7. COMMON DOCUMENT TYPES
Just as literary genres contain many sub-genres that each conform to their own set of conventions (for example the poetry genre contains specific forms such as sonnets, haiku, epics, limericks, etc.), technical writing also includes many forms, and each form has conventions to be followed. This chapter discusses several of the most common document forms, and reviews the generic expectations for content, formatting, and style conventions.
These forms are somewhat flexible, and can sometimes overlap, adapting to the needs of context, purpose and audience. However, since these forms have arisen to meet the needs of recurring rhetorical situations in the workplace, readers and writers of these genres generally expect them to follow certain conventions.
Chapter 7 Learning Objectives
In the following sections, you will learn about the general format, structure, style and content expectations for the following types of professional documents:
7.1 Correspondence: Text Messages, E-mails, and Letters
7.6 Short and Long Reports (including Executive Summaries, Comparative Analysis, and Weighted Objectives Charts)
