Deck 1: Introduction to Technical Communication

Question 1

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
E) all of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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 be negatively affected.
C) Readers can get hurt if you are dishonest.
D) You and your organization could face serious legal charges if you are dishonest.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

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

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of these activities is NOT essential as you prepare to communicate technical information?

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

Question 5

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) accessibility

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

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 8

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

A) the amount of time you have to complete the communication task
B) the level of formality required in the final product
C) the number of resources available to help you complete the communication task
D) All responses are correct.

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

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 11

people who are good at communicating in the workplace possess four skills and abilities, including the abilities to write clearly, solve problems, and analyze information. Which of the following is the fourth ability?

A) the ability to perform research
B) the ability to perform as a speaker
C) punctuality
D) efficiency

Question 12

Chapter 1 identifies three sets of factors to consider when communicating technical information. Which of the following is on this list?

A) image-related factors
B) technology-related factors
C) purpose-related factors
D) none of the above

Question 13

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 14

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 15

Which of the following is involved in creating technical communication?

A) a company secretary writing a letter to a customer
B) an electrical engineer filling out a standardized form
C) a webmaster revising a company web page
D) a manager preparing an oral presentation
E) all of the above

Question 16

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 17

Chapter 1 identifies eight 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 18

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 19

Which quality in the list 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 20

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 solve problems

Question 21

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

Question 22

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 23

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

Question 24

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

Question 25

As used in Chapter 1, what does correctness mean?

Question 26

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

Question 27

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?

Question 28

Generosity and honesty are characteristics of effective technical communicators.

Question 29

Technical communication involves knowing where to find trustworthy information.

Question 30

As used in Chapter 1, what does accessibility mean?

Question 31

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

Question 32

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

Question 33

For what reason do most organizations welcome both positive and negative comments on blog posts?

Question 34

What is a technical communicator?

Question 35

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

Question 36

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 37

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

Question 38

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 39

To make it easy for readers to find the information they need, many technical documents are made up of small, independent sections.

Question 40

For most employers, communication skills are less important than technical knowledge.