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Written CommunicationDanica Schieber
Introduction
RPC at ISU Business Communication Transfer
Backgrounds
Poll everywhere.com What best prepared you for your
job with the city? Introduce yourself and where you
are from.
Professional Writing
What are some words that come to mind when we talk about business/professional writing?
Let’s discuss.
Problems
What are some problems that occur with miscommunication?
Famous examples? Day-to-day examples?
Audiences
External Internal
Rhetorical Principles
The Rhetorical Situation: Audience Purpose Context
ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS
Source: newliteracyteacher.wordpress.com
Ethos - What to look for in writing… How does the author attempt to
establish authority / credibility? Expertise on topic / subject? Personal experience related to
topic? Documentation / Quality of
Sources? Balanced or one-sided? Comprehensive approach to
topic?
Pathos – What to look for in writing…
How often or when does the rhetor play on emotions?
Which emotions is the rhetor going for (fears, insecurities, anger etc…)? Are the emotions tied to a motive?
Are deeper issues of justice, mercy, social responsibility, acceptance etc…at hand?
Are arguments and claims emotionally-charged?
Nostalgia stories or anecdotes?
Logos – What to look for in writing…May appear as:
• Facts – numbers, statistics, data, science-stuff, research
• The text tries to show well-reasoned ideas
Uses sources:• Researchers, doctors, specialists,
people with credentials• Surveys, interviews, the stuff that
represents groups of people and their opinions
Why use all three at once?
Appeals
EthosIf you trust me, I
can persuade you to listen…
PathosLet me appeal
to your emotions
/imagination
LogosLet me appeal
to your intellect
Analysis Example- Memo
Who is the audience? What do they want/need?
Ethos?- build credibility? Pathos?- evoke some kind of
emotion? Logos?- logical information?
Is anything missing?
Basic Document Design
1. Use white space- use lists/bullets
2. Use headings- be specific, keep them parallel
(p. 164 and 165)
Don’t Do This
Improved
#3 Limit the use of all caps WHEN PEOPLE READ TEXT IN ALL
CAPS, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH IT IS SHOUTING AT YOU!
ALSO, NEVER DO THIS! EVER!!!
#4 No more than 2 fonts
Serif fonts- Times New Roman, Palatino
Sans Serif fonts- Tahoma, Arial
Fonts can influence how the reader responds to your document.
#5 Decide whether to justify margins
Full justification- type lines up evenly on both and right and left margins More formal Uses fewer pages
Ragged right- margins line up only on the left, but the right lines up in different places More informal Very short line lengths
#6 Important stuff in top left and lower right We read in a “Z” pattern (left to
right)
#7 Use a grid to unify graphic elements 2-3 imaginary columns The graphic elements have to
line up
#8 Use decoration in moderation
Highlighting Decorative Devices Color
Specific Genres
Memos Minutes MD & A
Document Design
Memos- typical format? Discuss- Where did we learn
formatting?
Minutes- format?
MD & A- format?
Analysis of Minutes
This is an example of a city’s minutes.
What do we notice about it? What will the audience think of
it? How can it be improved upon?
Practice
Let’s analyze the following example of an MD & A.
Rhetorical Situation? How can it be improved upon? Is there anything that the
audience would find confusing?
Guidelines for Effective Visuals
Check the quality of the data Determine the story you want to
tell Choose the right visual or data
display for the story Follow conventions Use color and decoration with
restraint Be accurate and ethical (No Chartjunk!)
The right visual for the story Use a table for exact values Use a chart or graph for
relationships Use gantt charts to show time
lines Use photographs to create a
sense of authenticity Use drawings to show processes
or dimensions Use maps to emphasize location
For each dollar of federal income tax we pay in 2010, the gov’t spends about…
Pie Chart
Misleading?
Wrap-up
Most important things to remember when creating any document:
The Rhetorical Triangle: Audience Purpose Context
Be clear and concise!
Questions?
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