Question 6

Social-media posts such as tweets can be examples of technical documents.

Question 7

Technical communication primarily involves those whose main job is to produce documentation such as reports and manuals.

Question 8

Technical communication involves knowing where to find trustworthy information.

Question 9

Accessibility is a measure of how easily a document can be downloaded.

Question 10

One basic purpose of design features is to create a positive impression with a document. What is one other purpose mentioned in Chapter 1?

Question 11

Generosity and honesty are characteristics of effective technical communicators.

Question 12

Chapter 1 identifies correctness as a characteristic of good technical communication. In this context, correctness refers to the proper use of grammar and punctuation to accurately convey the intended meaning.

Question 13

As used in Chapter 1, what does clarity mean?

Question 14

Chapter 1 lists a variety of examples of workplace communication. Name four of them.

Question 15

How does emotional intelligence relate to being a successful communicator in the workplace?

Question 16

As used in Chapter 1, what does usability mean?

Question 17

What is a technical communicator?

Question 18

An effective technical document must be both concise and comprehensive.

Question 19

When you are communicating technical information on the job, your audience tends to be the same every time.

Question 20

Companies hiring technical professionals such as engineers, scientists, and programmers focus primarily on the technical abilities of the candidates they consider for employment.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic modes of communication?

A) speaking
B) reading
C) writing
D) typing

Question 22

Chapter 1 defines technical communication as a process encompassing which of the following?

A) documents and activities
B) documentation and analysis
C) process and analysis
D) diagramming and activities

Question 23

According to Chapter 1, most technical communication has six characteristics. One characteristic is that technical communication helps readers solve problems. Which of the following is another characteristic of technical communication?

A) Technical communication reflects an organization's goals and culture.
B) Technical communication uses technical vocabulary as often as possible.
C) Technical communication strives to both entertain and educate readers.
D) Technical communication is most often aimed at a general audience rather than at a particular audience.

Question 24

Chapter 1 identifies five sets of factors to consider when communicating technical information. Which of the following is NOT on this list?

A) image-related factors
B) setting-related factors
C) purpose-related factors
D) audience-related factors

Question 25

Chapter 1 identifies nine measures of excellence in technical communication. Which pair in the following list might seem contradictory?

A) accuracy and correctness
B) conciseness and clarity
C) comprehensiveness and conciseness
D) accessibility and professional appearance

Question 26

Which two things must you clearly understand in order to communicate successfully?

A) your audience and your purpose
B) your proposal and your audience
C) your documentation and measures of excellence
D) your software and your hardware

Question 27

Which of these abilities is NOT likely to help you as a workplace communicator?

A) the ability to perform research
B) the ability to analyze information
C) the ability to speak and write clearly
D) the ability to deflect attention

Question 28

Which of these is a quality shown by a successful workplace communicator?

A) keeping new information about your field to yourself
B) prioritizing your own needs
C) displaying emotional intelligence
D) sharing proprietary information openly

Question 29

When creating a technical document, you often have to make compromises. Which of these is an example of a compromise related to communication?

A) Your boss tells you to create the document in English and Spanish, so you do.
B) You would prefer to create separate instruction sheets in English and Spanish, but you create one sheet giving instructions in both languages to save on printing costs.
C) Your audience is not made up of technical experts, so you use common words in place of technical vocabulary.
D) You place paper copies of your document in the boxes carrying your products, and you post electronic copies online.

Question 30

Which of these is a process-related factor you must consider when communicating on the job?

A) How will your document aid problem solving?
B) What is the problem context for your document?
C) What problems is your audience trying to solve?
D) Do your schedule and budget limit how much information you can include in the document?

Question 31

Which of these is a measure of excellence in technical communication?

A) accuracy
B) terseness
C) plainness
D) celerity

Question 32

Which quality in the original below is evident in the revised version of the following paragraph? Original: During our monthly meeting last month, we all came to the conclusion that overtime procedures are inadequate and that new procedures need to be initiated. I discussed this problem with our chief accountant, who was sympathetic and agreed to consider any changes we would like to make to the present procedures. Please bring your suggested changes to this month's departmental meeting scheduled for 2:30 P.M. next Wednesday afternoon.
Revision: During last month's meeting, we concluded that our overtime procedures need revision. Our chief accountant has agreed to consider any changes we would like to make to the present procedures. Please bring your suggested changes to this month's departmental meeting scheduled for 2:30 P.M. next Wednesday.

A) conciseness
B) accuracy
C) comprehensiveness
D) correctness

Question 33

According to Chapter 1, what is the biggest difference between technical communication and the kinds of writing you do in other college courses?

A) Technical communication makes greater use of technical vocabulary.
B) Technical communication makes greater use of images and graphics.
C) Technical communication has a somewhat different focus on purpose and audience.
D) Technical communication follows different style conventions.

Question 34

Chapter 1 identifies skills and qualities shared by successful workplace communicators. Which of the following is NOT on this list?

A) ability to perform research
B) ability to write code
C) ability to analyze information
D) ability to speak and write clearly

Question 35

Chapter 1 states that effective technical communication is honest. The chapter then presents three reasons it is important to be honest when communicating. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons listed in Chapter 1?

A) It's the right thing to do.
B) If readers bring your dishonesty to the attention of your supervisor, your career may suffer.
C) Readers can get hurt if you are dishonest.
D) You and your organization could face serious legal charges if you are dishonest.

Question 36

Chapter 1 identifies common reasons for creating technical documents. Which reason in the following list is NOT mentioned in the chapter?

A) to help others carry out a task
B) to change attitudes about a technology or an issue
C) to establish common knowledge in the marketplace
D) to help others make a decision

Question 37

The engineering firm you work for is submitting a proposal to create an amphitheater at a state park. Proposals must be submitted in three-ring binders. You are in charge of assembling the binders. You decide to put section divider tabs and an index into each proposal binder. Which measure of excellence in technical communication does this decision reflect?

A) honesty
B) clarity
C) comprehensiveness
D) usability

Question 38

Which statement best explains how the concept of company branding is related to technical communication?

A) Branding is concerned with making money, and employees are paid to help companies make money.
B) Branding is concerned with the image that a company presents to the world, and that image includes its documents.
C) Branding is largely concerned with color choices, so a document must contain the company's colors.
D) Branding is concerned with slogans, and you might have to write a slogan for your department.

Question 39

You are in charge of creating a podcast of an interview with the CEO of your company. The audio file will be posted on the company's website. You decide to make a transcript available so that audience members with hearing impairments will be able to read the interview. Which measure of excellence in technical communication does this decision reflect?

A) accuracy
B) accessibility
C) usability
D) clarity

Question 40

Chapter 1 states that technical communicators use design to increase readability and make their documents more effective. Which of the following is an example of a design feature?

A) easy-to-understand vocabulary
B) typography
C) definitions of key terms
D) effective topic sentences