The amount of material published in business and technical communications is still growing despite the number of textbooks, guides, and other resources that have already appeared. Universities continue to stress communication skills in business and engineering, partly in response to concerns expressed by executives and managers. What students and practitioners require for skill improvement are clear guidelines, well-structured outlines, and pertinent examples. This work locates these essential materials and the research tools needed to unlock them. This handbook couples research sources, an annotated bibliography of how-to information, and detailed indexes to identify the most relevant items in aiding business and technical communication. Organized in two sections, the first consists of a research handbook, consisting of tools (i.e., dictionaries), resources (i.e., databases), and information providers (i.e., associations). Part two is a topical bibliography of books on general, written, and oral skills in business and technical communications. The printed works featured in the book emphasize approaches, formats, checklists, guidelines, models, and other helpful aids.

This up-to-date bibliography on business communications which, unlike any other, also indexes the availability of sample documents and other learning aids has been compiled with students, faculty, librarians, and other working professionals in mind. It combines research sources with an annotated bibliography that emphasizes practical solutions to business and technical communications problems. The topical arrangement facilitates the prompt location of materials that emphasize specific communication skills such as editing, interviewing, and public speaking. The extremely fine-tuned subject index details the locations of all sources on a particular topic and specific kinds of assistance, such as outlines and sample documents. The guide is composed of two major divisions of three chapters each. Part I, the research handbook, assists researchers who need answers to basic questions: chapter 1 details standard reference sources including dictionaries, bibliographies, and directories; chapter 2 lists research tools such as indexes and online data bases; and chapter 3 cites additional important resources including grammar hot lines, national associations, and research institutions. Part II, a topical bibliography of books published between 1980 and 1988, facilitates the location of outlines, guidelines, examples, workbooks, sample documents, and similar forms of assistance. Chapters four through six are devoted to three skill areas: general skills such as editing, graphics and visuals, and word processing; written documents such as abstracts, newsletters and feasibility studies; and oral products such as interviewing, presentations, and workshops and seminars. Three distinct indexes provide access to this wealth of information by name, title, and subject. Better Said and Clearly Written should be made available not only to business and technical libraries but to academic and public libraries as well. It will be an indispensible tool for technical writers, small business owners, corporate personnel, and anyone wishing to improve their oral and written communication skills.