Technical Communication, 14th Edition Test Bank

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Test Bankto accompanyLannon/GurakTECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONFourteenth EditionLee Scholder

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iiiCONTENTSPART 1COMMUNICATING IN THE WORKPLACEChapter 1 Introduction to Technical Communication1Chapter 2 Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences4Chapter 3 Persuading Your Audience7Chapter 4 Weighing the Ethical Issues10Chapter 5 Teamwork and Global Considerations13Chapter 6 An Overview of the Technical Writing Process16PART 2THE RESEARCH PROCESSChapter 7 Thinking Critically about the Research Process19Chapter 8 Evaluating and Interpreting Information23Chapter 9 Summarizing Research Findings and Other Information26PART 3ORGANIZATION, STYLE, AND VISUAL DESIGNChapter 10 Organizing for Readers29Chapter 11 Editing for a Professional Style and Tone32Chapter 12 Designing Visual Information35Chapter 13 Designing Pages and Documents38PART 4SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONSChapter 14 Email and Text Messages41Chapter 15 Workplace Memos and Letters44Chapter 16 Résumés and Other Job-Search Materials48Chapter 17 Technical Definitions51Chapter 18 Technical Descriptions, Specifications, and Marketing Materials54Chapter 19 Instructions and Procedures57Chapter 20 Informal Reports61Chapter 21 Formal Analytical Reports65Chapter 22 Proposals69Chapter 23 Oral Presentations and Video Conferencing72Chapter 24 Blogs, Wikis, and Web Pages75Chapter 25 Social Media78

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1PART 1COMMUNICATING IN THE WORKPLACECHAPTER 1. Introduction to Technical CommunicationTrue/False Questions1. _______ Technical communication rarely focuses on the author’s personal thoughtsor feelings.2. _______ Few technical documents have a persuasive purpose.3. _______ Phone calls, conversations, and meetings have largely replaced the needfor written documents.4. _______ Most technical writing is done in teams.5. _______ All documents have some persuasive aspect.6. _______ Employers seek technical communicators with portable skills.7. _______ Technical communication includes digital media such as podcasts andonline videos.8. _______ In the United States, most people read documents from beginning to end.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions9.__________-centered documents focus on what people need to learn, do, ordecide.10.Four different types of technical communication documents are__________________, ___________________, __________________, and__________________.11.Accessible and efficient technical documents include elements such as______________ and __________________.Multiple-Choice Questions12.Technical communication seeks to(a) anticipate and answer questions.(b) help people perform a task.(c) persuade people to do something.(d) b and c(e) All of these answers are correct.

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213.When trying to make sense of information, people should never(a) determine which information is relevant.(b) ask with whom the information should be shared.(c) verify the accuracy of the source.(d) let the data speak for themselves.(e) All of these answers are correct.14.Effective technical documents(a) use obfuscation.(b) avoid combining text, visuals, and sound.(c) are easy to navigate.(d) a and c(e) None of these answers are correct.15.Of the following statements, which isleastaccurate?(a) As long as a document is persuasive, it need not be clear and efficient.(b) Instructions and procedures are two types of technical documents.(c) At some point, all professionals engage in technical communication.(d) Technical documents focus on the reader.(e) Technical documents must account for cultural differences among readers.16.Which of the following statements ismostaccurate?(a) Technical communication helps us interact with technology in our dailylives.(b) Technical communication helps advance workplace goals.(c) Technical communication helps specialists solve complex problems.(d) Technical communication helps both to advance workplace goals and toassist specialists in solving complex problems.(e) All of these answers are correct.17.An effective technical communicator does all of the followingexcept(a) works well as part of a team.(b) consistently applies one cultural perspective.(c) anticipates readers’ questions.(d) considers global audiences as needed.(e) uses appropriate media.

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3ANSWER KEY1.T2.F3.F4.T5.T6.T7.T8.F9.Reader10.Several options are possible: instructions, user manuals, memos, reports,procedures, emails, and so forth.11.Any combination of the following is correct: worthwhile content, sensibleorganization, readable style, effective visuals, effective page design, andsupplements.12.e13.d14.c15.a16.e17.b

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4CHAPTER 2. Meeting the Needs of Specific AudiencesTrue/False Questions1. _______ A document may have both a primary and secondary purpose.2. _______ Highly technical audiences need facts and figures explained in thesimplest terms.3. _______ Web pages are useful for linking different levels of information.4. _______ Always provide readers with more than they want and need.5. _______ Determining all the needs of a large and diverse audience is easy to do.6. _______ Calculating the final costs of a document is not a technicalcommunicator’s concern.7. _______ When writing a 1-page memo for audiences with varying technicalbackgrounds, preferably rewrite it at different levels for differentbackgrounds.8. _______ A short document can be rewritten at different levels for differentaudiences.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions9.An audience with no specialized training is called a ________________audience.10.The image of you that readers see “between the lines” is called your________________ and is created by the tone you adopt.11.Creating a(n) ________________________ statement will help you identifyyour readers and their needs.Multiple-Choice Questions12.A usable document is(a) safe.(b) easy to navigate.(c) dependable.(d) All of these answers are correct.(e) b and c.

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513.Semi-technical audiences consist of(a) informed persons as well as experts.(b) informed persons who are not experts.(c) laypersons.(d) laypersons and experts.(e) laypersons and informed persons.14.Your audience will have preferences about all of the followingexcept(a) your brainstorming process.(b) the deadline.(c) the document’s length.(d) whether the document will be in paper or electronic form.(e) the level of detail.15.Which of the following statements is correct?(a) Secondary readers are decision makers who request a document.(b) The primary audience is an immediate set of readers.(c) Secondary readers are often those who will carry out a project.(d) Tertiary readers are both primary and secondary audiences.(e) b and c.16.Technical documents are written to(a) define something.(b) describe something.(c) explain something.(d) propose something.(e) All of the answers are correct.17.The North American business culture prefers(a) indirect answers.(b) ambiguous messages.(c) plain talk.(d) interpretations left to the reader.(e) All of the answers are correct.

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6ANSWER KEY1.T2.F3.T4.F5.F6.F7.T8.T9.nontechnical10.persona11.audience and purpose12.d13.b14.a15.e16.e17.c

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7CHAPTER 3. Persuading Your AudienceTrue/False Questions1. _______ The relationship connection is particularly important in cross-culturalcommunication.2. _______ Once their minds are made up, people are easily swayed to change theirposition.3. _______ “Presenting your best case” means that you may deceive the audience toachieve your goal.4. _______ Unbiased expert opinion can lend credibility to any claim.5. _______ A claim is a statement of the point you are trying to prove.6. _______ A blunt approach works best with audiences from other cultures.7. _______ Communicators within organizations often face unofficial constraintswhen making an argument.8. _______ The most persuasive argument is one that presents the strongest case fromthe writer’s perspective.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions9.The three levels of response to persuasion are ___________________,____________________, and _________________________.10.__________________ are limits or restrictions imposed by a situation.11.A(n) ___________________ involves careful reasoning that supports a claim.Multiple-Choice Questions12.Which of the following isnota social or psychological constraint?(a) the writer’s legal liabilities(b) the audience’s personality(c) the writer’s relationship with the audience(d) the audience’s sense of identity(e) the audience’s perception of the issue’s urgency

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813.An audience expects evidence that is(a) specific.(b) verifiable.(c) new.(d) a and b only.(e) a, b, and c.14.When preparing an argument,(a) adopt an extreme persona.(b) cast the opponent in a negative light.(c) identify values, goals, or experiences you share with audience.(d) avoid conceding any points.(e) be as indirect as possible about what you want.15.Strategies for effectively connecting with the audience include(a) power connection and social connection strategies.(b) rational connection and evidence connection strategies.(c) relationship connection and audience connection strategies.(d) rational connection and relationship connection strategies.(e) power connection and driven connection strategies.16.Effective strategies for persuasion include all of the followingexcept(a) standing firm when your message is rejected.(b) allowing for give-and-take.(c) asking for what your audience will consider reasonable.(d) recognizing constraints.(e) identifying your specific goal.17.When others offer an opposing view, try to(a) see the issue their way.(b) rephrase their position in your own words.(c) explore possible compromises they might accept.(d) reach agreement on what to do next.(e) All of the answers are correct.18.A claim can be a statement that(a) acknowledges facts.(b) interprets facts.(c) asks for direct action.(d) a, b, and c.(e) interprets facts and asks for direct action only.

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9ANSWER KEY1.T2.F3.F4.T5.T6.F7.T8.F9.internalization, identification, compliance10.Constraints11.argument12.a13.e14.c15.d16.a17.e18.d

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10CHAPTER 4. Weighing the Ethical IssuesTrue/False Questions1. _______ Using upbeat images to downplay the negative messages of written textmay be persuasive, but it is unethical.2. _______ Ethical decisions are always “black and white.”3. _______ In advertising, false claims or suggestions are legally prohibited.4. _______ “Groupthink” is another way of referring to good teamwork.5. _______ Whistle-blowers usually are rewarded for going public with theircompany’s unethical behavior.6. _______ Deliberate miscommunication is fairly common in the workplace.7. _______ Proprietary information is not the exclusive property of a company.8. _______ Plagiarism and copyright infringement are the same.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions9.Often confused for teamwork, __________ is a dynamic when group pressureprevents individuals from questioning, criticizing, or reporting bad news.10.__________________ occurs when a person claims the work of another as hisor her own.11.A code of _______________________ offers guidelines for avoiding ethicalabuses within a specific organization or company.Multiple-Choice Questions12.Examples of ethical abuses in technical communication include(a) plagiarizing the work of others.(b) exaggerating claims.(c) downplaying information.(d) a and b only.(e) a, b, and c.

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1113.Which of the following statements isleastaccurate?(a) I should make a distinction between what is certain and what is probable.(b) I should use jargon and euphemisms when stating my claims.(c) I should make sure that my sources of information are credible.(d) I should believe what I say and not have a hidden agenda.(e) I should distribute copies of the document to everyone who has a right toknow about it.14.Reworking findings to make them more useful or appealing(a) is not misleading.(b) carries no consequences for any party involved.(c) is unethical.(d) is a clever way to promote the company’s interests.(e) is an important skill to develop.15.Which statement below isleastaccurate?(a) Because the company owns all the documents produced, employees cannotpossibly plagiarize each other’s work.(b) Charts and other visuals can be distorted to create a more positive outcome.(c) Withholding information is equally as unethical as fabricating information.(d) The pressure to look the other way can lead to misuse of texts or data.(e) All of these statements are accurate.16.Reasonable criteria for ethical judgment include(a) obligations.(b) ideals.(c) consequences.(d) a, b, and c.(e) a and c only.17.When preparing a technical document, do all of the followingexcept(a) give candid feedback if warranted.(b) exaggerate information.(c) respect rights to privacy.(d) provide sufficient information.(e) inform of consequences or risks.

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12ANSWER KEY1.T2.F3.T4.F5.F6.T7.F8.F9.groupthink10.Plagiarism11.ethics12.e13.b14.c15.a16.d17.b

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13CHAPTER 5. Teamwork and Global ConsiderationsTrue/False Questions1. _______ In collaborating to produce a document, all members of a collaborativeteam participate in the actual “writing.”2. _______ “Reviewing” is a more precise term for “editing.”3. _______ A meeting manager should take charge by steering the group discussion.4. _______ Conference calls are no longer used as a form of virtual communication.5. _______ Social cues are not conveyed well in certain types of digitalcommunication.6. _______ Any technical document may be distributed globally.7. _______ Face-to-face meetings are still essential for personal contact.8. _______ Women who speak up in meetings are often perceived as too controlling,while men who do so are considered to be leadership-oriented.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions9.A ________________ allows team members to collaborate by writing,sketching, and erasing in real time from their computers.10.When ________________ a document, you examine it for accuracy andreadability.11.The aim of _________________ is to produce as many ideas as possible.Multiple-Choice Questions12.Sources of conflict in collaborative groups include(a) interpersonal differences.(b) cultural differences.(c) gender differences.(d) a, b, and c.(e) only b and c.

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1413.Effective strategies for managing group conflict include(a) suppressing disagreement with others’ ideas or opinions.(b) offering but not accepting constructive criticism.(c) protesting a decision when you are outvoted.(d) offering and accepting constructive criticism.(e) both c and d.14.Choose the most accurate statement below about reviewing a team document.(a) Offer only general comments when identifying weaknesses.(b) Begin with a positive comment before suggesting improvements.(c) Rewrite the entire document yourself if needed.(d) Dictate advice to the team.(e) Evaluate it on the first read.15.An effective strategy for global technical communication is to(a) avoid stereotyping.(b) write with translation in mind.(c) avoid slang and idioms.(d) create a glossary of specific terms and abbreviations.(e) All of the answers are correct.16.Which statement below ismostaccurate?(a) Blogs are not useful for collaboration.(b) Email is the most effective way to hold a group meeting.(c) Collaborative writing software allows team members to log into a documentat the same time.(d) “Internet conferencing” is another term for “teleconferencing.”(e) None of these answers are correct.17.When communicating with someone from another culture,(a) use humor on first contact to break the ice.(b) use humor only in email correspondence.(c) use humor only in face-to-face contact.(d) always use humor to facilitate strong interpersonal connections.(e) avoid humor.18.Which of the following strategies for teamwork isleasteffective?(a) Work without a manager; allow all team members to take charge.(b) Compose a purpose statement.(c) Develop a file-naming system for documents.(d) Decide on a specific meeting schedule.(e) All of these are effective strategies.

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15ANSWER KEY1.F2.F3.T4.F5.T6.T7.T8.T9.whiteboard10.reviewing11.brainstorming12.d13.d14.b15.e16.c17.e18.a

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16CHAPTER 6. An Overview of the Technical Writing ProcessTrue/False Questions1. _______ Email, rather than chat or texting, is the appropriate digital tool to use forquick turnarounds during the writing process.2. _______ Typographical errors include issues such as missing page numbers orinconsistent spacing.3. _______ Very few technologies exist for assisting the technical writing process.4. _______ The human brain is the ultimate tool for navigating critical thinkingdecisions.5. _______ Save all drafts of a document; you may need to retrieve useful materialfrom an early draft.6. _______ Deadlines often limit the amount of time that can be spent preparing atechnical document.7. _______ Proofreading need not involve reading every word; skimming a documentis effective.8. _______ The actual composition of text is just a small part of the technical writingprocess.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions9.______________ thinking involves examining and evaluating information, aswell as weighing alternatives and considering consequences.10.The kind of easily correctable errors proofreading can detect include______________, _______________, and __________________ errors.Multiple-Choice Questions11.Digital tools for the technical writing process include(a) wikis.(b) social media.(c) tracking systems.(d) All of the answers are correct.(e) a and c.

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1712.Which of the following statements ismostaccurate?(a) Revision guarantees improvement.(b) No one step in the writing process is complete until the whole is complete.(c) Always begin the writing process by brainstorming.(d) When drafting a document, you should write the introduction first.(e) All of these statements are accurate.13.Everyday writing situations typically pose(a) persuasion problems.(b) collaboration problems.(c) ethics problems.(d) information problems.(e) All of these answers are correct.14.Writing technical documents differs from writing essays in all of the followingwaysexceptthat(a) grammatical correctness is essential.(b) the documents are often being written by teams.(c) organizational politics can be involved.(d) research often involves speaking with technical experts.(e) All of these answers are correct.15.Which of the following questions is crucial to answer at the planning stage ofthe document?(a) Is the style readable?(b) Is the organization sensible?(c) Who is my audience?(d) Does the document advance my organization’s goals?(e) Have I left anything out?16.When proofreading your work,(a) do so early on in the writing process so you don’t have to rework yoursentences later.(b) read your paper on a computer screen for easy viewing and correcting.(c) avoid reading small chunks at a time.(d) never rely exclusively on computerized writing aids.(e) do all of these.

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18ANSWER KEY1.F2.F3.F4.T5.T6.T7.F8.T9.Critical10.Any combination of the following is correct: sentence, punctuation,typographical, format, mechanical, usage11.d12.b13.e14.a15.c16.d

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19PART 2THE RESEARCH PROCESSCHAPTER 7. Thinking Critically about the Research ProcessTrue/False Questions1. _______ A survey is an example of secondary research.2. _______ Subject directories are indexes compiled by editors and others who siftthrough Web sites and compile the most useful links.3. _______ Sometimes the most reliable material resides in less attractive, text-onlysites.4. _______ Commercial sites never should be used as reliable sources of informationsince they are inherently biased.5. _______ Blogs can be sources of relevant and reliable information.6. _______ Questionnaires use only closed-ended questions, not open-endedquestions.7. _______ Direct observation is the surest way to eliminate bias in research.8. _______ Hard-copy materials are still important sources for research.9. _______ Key words and search phrases should be as general as possible.Fill-in-the-Blank Questions10.___________________ scan for Web sites containing key words.11.Conducting ______________ research means getting information directly fromthe source.12.A ______________ is a community encyclopedia that allows readers to edit thecontent.13.A large, identifiable group of people is called a ______________ population,while representatives of that group are called a _________________.14.A(n) _________________ is a controlled form of observation designed to verifyan assumption.

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20Multiple-Choice Questions15.Reference works include all of the followingexcept(a) encyclopedias.(b) indexes.(c) abstracts.(d) conference papers.(e) almanacs.16.Thinking critically about research depends on all of the followingexcept(a) finding a definite answer.(b) looking at the research from many viewpoints.(c) achieving sufficient depth.(d) asking the right questions.(e) evaluating the reliability and completeness of sources.17.In informational interviews,(a) try to write down everything the respondent says.(b) deviate from your interview plan to allow for interesting material to emerge.(c) invite the respondent to review your version of any material to be published.(d) you should do most of the talking.(e) ask yes/no questions.18.When creating a survey,(a) phrase questions ambiguously.(b) do not include an introduction.(c) use only close-ended questions.(d) use loaded questions.(e) keep it simple and brief.19.Which of the following isnotan example of a Web-based only resource?(a) e-libraries.(b) periodical databases.(c) discussion forums.(d) periodicals.(e) wikis.

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2120.Which of these statements about Web-based research ismostaccurate?(a) The more design elements on a site, the more reliable the information there.(b) Since Web sites are always accessible, you do not need to save any of thematerial you find on them.(c) No single search engine indexes everything on the Web.(d) Web sites with the domains .gov and .edu will most likely not containreliable information.(e) You may download anything from the Web and use it without permission.

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