ETC Resources
Open Educational Resource Textbooks Developed by ETC Team
A Guide to Technical Communications: Strategies & Applications
Lynn Hall & Leah Wahlin, Editors

First published in 2016 and used in our second-level writing courses, this e-textbook focuses on developing both technical and professional communication skills. It approaches professional communication from a rhetorical perspective—focusing on audience and purpose—and provides students with tools for success in producing the genres of communication common in professional environments (application materials, reports, proposals, instructions, presentations). The textbook is designed to provide strategies and real-world applications to assist students in transitioning from traditional academic writing to workplace communication.
Fundamentals of Engineering Technical Communications
Leah Wahlin, Editor
The goal of this e-textbook is to help students develop a foundation of strong and adaptable communication skills and habits applicable both in their first year of engineering courses and beyond. Drawing parallels between the writing process and the engineering process, the book covers foundational concepts of writing style, effective use of graphics and visuals, and guidance for writing document types common in the first-year engineering course sequence.
Other Technical Communications Resources
- Technical Writing Essentials: Introduction to Professional Communications in Technical Fields - By Suzan Last
- Purdue OWL – Purdue Online Writing Lab
Topic-specific Resources
Writing Style |
Chapter 3. Writing in a Technical Communications Style – Fundamentals of Engineering Technical Communications (FETC) |
Citations & Citation Styles |
3.3 Citations & Citation Styles – FETC (overview of APA and IEEE styles) Citations Writing Resources – CSTW APA Style – apastyle.apa.org (website and blog for the American Psychological Association) |
Presentations |
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Team Communication & Project Management |
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Information Literacy |
Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research – Teaching & Learning, University Libraries Strategies for Conducting Research – GTC Subject Guides – University Libraries |
Graphics & Data Visualization |
Please email Lynn Hall or Leah Wahlin with any questions about these resources.