Talk:Technical Writing in the Digital Age

Layout and Lead

Just to get this thing going, I have created the article, developed a rudimentary layout, and added a lead written by ChatGTP. All of this may be kept or changed. I would certainly revise or rewrite the lead. Questions, ideas, discussion, and comments about the project should be posted here. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with this semester. —Admin (talk) 09:38, 3 October 2023 (EDT)

Citation question

I am citing a later edition of a source that is cited elsewhere on the page. (Markel, Mike, and Selber, Stuart. (2021). Technical Communication (13th ed). This version has a second author. Should these entries be combined somehow?

@Beth Kennedy: Yes. If you’re using the updated version, update the earlier source. Great question, but don’t forget to sign your talk posts. —Admin (talk) 14:35, 2 November 2023 (EDT)

References question

Should References be the heading, followed by Bibliography as a subheading? Would this only apply if we are using Notes, Citations, and a Bibliography?--CEToledo (talk) 19:14, 4 November 2023 (EDT)

@CEToledo: You can do whatever seems logical for this. Check out The Man Who Studied Yoga to see a way to approach a references section. —Admin (talk) 07:27, 6 November 2023 (EST)

--Debbiebwolfe (talk) 12:50, 6 November 2023 (EST)== Shortened footnote code == I am having trouble understanding where the placement of the works cited and the shortened footnote code should be. I sent an inquiry email to Dr. Lucas. Debbiebwolfe (talk) 14:41, 5 November 2023 (EST)

@Debbiebwolfe: I would put references at the bottom, in a bibliography section. Then you can use the shortened footnotes in the body. This is an easier approach for everyone editing, as they can easily consult the bibliography to see if a reference has been used and entered. —07:30, 6 November 2023 (EST)

Do I need to have the citation section? I see that my shorten footnotes are displaying in the reference section.--Debbiebwolfe (talk) 15:48, 6 November 2023 (EST)

Paragraph Blocks

I can't believe how well and quickly this is coming along. At any rate, on to my dispute...are we adhering to any particular standard in terms of the size of paragraph blocks? Too long and it reduces the likelihood of it being read, too brief (a single sentence) and the topic/subtopic of the contribution seems too unnecessary to even mention. -- User:CBrown

I separated the Digital Document and User Experience sections. I think paragraph blocks should have around three to four sentences max. More than that, we can create a new subheading.--Debbiebwolfe (talk) 06:41, 8 November 2023 (EST)

Topics vs. Subtopics

Why are future trends and challenges separate subtopics under the future trends and challenges topic? Should there not be an overview of future trends and challenges followed by subtopics of examples of future trends and challenges, e.g. artificial intelligence. -- User:CBrown

I am in favor of this idea/change if others agree. --Elaine Streeter (talk) 14:37, 10 November 2023 (EST)

@CBrown: The problem here is that the heading Future Trends and Challenges has room for interpretation. I think the section should just be titled Future Trends. I also think an overview of future trends could be appropriate provided information from its subheadings is not unnecessarily repeated. The material under the Challenges subheading could be relocated to another heading but I would like to hear other opinions on this proposal. —AWilliamson (talk) 20:13, 10 November 2023 (EST)

Include external links section?

There are a few external (non-wikipedia) links in the article. Should we remove/replace the external links or create an External Links section? According to Wikipedia:External links: "With rare exceptions, external links should not be used in the body of an article. Instead, include appropriate external links in an "External links" section at the end of the article, and in the appropriate location within an infobox, if applicable." —AWilliamson (talk) 20:50, 10 November 2023 (EST)