BA300 Business Communication

Summary: A graph (continuous variable on the X axis) or chart should be able to stand alone--to be self-explanatory. Provide a clear, descriptive title; if their meaning is not obvious, label your axes. With a few exceptions, axes should typically represent only one metric, one unit of measure. Text should be readable, with no inappropriate overlap of visual elements. Contrast and color selection should be easy on the eyes (e.g., no red against blue). The meaning of a graph or chart should be very clear to your audience; the graphic should aid your explanation, simplify your message, not complicate it. See Ober, Chapter 11, and below:

Graphing, Charting, and Presenting Data

Using Graphs (good basic information; note "Four Guidelines" at the bottom)

Gallery of Data Visualization (historical milestones; examples of good and bad graphs)

NOTE: I am only asking for your graph; I don't need the Excel datasheet. Due as discussed in class (beginning of class). You may want to emulate my solution, or devise one of your own. If you try something along the lines of what I did, you need to make sure the "Drawing Toolbar" is visible so you can make use of the 'textbox' feature. Otherwise, learning the graph function of Excel involves right-clicking on various graph elements (once created by the wizard) and examining your options.

Use of Graphs and Tables in Technical Writing

PowerPoint Guidelines:

Read through the information provided on these Websites.

Avoid violation of basic guidelines in your own presentation.

►Simply put, failure to adhere to the guidelines discussed in class and provided by the links

below will result in a grade significantly lower than you might otherwise have earned.

See "Assignments Described"
Grading Template	STUDY the template by which you will be graded
"Death by PowerPoint"	READ this short article by communication consultant Anne Miller (no excessive text!)
Ten Tips for Using PowerPoint	READ these ten tips

Basic PowerPoint Guidelines	Recommend: Nine slides

Getting Your Point Across (in PowerPoint)	Recommended: Harvard Medical (PDF, 7 pages)

Using PowerPoint	Tutorials, commentaries, & advice; provided by Harvard University

PowerPoint is Evil	Interesting counter-view, by Edward Tufte ["Tuff-Te"]
Gettysburg Address	Gettysburg Address on PowerPoint

The Business Presentation (Selected Resources)

Related_Links of Interest:

The Communication Model
Shared Meaning (Diagram and discussion)
The basic Shannon-Weaver model
"Transmission Models", criticism of...