Introduction to Technical Writing: A Rhetorical Approach
by Moe Folk, Ph.D.
Keywords: Technical writing, Technical communication, Visual rhetoric, Rhetoric and composition, Professional writing
About the Book
Introduction to Technical Writing: A Rhetorical Approach is an eTextbook designed to help students learn important basic skills in technical writing and technical communication. The textbook focuses on developing practical knowledge by showing students how to apply rhetorical concepts to the process of technical writing. Each chapter provides students an in-depth look at a required skill for technical writing and examines it through a writing assignment, student sample, and rubric.This eTextbook provides images and videos to help make the concepts come alive for both students and new instructors of technical writing.
Chapters
- Chapter One | What is technical writing, and why is it important?
- Chapter Two | Summarizing: Patent Summary Assignment
- Chapter Three | Visualizing: Warning Sign Assignment
- Chapter Four | Persuading: Recommendation Report Assignment
General Information
- Publication Year: 2025
- Edition: First
- Subject: Technical Writing
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), except where otherwise noted.
Usage
Readers
The eTextbooks created as a part of this program are provided in two formats: ePub and PDF. Please refer to our Reader Support section for guidance on which format may be best for you and the device(s) you use.
Instructors
If you are an instructor seeking to use this eTextbook in your own course(s) please feel free to download the ePub and/or PDF file(s) for your use, but make sure to complete our eTextbook Usage Survey (this information is used for program evaluation purposes).
If you are interested in making revisions and edits to this eTextbook please note that this is possible since the book is under a Creative Commons License, which allows you to remix, reuse, revise, and redistribute the eTextbook. Please refer to the Faculty Support Page, specifically looking at Remixing. You can download Introduction to Technical Writing: A Rhetorical Approach Apple Pages File in order to use the original document to revise and remix the eTextbook for your purposes.
Citations
MLA: Folk, Moe. Introduction to Technical Writing: A Rhetorical Approach. First, The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT), 2025.
APA: Folk, M. (2025). Introduction to technical writing: A rhetorical approach (1st ed.). The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT).
Chicago: Folk, Moe. Introduction to Technical Writing: A Rhetorical Approach. 1st ed. The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT), 2025.
Peer Review
This eTextbook went through an Open Peer Review process. The peer review process used the Open SUNY Textbook Peer Review Guidelines, allowing peer reviewers to read the text carefully and evaluate the following:
- Educational Significance of Content including accuracy, appropriate and useful materials, valid and significant concepts, models, and skills, and key elements;
- Effectiveness as a Teaching Resource including a clear explanation of the concepts, alignment of materials to the learning process of the target audience, and alignment of the learning objectives with course goals; and
- Readability and Ease of Use including clarity and comprehensiveness, consistent writing style, readability and ease of use (logic, sequence, and flow), appropriateness for target readership level, and quality of Interactivity and multimedia learning objects.
As a part of the open peer review process, the public review conducted by Dr. Kristina Fennelly is made available: Peer Review Document (PDF).