Introduction Chapter 10 :: Drafting and Revising Coherent Documents Pages 218 to 236 By: Meghna...

Introduction

Chapter 10 :: Drafting and Revising Coherent Documents

Pages 218 to 236

By: Meghna Nagarajan, Sarah Curet, Brandon Plunkett, Andrew Hardin, Jeff Staub

Coherent Titles Coherent Headings Coherent Lists Coherent Paragraphs Whole-Document Coherence Revision

Coherent Titles

Forming Coherent Titles

The title of a document is the first chance the author has to inform his/her reader about it’s subject and purpose.

The following are three examples of effective title for a document detailing the results of a feasibility study of offering free blood pressure testing at a company:

•Offering Free Blood Pressure Testing at Baker Associates: A Feasibility Study

•Offering Free Blood Pressure Testing: A Feasibility Study

•A Feasibility Study of Offering Free Blood Pressure Testing


Coherent Headings

Forming Coherent Headings• Avoid Long Noun Strings

• Hard to understand: “Production Enhancement Proposal Analysis Techniques”

• Solution: Add prepositions to make the title cleaner.• Better: “Techniques for Analyzing the Proposal for Enhancing

Production”

• Be Informative• Use numbers in order to tell the reader how much to expect.

• “Three Techniques for...”• Use descriptors to enhance clarity.

• “Advantages and disadvantages of ...”• Clarity is more important than conciseness


Forming Coherent Headings

• Use appropriate Grammar forms

• Question Form: Less Knowledgeable Readers and Non-Native Speakers

• How-To Form: Instructional Material

• Gerund Form (adding -ing): Describing Processes

• Avoid Back to Back Headings

• Bad:

• 3. Heading One

• 3.1 Subheading One

• Solution: Use advance organizers to separate the headings

• Better:

• 3. Heading One

• Text describing what will be discussed

• 3.1 Subheading One

Coherent ListsCoherent Headings Coherent Lists Coherent Paragraphs Whole-Document Coherence Revision

Coherent Lists

Using Lists

A list’s chief advantage is making information easier to read and remember. In this regard, key terms are set off with bullets or numbers adding a visual dimension to the text. This arrangement enhances coherence and works especially well for any kind of information that can be itemized or expressed in a sequence.

•As a writer, lists offer four major advantages:

•It forces you to look at the big picture.

•It forces you to examine the sequence.

•If forces you to create clear lead-in.

•It forces you to tighten and clarify your prose.


Coherent Lists

Intercultural Communication

In many other cultures lists are considered informal and therefore inappropriate in some instances. In such cases find writing samples by people from that culture and study the documents for:

•How does the writer made the information accessible?

•How does the writer show the relationship among units? Are items grouped highlighted, listed, etc.?

•How does the writer communicate to the reader the organization of the document?

•How does the writer make transitions from one subject to another?


Coherent Lists

List Format Example

In chapter 10, Markel contends that there are four major advantages in arranging information in lists as opposed to paragraph format.

•It forces you to look at the big picture. As you begin your draft it is easy to loose focus outside the paragraph you are currently working on. Making lists as you revise help you focus on the key idea in each paragraph. This practice increases your chances of noticing that an important element is missing or some item needs clarification.

•If forces you to examine the sequence. As paragraphs are turned to list you gain a clearer look…

Paragraph Format Example

In chapter 10, Markel contends that there are four major advantages in arranging information in lists as opposed to paragraph format.

The first major advantage is that is forces the writer to look at the big picture. As you begin your draft it is easy to loose focus outside the paragraph you are currently working on. Making lists as you revise help you focus on the key idea in each paragraph. This practice increases your chances of noticing that an important element is missing or some item needs clarification.

Another major advantage of making lists as a writer…


Coherent Paragraphs

Paragraph Types

•Body Paragraph

•Basic structural unit

•Complete and self-sufficient; contributes to the larger discussion

•Clearly supports a single point; follows logically from preceding material

•Transitional Paragraph

•Moves readers between major points

•Summarizes previous point and introduces next point

•Makes the relationship between major points clear


Coherent Paragraphs

Paragraph Structure

•Topic Sentence

•The main point or topic of the paragraph should proceed all other material

•Use a numbered list for more complicated topics

•Allow paragraphs to flow to less important topics; use phrases like “also important” to denote this flow down

•Clearly denote chronological information

•Supporting Information

•Defines a key term or idea from the topic sentence

•Provides examples of a situation described in the topic

•Identifies factors/causes leading to a situation described in the topic

•Defines effects/implications of a situation described in the topic

•[OR] Defends assertions made in the topic


Coherent Paragraphs

Paragraph Structure

•Paragraph Length

•75 to 125 words is standard for a topic and 5 supporting sentences

•These guidelines are arbitrary as some topics take more or less words

•Long paragraphs, 200 to 300 words, should be broken up at logical points

Coherence Between Paragraphs

•Use transitional words and phrases

•Use words to make the relationship between two ideas clear (see table 10.1)

•Place words like “likewise” or “furthermore” at the start of a topic sentence

•Repeat key words (usually the main subject)

•Use demonstrative pronouns followed by nouns


Document Revision

Revising For Coherence

•Consider the whole document

•Organization

•Content

•Coherence

Coherence Tests

•Outline to Draft

•Logical Organization

•Strong Content

•Reliable, Honest and Helpful

•Presented Elements Consistently

•Appropriate Emphasis


Bibliography

All information provided by Technical Communication

Mike Markel


Introduction Chapter 10 :: Drafting and Revising Coherent Documents Pages 218 to 236 By: Meghna...

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