From Suzan Last

This work, first and foremost, has been a student-driven endeavour. Over the years, numerous students have requested an open, online resource, and have presented compelling research supporting the benefits of such a work. So it is thanks to them that this work first came into being.

It would not have made it this far without the generous support, collaboration, and peer review of many colleagues in the Humanities, Engineering, and Science faculties at the University of Victoria. Thanks is also due to the funding provided by an Open Education Resource grant from the University of Victoria’s Office of Research Services and Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation Division.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable help and guidance of Inba Kehoe and her colleagues at the Copyright and Scholarly Communications Office at the University of Victoria, whose sharp editorial eyes and diligent quality control helped ensure that this book will be a valuable resource for students.

From Robin L. Potter

I am pleased to have had the opportunity to adapt Suzan Last’s Technical Writing Essentials. Not only was I working with an excellent, informed, and relevant technical communication text, but I knew I was working on a text that would be appreciated by our students and faculty alike.

I would like to thank Tom Bartsiokas, coordinator and professor of business and technical communication at Seneca College, for offering to me the opportunity to adapt this text. In addition, Tom has provided important editorial feedback as well as logistical support for the distribution of this text to faculty and students at the college. Thanks is also extended to Amanda Nowensky, Chair of the School of English and Liberal Studies for her support for this project. Special thanks goes to Tricia Hylton, who has worked magic to add interactive and visual elements to this text that bring it to life.

This adaptation was sponsored by Seneca’s Open Text Adaptation Grant Program. Resources and support were also provided by the Teaching & Learning Centre at Seneca. A special note of appreciation goes to Jennifer Peters, at the Teaching & Learning Centre, for her expert technical assistance. Finally, special thanks goes to our faculty who suggested that we adapt this text and for their continuing feedback and contributions to our bank of ancillary materials. I look forward to using this text in my classes and seeing it adopted by our faculty and students.

Cover photo of ceiling detail of St. Pancras Station in London, UK courtesy of Robin L. Potter

Robin L. Potter, Professor
School of English and Liberal Studies
Seneca College
2021

From Tricia Hylton

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of this text.  The process of witnessing the text come to life with the integration of each interactive element was very satisfying.  I am pleased with the understanding that this text will improve the overall educational experience of Seneca College’s technical writing students.  Thank you to Amanda Nowensky, Tom Bartsiokas, and Robin Potter for this opportunity.

Tricia Hylton, Professor
School of English and Liberal Studies
Seneca College
2022

From McDonald Kyte

It is with immense gratitude that I present this revised and adapted edition of Suzan Last’s and Robin Potter’s Technical Writing Essentials. This project would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of several individuals who played pivotal roles in the adaptation process. I am deeply grateful to Amanda Nowensky, Chair of the School of English and Liberal Studies for offering me this wonderful opportunity to contribute to this important work. I also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to Michael Myers and Lara McInnis from the Teaching & Learning Centre whose invaluable guidance, technical expertise, and unwavering encouragement helped shape the direction of this adaptation. Their insights have made this endeavour both challenging and rewarding.

This revision was sponsored by Seneca’s Open Educational Resource (OER) Grant. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Teaching & Learning Centre at Seneca Polytechnic for the resources and support. A special note of appreciation to Anh Lam and the eLearning team for redesigning the graphics and illustrations. Finally, special thanks to my students at the School of Aviation, Seneca Business who inspired me to adapt this text. I am excited to incorporate this Technical Communications OER into my classes and see it utilized by faculty and students.

Cover photo: Skylight Ceiling of the Oculus, World Trade Center, New York City, USA. Photo by McDonald Kyte

McDonald Kyte, Professor
School of English and Liberal Studies
Seneca Polytechnic
2024