7. COMMON DOCUMENT TYPES

Just as the literary genre of poetry contains many forms — such as sonnets, haiku, epics, limericks, etc., — each with its own set of rules and conventions, technical writing also contains many forms, and each form has some conventions that must be observed.  This chapter discusses several of the most common document forms, and reviews the general requirements for content, formatting, and style.

Chapter 7 Learning Objectives

In the following sections, you will learn about the general format, structure, and content expectations for the following types of technical documents:

7.1 Correspondence: Text Messages, E-mails, Letters, and Memos

7.2 Proposals

7.3 Progress Reports

7.4 Technical Descriptions and Definitions

7.5 Long Reports: Feasibility and Recommendation Reports

7.6 Lab Reports

7.7 Instructions

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Technical Writing Essentials Copyright © 2019 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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