technical communication a practical approach chapter 9: technical research william sanborn pfeiffer...

Technical CommunicationA Practical ApproachChapter 9: Technical Research

William Sanborn Pfeiffer

Kaye Adkins

Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth EditionW. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins

Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., All Rights Reserved.2

Technical Research

Getting Started Reviewing Published Research Conducting Primary Research Using Borrowed Information Correctly Reporting Your Research



Getting Started

Ask yourself the following questions to give direction to your work What questions must be answered during the

research phase? What print, multimedia, and electronic sources

would be most useful? What is the nature and extent of information

that is needed? Should it be scholarly or popular? Current or historical?



Getting Started

Ask yourself the following questions to give direction to your work What are the best strategies and research tools

for locating information? To whom can you talk who might have

expertise on the topic?



Getting Started

Ask yourself the following questions to give direction to your work What are the best criteria for critically

evaluating information for reliability, validity, accuracy, timeliness, or point of view or bias?

What format must be used to document material borrowed from sources and what copyright permissions must be acquired to use the information?



Reviewing Published Research

Searching Online Catalogs Searching in the Library Searching the Web



Searching Online Catalogs

Author or Title Search Subject Search Keyword Search Advanced Search Techniques



Searching In the Library

Library Services Reference and information Interlibrary loan Circulation



Searching In the Library

Library Resources Books Periodicals Newspapers Company directories Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other general

references



Searching the Web

Fundamentals of Web Searching Using Your Evaluation Skills

Invest time and effort in critically evaluating what you find

Be alert to the following Obscured authorship Out-of-date information Subtle and obvious bias Poor-quality links Flawed style and design



Searching the Web

Fundamentals of Web Searching Learning the basics

Uniform resource locator (URL) Contains important clues to the Web site’s authorship,

country of origin or the domain, or the type of organization sponsoring the site



Searching the Web

Web Search Options Searching by URL (uniform resource locator) Searching by key words using search engines

and meta-search engines Searching with subject directories Using reviewed and recommended subject

guides



Conducting Primary Research

Quantitative Research Research is valid Research is reliable

Qualitative Research Interviews Focus groups Field observation Document and analysis




Research with human subjects Comply with ethical guidelines Submit a research plan

Using surveys Can combine qualitative and quantitative

research




Usability Testing How clear are the instructions? How quickly can a user find information in a

help file? How useful are the illustrations in a user’s

guide?



Using Borrowed Information Correctly

Avoiding Plagiarism Varieties of Documentation




Avoiding Plagiarism Cite sources for all borrowed information used

in your final document. This includes quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.




Why Should You Document Your Sources Thoroughly and Accurately? Courtesy Ethics The law



Selecting and Following a Documentation System

Varieties of Documentation American Psychological Association (APA) Council of Biology Editors (CBE) Modern Language Association (MLA) Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)



Reporting Your Research

ABC Format for Technical Research Writing Research Abstracts



ABC Format for Technical Research

ABC Format for Technical Research Abstract

Identifies the question, problem, or issue being researched

Reviews the published research about the topic, or secondary sources

Overviews the organizational plan of the document




ABC Format for Technical Research Body

Explains the methodology used to gather information form primary sources

Presents the results, using tables, charts, and graphs as necessary

Interprets the findings through analysis and discussion




ABC Format for Technical Research Conclusion

May include recommendations May make a prediction



Writing Research Abstracts

Types of Abstracts Informational Abstract

Format Major points from original document

Purpose Main findings, conclusions, and recommendations of

original document Length

One to three paragraphs




Types of Abstracts Descriptive Abstract

Format Main topics of document without supporting details such

as findings, conclusions, or recommendations Purpose

Given their lack of detail, helps readers decide whether they want to read the original document

Length No more than one paragraph




Guidelines for Writing Research Abstracts Highlight the Main Points Sketch Out an Outline Begin with a Short Purpose Statement Maintain a Fluid Style Avoid Technical Terms Readers May Not

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technical communication a practical approach chapter 9: technical research william sanborn pfeiffer...

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