Main Features of Technical Writing - Coursework Example

Technical Writing Technical Writing Business Memo The Haoran Wang 3rd May, Plagiarism Dear Instructor, It is evident that there has been a lot of internet usage in research projects and student writing exercises in the recent past. This case study is highly effective in that it identifies the fact that students have been over-dependent on the internet, reducing their level of creativity and critical analysis. The internet is highly reliable in terms of providing information. There has been an increase in the web pages that contain academic content, some of which cannot be ascertained to be true or reliable. As such, some students end up picking false information unknowingly and replicating it in their work. Others are tempted to print directly from the web pages (Smith, 2008). There has also been a rise in the number of available E-books and soft copy text books over the internet. This case has accurately identified the fact that students take information from such reliable sources but fail to accredit them for the information they get. As vague as it may seem, this kind of plagiarism can present the school with legal cases from authors of books. A suggestion to go with Turnitin as a plagiarism checker for the school is the best, just as has been proposed by the school. The reliability of this software can be realized in the ability to allow students upload their work through it, and providing feedback on whether the works are original or not. It is, however, not clear on how the fee increment has been arrived at. This is an area that needs to be reviewed, owing to the fact that the recent economic status of the country has been on the high. Whether or not the license for the plagiarism detection platform should be purchased with money raised from students is still a concern and should be addressed by evaluating the cost of this application relative to the school budget. Several options remain untouched in the proposal. There are other free or cheaper plagiarism detection applications. Most of them can easily be accessed online and do not require the purchase of a license or key. Internet research shows that the free plagiarism checkers can be reliable for individual scanning of work for plagiarism and can assist students during their writing exercises and assignments. Thus, students should be made aware of such checkers, which they can use before submitting their work. There are also premium checkers that require a one-off payment at the initial sign-up. Such systems are cheaper than the licensed Bedford requirement and can easily be accessed. Most students would prefer having their own accounts with such plagiarism detection applications in which they don’t have to pay a fee per semester. Turnitin, as mentioned in the case, is a reliable solution to the problem of plagiarism in schools. From the online research conducted on International Universities, 80% of them have at least one department that uses this application and that appreciates its existence. It is, therefore, evident that this plagiarism detection application can be applied in this institution as a solution to the increased cases of plagiarism. The quality of writing in schools that use this application is far much better than that of schools that fail to check on students’ plagiarism. It is true to say that this school’s quality of writing can also reach competitive levels if the correct plagiarism policies are implemented. H.W Student To: The Instructor From: Haoran Wang Date: 3rd May, 2015 Subject: Instruction Revision – Using a Machine Blower Dear Instructor, I chose to revise the instructions on how to correctly use a machine dust-blower because I usually love cleaning the computers at home. The initial instructions stated that one should fix the nozzle to the main part, then connect the machine to an electric power source and proceed with the cleaning procedure (Momber, 2008). I modified them to give a logical approach of connecting the nozzle to the main part, connecting the power cable to the power supply, putting on a dustcoat and mask, switching on the power and blowing dust from the machine. I added troubleshooting instructions that included identifying the low blowing power, switching off the power supply, having a screwdriver and rag in sight, using the screwdriver to open up the main part, removing any debris in the fan fins using the rag, closing up the part, and switching it back on. I revised these instructions so as to guide users through an easy usage process. H.W Student Session 16 Assignments 1. The way things are now You act (You Write) The Way you Want Things to Be Your employer, a bank, is installing a new computer system for use by the tellers. You write a business memo requesting all the tellers to go through the online training kit sent to them via email Every teller should log in to their emails and go through the training kit because they have read the memo The manager of your department wants to decide whether or not to purchase a certain piece of equipment. You have the information the manager needs in order to make the decision. You write a persuasive memo to the manager putting in mind the fact that the equipment has its pros and cons and present the facts to the manager in this memo The manager weighs the advantages and disadvantages of this equipment before making the purchase because they have read the memo. 2. Value Influence on Workplace Writing I love motivating people If I am responsible for conveying general workplace communication, I would send motivational documents and book extracts to my workmates so as to give them the push they need in working hard. I am aware of people’s situations If I am responsible for following up on people’s work plans, I would write them reminder letters informing them of their deadlines, putting in mind that they might be preoccupied with other equally demanding affairs that might make them forget other official responsibilities. 3. The first revision of this official letter is the address. The student should include their name in the address information at the top, following the correct official letter formats. Secondly, the address has no date, which should always be indicated to show when the application was done. Thirdly, the student addresses the receiver as ‘sir’ whereas this should be written as ‘sir/madam’ because the gender of the mail receiver is not known. 4. 5. Solving this problem would require a lot of patience and a good strategy that would see all the team members work together. The first step in solving the software problem that was highlighted by the rejection by customers would be to settle internal differences. John and Susan should learn to work together as a team that is driven by common goals and objectives. To start with, I would call the meet the two together and request them to quit blaming each other, but rather focus on solving the problem at hand. The software had already failed to impress the users, and putting blame on each other would only make it worse. Secondly, I would write a formal letter to users so as to get the exact source of their frustration in using the software. After that, I would request everyone to stick to their dockets as assigned in the first meeting, adding focus on the points mentioned by users. This organization would help us come up with a feasible solution to the software problem (Adair, 2010). 6. The Editor, Clark Chronicle. Dear sir/madam, I write to thank you for agreeing to cover the Special Saturday program and enlightening the citizens of this county and beyond the importance of conserving their environment and saving it from non-biodegradable waste. Since the beginning of the program, we have had three editions, one in March, the other in July and the last one in November. From the last edition, we managed to receive 230 gallons of used motor oil, in addition to 12 tons of junk mail and magazines. This amount of waste was from only 632 cars that drove in on that day. With the big population in this county, we believe that we can achieve greater limits of recycled waste, considering that only 12% of the county residents are aware of the program. This fact means that very few people are aware of the Special Saturday recycling people and still have difficulties disposing plastics, oil and old magazines, as well as junk mail. Only 6 % of the residents of this county attended the event. Looking at the tons of waste we received, a good turnout of up to 50% would result in around 20 tons of magazines. 94% of the residents fail to attend the event because they are not aware of it. Communication about the program has been spread at a very slow pace, thus the importance of doing an article on it is highly appreciated. If the bigger portion of the population is aware of such a program, they would gladly accept it. They should not worry about the transportation of the materials as we can organize for a truck to do rounds across the county collecting the waste from central locations. Best regards, Haoran Wang, Administrator – Special Saturday. 7. A heading can be placed just before the first instruction to indicate the preparation of the specimen. Another heading can be placed just after the third instruction to indicate the beginning of the testing phase. The third instruction contains too much information and can be split into several sub steps. The fifth instruction should contain a caution to users not to get the liquid into their mouth when using the pipette tube. They should suck it into the tube slowly. The fifteenth instruction would have been clearer were it accompanied by a diagrammatic representation. 8. The most beneficial activity in this semester course is the ethical writing (Sini, 2009). Knowing how to effectively communicate with people and using the right channels to reach them is a key factor in ensuring good mutual existence among people. Presenting my values in my communication will enable me get the required information to the relevant people, putting in mind that they are human beings as well. Ethical writing calls for proper treatment and respect of people as much as one would do it using actions. In my dreams of running a Multinational company, I believe that ethical writing will play a big part in my success. References Smith, W. (2008). Plagiarism, the Internet and student learning: Improving academic integrity. New York: Routledge.s Momber, A. (2008). Blast cleaning technology. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Adair, J. (2010). Decision making and problem solving strategies (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page. Sini, C. (2009). Ethics of writing. Albany: SUNY Press. Read More