This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Readings

Required Text

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. 7th ed. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. ISBN: 9780312403386.

Readings by Session

Readings should be completed before the session listed below. Please note: Not every class session has assigned reading.


 

SES # TOPICS READINGS
4 Revision

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York, NY: Anchor, 1995. ISBN: 9780385480017.

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 1.

5 Workshop Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 4.
6

Audience

Cross-cultural Issues

Discussion of Paper 2

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 5.

Fenyman, Richard P., and Ralph Leighton. Surely You Must be Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character). Reprint ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997 [1985]. ISBN: 9780393316049.

8 Research Methods Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 6.
10

MLA Citation

Ethics

Discussion of Paper 3

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 2.

Unger, Stephen H. Controlling Technology: Ethics and the Responsible Engineer. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1994. ISBN: 9780471591818.

11 Group Presentation: Argument Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 8.
14

Proposals

Discussion of Paper 4

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 16.
16 Group Presentation: Graphics Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapters 12 and 13.
18 Qualities of Effective Oral Presentations Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 21.
19

Formal Reports

Discussion of Short Assignment 8

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 18.
22 Group Presentation: E-Mail Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Chapter 14.

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