[...]... conclusions about the subject matter? 6 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing ■ Do you have any recommendations? ■ What are the alternatives to the subject matter? ■ What tests and methods are used? ■ Can you use relevant statistics? ■ Are there any legal issues? ■ Should you consider applicable business situations? After brainstorming, the next step is to narrow the list of ideas to the scope of the project... software tutorials, and training materials In The AMA Handbook of Business Writing, we take the best of these corporate business writing guidelines and organize them in a way corporate writers will find useful We’ve written the book so you can easily find information on a particular topic and quickly get back to your writing project We have alphabetized most of the book and included cross-references to assist... the demographics of your audience? ■ Consider the age, sex, location, and other characteristics of your audience 4 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing Your writing may have more than one audience or an audience with a wide variety of backgrounds With an audience of both experts and laypeople, it is best to organize your document into sections with easy-to-understand headings so that the individual... N The AMA Handbook of Business Writing is a desktop job aid for all corporate communicators The book is a collection of easy-to-find information on style, grammar, usage, punctuation, language construction, formatting, and business documents In writing three editions of the Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook, we have done extensive research on language usage In addition, we are the. .. Secretary’s Handbook The following is a list of sources we referenced while writing this book to confirm the accuracy of our content: James Stroman, Kevin Wilson, and Jennifer Wauson, The Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook, 3rd ed (New York: AMACOM Books, 2007) Microsoft Corporation Editorial Style Board, Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, 3rd ed (Redmond, WA: Microsoft... tips, and a wide variety of business documents, including annual reports, brochures, business letters, business plans, grant proposals, mission statements, newsletters, policies, press releases, proposals, résumés, surveys, speeches, training manuals, user guides, and white papers We believe The AMA Handbook of Business Writing is an essential desk reference for the following business writers: ■ Corporate... Glossary of Grammar Terms, 2009 xxvii This page intentionally left blank S E C T I O N 1 The Writing Process This page intentionally left blank Section 1 The Writing Process 3 AUDIENCE ANALYSIS When planning to write a business document, the most important consideration is to understand your audience You must adapt your writing to the needs and interests of the. .. jotting down notes is a great way to gather content ideas for a writing project ■ Don’t worry about the order of the ideas ■ Let one idea lead you to other related ideas Section 1 The Writing Process 5 ■ Browse the Web to generate ideas ■ Review magazines, journals, and periodical indexes for ideas ■ Use free association to let your mind roam freely throughout the subject area ■ Use free association... notepad or a digital recorder nearby As you think about the subject matter, consider the following angles: ■ Are there any problems or needs? ■ Is there a cause-and-effect relationship? ■ What are the solutions to the problems? ■ What is the history of the subject matter? ■ What processes are involved? ■ What needs to be described to readers? ■ How can the subject matter be divided into smaller pieces?... photograph? ■ How is the subject matter applied? ■ Can you list any advantages and benefits? ■ What are the disadvantages and limitations? ■ Are there any warnings, cautions, tips, or guidelines? ■ What are the financial implications of the subject matter? ■ What is its importance? ■ What does the future likely hold? ■ What are the social, political, and legal implications of the subject matter? ■ .