Create a single word processing document containing instructions for doing something. Be sure to read Chapter 19 in Lannon before attempting this assignment.
| Topic Selection | Select a procedure relevant to your major field or an area of interest. Choose a topic unrelated to your previous paper on descriptions. Your procedure must require at least three major steps. For suggestions, check the list on page 459. |
| Document Format | Prepare double-spaced pages with one-inch borders and a monospaced Pica typewriter font (12-point Courier). Use only normal left justification as in this document, with ragged right margins. At the top of your first page, enter the title from the top of this page, followed by a descriptive subtitle, your name, short ID (letter-number) and the date. Minimally, your name, the date and page number must appear in a header on each page. Use the following three categories as subtitles. |
| Audience | Write for a specific use by a specified audience. It must comprise beginners or lay persons in your field. Include an audience-and-use profile (page 60) adapted to your own professional preferences and purposes as needed. |
| Citation | You must identify an authority for the procedure being taught, such as a user guide or reference manual. Provide a bibliographic citation appropriate to your disciplinary style. |
| Instructions | Provide instructions in three to five pages as described in Chapter 19. Follow the General Model for Instructions given on pages 440-441. |
| Checklist | Use the checklist on pages 455-456 to review your work. |
View the exercise set on screen or on paper.
Submit the following checklist with your annotations.
Use this checklist to evaluate the assignment. Page numbers in parentheses refer to the first page of Lannon's textbook discussion.
--------------------- Content (3 points each) ---------------------
1. Yes Are all data sources documented? (394)
2. Yes Have the audience and their needs been identified? (32)
3. Yes Have the audience's attitude, personality and expectations
been described? (32)
4. Yes Does the project title promise exactly what the paper
delivers? (428)
5. Yes Is the background adequate for this audience? (430)
6. Yes Do explanations enable readers to understand what to do? (431)
7. Yes Do examples enable readers to see how to do it correctly? (432)
8. Yes Are the definition and purpose of each step given as needed? (443)
9. Yes Is all needless information omitted? (431)
10. Yes Are all obvious steps omitted? (431)
11. Yes Do notes, cautions, or warnings appear whenever needed,
before the step? (433)
12. Yes Is the information rate appropriate for the reader's abilities and
the difficulty of the task? (431)
13. Yes Are visuals adequate for clarifying the steps? (429)
14. Yes Do visuals repeat prose information as needed? (429)
15. Yes Is everything accurate? (428)
--------------------- Organization (3 points each) ---------------------
16. Yes Is the introduction adequate but not excessive? (441)
17. Yes Do the instructions follow the exact sequence of steps? (429)
18. Yes Is all the information for a step close together? (443)
19. Yes For a complex step, does each sentence begin on a new line? (436)
20. Yes Is the conclusion necessary and, if necessary, adequate? (445)
--------------------- Style (3 points each) ---------------------
21. Yes Is the document written in grammatical English? (Appendix A)*
22. Yes Do introductory sentences have enough variety to maintain
interest? (436)
23. Yes Does each step have similar sentence structure? (436)
24. Yes Do steps generally have short sentences? (436)
25. Yes Does each step begin with the action verb? (436)
26. Yes Are all steps in the active voice and imperative mood? (434)
27. Yes Do all steps have parallel phrasing? (435)
28. Yes Are transitions adequate for marking time and sequence? (435)
--------------------- Format (3 points each) ---------------------
29. Yes Does each heading clearly tell readers what to expect? (437)
30. Yes On a typed page, are steps single-spaced within, and
double-spaced between? (437)
31. Yes Do white space and highlights set off discussion from step? (437)
32. Yes Are notes, cautions, or warnings set off or highlighted? (437)
33. Yes Are visuals beside or near the step, and set off by white
space? (437)
* -- Item 21 is worth 4 points.
Once you are done with editing, provide your instructor with a copy of the edited assignment. Use electronic mail (e-mail) to submit a single file containing the original assignment, with your comments added both within the document and as a final note. In the e-mail subject field, place the Author ID, the assignment title, and your Editor ID.