Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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A Guide to Technical Communications: Strategies & Applications
Lynn Hall; Leah Wahlin · Ohio State University Libraries · 2016
Welcome to the textbook for Engineering Technical Communications courses at The Ohio State University. Our aim in writing this textbook was to create a resource specifically focused on and applicable to the kinds of communication skills most beneficial to the students who take our courses. Therefore, this textbook focuses on developing both technical and professional communication skills and will help readers practice strategies for critically analyzing audiences and contexts, real-world applications of rhetorical principles, and skills for producing documents (reports, proposals, instructions), presentations, videos, and wide variety of other professional communications.
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Information Strategies for Communicators
Kathleen Hansen; Nora Paul · University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing · 2015
Written by two nationally recognized experts in information strategy, Information Strategies for Communicators leads students step-by-step through the information search and evaluation process for news and strategic communication message production. The book includes a conceptual model of the information strategy process, case studies to illustrate the process in action, and links to current examples throughout. The definitive text for the information search and evaluation process as practiced by news and strategic communication message producers. Currently used at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication; JOUR 3004W/V, Information for Mass Communication.
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Interculturality for Personal Development and Organizational Leadership
Christina Page · Kwantlen Polytechnic University · 2026
Interculturality is a key competency for students and emerging professionals across a variety of fields, from business and education to health care and non-profit leadership. This book bridges academic theory with professional application, helping learners to develop self-awareness and cultural humility. This text also seeks to equip students with practical analytical and communication skills that can be immediately applied in personal and workplace situations. It also seeks to ground students in a foundation for professional leadership in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Drawing on both established and emerging frameworks, the text exposes students to diverse perspectives on interculturality, inviting them to critically evaluate established and emerging viewpoints through reflective exercises and case studies. Additionally, this resource integrates the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), connecting interculturality with meaningful local and global action. Learners are also prepared for meaningful action through the framework of Inclusive Innovation, using tools to foster equitable environments and lead transformative change in their workplaces, organizations, and communities.
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Noteworthy: Reading Strategies in Practice
Rebecca Campbell · University of Arizona Global Campus · 2025
Noteworthy: Reading Strategies in Practice introduces students to skills and strategies for college reading. This reader-style textbook contains excerpts from several texts that serve as both explorations of reading strategies and opportunities for students to practice using those strategies. Original chapter features, including introductions and Tip! boxes, present new topics and guide students as they engage with each reading.
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Methods for Stress Management
Allen Urich · Pennsylvania State University · 2017
Stress is a feeling you get when faced with a challenge. In small doses, stress can be good for you because it makes you more alert and gives you a burst of energy. For instance, if you start to cross the street and see a car about to run you over, that jolt you feel helps you to jump out of the way before you get hit. But feeling stressed for a long time can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Even though it may seem hard to find ways to de-stress with all the things you have to do, it’s important to find those ways. Your health depends on it.
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College ESL Writers: Applied Grammar and Composing Strategies for Success
Barbara Hall; Elizabeth Wallace · University System of Georgia · 2018
College ESL Writers: Applied Grammar and Composing Strategies for Success is designed as a comprehensive grammar and writing etext for high intermediate and advanced level non-native speakers of English. We open the text with a discussion on the sentence and then break it down into its elemental components, before reconstructing them into effective sentences with paragraphs and larger academic assignments. Following that, we provide instruction in paragraph and essay writing with several opportunities to both review the fundamentals as well as to demonstrate mastery and move on to more challenging assignments.We have structured the etext into three basic parts. Part I, Composing Strategies and Techniques, includes a sequenced discussion from composing effective sentences through paragraph and essay writing. This includes the prewriting and planning stages of writing as well as the revising and editing stage in the first five chapters. Part II, Language Use, Grammar, and Mechanics, is meant to be used as a grammar and mechanics handbook as well as the practice and review of idiomatic wording. Part III, All About Writing: Samples, Topics, and Rubrics, has chapters with additional writing topics for practice, sample student papers, and rubrics for evaluating writing.
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Writing for Strategic Communication Industries
Jasmine Roberts · Ohio State University Libraries · 2016
Good writing skills are important in today's competitive work environment. This is especially the case for communication-related professions such as public relations, brand communication, journalism, and marketing. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries emphasizes practical application of academic inquiry to help readers improve their writing skills. This book gives readers: Straightforward chapters that use real-world examples to illustrate key points. Discussion of different writing styles and techniques. Examples of communication materials such as press releases, creative briefs, feature articles, and more. Embedded videos of insights from communication professionals. Tips on pitching to the media. A collection of popular sources for further explanation.
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Open Logic Project
Richard Zach; Andrew Arana; Jeremy Avigad; Walter Dean · Open Logic Text · 2016
The Open Logic Text is an open-source, collaborative textbook of formal meta-logic and formal methods, starting at an intermediate level (i.e., after an introductory formal logic course). Though aimed at a non-mathematical audience (in particular, students of philosophy and computer science), it is rigorous. The Open Logic Text is a collaborative project and is under active development. Coverage of some topics currently included may not yet be complete, and many sections still require substantial revision. We plan to expand the text to cover more topics in the future. We also plan to add features to the text, such as a glossary, a list of further reading, historical notes, pictures, better explanations, sections explaining the relevance of results to philosophy, computer science, and mathematics, and more problems and examples. If you find an error, or have a suggestion, please let the project team know. The project operates in the spirit of open source. Not only is the text freely available, we provide the LaTeX source under the Creative Commons Attribution license, which gives anyone the right to download, use, modify, re-arrange, convert, and re-distribute our work, as long as they give appropriate credit.
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Communicating Strategically in the Workplace: A Resource for Engineering and Science Majors
Karishma Chatterjee; Damla Ricks; Diane Waryas Hughey · Mavs Open Press · 2025
We created this book to provide a targeted understanding of the process of communication to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) students. We have included specific and concise information in this book catering to technical and professional fields. Students will be able to develop their skills in writing, presenting, and interviewing, and improve their interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
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An Australian and New Zealand Human Resource Management Guide to Work Health and Safety
Lynnaire Sheridan · University of Otago · 2023
An Australian and New Zealand Human Resource Management Guide to Work Health and Safety (WHS) is comprised of three sections: an historical overview, an introduction to theory, and a guide to WHS implementation via the adoption and enactment of a safety management system. The socio-historical review of human ‘labour’ outlines foundational knowledge on the intertwined origins of worker labour and safety rights, while contextualising the formation and role of unions in securing labour rights that, today, are standard in Australian and New Zealand contexts. It enhances understanding of the historical origins of the contemporary disciplines of Employment Relations and WHS to explain their commonly shared assumptions and principles. The theoretical introduction defines key concepts for WHS management and outlines James Reasons’ Swiss Cheese Model of safety incident causation. A systems-based approach to WHS management is proposed as a mechanism to identify, and actively resolve, latent factors before introducing organisational safety culture as fundamental to effective WHS management. The guide to implementation outlines the leadership commitment, policies, procedures, planning, and compliance competency required before a safety management system can begin. It explores implementation of hazard identification, risk assessment, and hazard control procedures before emphasising that this should occur parallel to establishing effective emergency response procedures. It concludes by outlining how to use measurement and evaluation to ‘close the loop’ ready for the next iteration of the safety management system cycle. This book affords Human Resource managers a comprehensive overview of Safety I approaches to WHS while outlining how theory and practice is shifting towards a more human-centric, Safety II, approach. It puts workers, and their health, at the centre of WHS management while recognising the organisational constraints within which WHS practitioners operate.
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Construction Contracting: Business and Legal Principles, Second Edition
Stewart Bartholomew · Virginia Tech Libraries · 2002
This introduction to construction contracting as it applies to typical, every-day situations explains “theoretical” ideas in terms of what really happens in practice. It emphasizes the more common case law holdings and industry customs that help avoid troublesome legal issues during the completion of a project. Instructors reviewing or adopting this book are encouraged to register at https://bit.ly/interest_construction_contracting Any derivatives of this work must comply with the use and attribution requirements of the Creative Commons license, and include the following statement, “This material was previously published by Pearson Education, Inc.” Construction Contracting, 2nd edition is an "out of print," rights-reverted book for which the author's estate has given permission for digitization and release under a CC BY NC SA 4.0 license. It was previously published in 2002 by Pearson ISBN 1-13-091055-4. The copyright page has been edited and graphics redrawn. A new cover, dedication, acknowledgements, how to adopt this book, and author biography have been added, and the table of contents has been revised. As the book has been reformatted, the original back of the book index is not included.
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Strategies for Conducting Literary Research
Barry Mauer; John Venecek · University of Central Florida · 2022
This book, built in PressBooks with financial support from the UCF Digital Learning Course Redesign Initiative, contains 14 chapters, each of which contains two to six pages about the process of literary research. Pages contain learning objectives, infographics, videos, examples, key takeaways, and exercises. The course contains numerous discussion areas and quizzes. It also contains a “Foundational Materials” assignment that provides a platform for student success with whatever research project their instructor assigns. The book is highly flexible and instructors may use all or any part of the book within their own webcourse.
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The STEM Advantage: Career Planning and Internship Strategies for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Postgraduate Students
Ben Archer · James Cook University · 2025
This comprehensive guide bridges the gap between academic learning and professional application, offering a structured framework developed through experiences of students successfully completing their internship programs. Educators and students alike will benefit from practical methodologies that transform theoretical knowledge into workplace readiness, with strategic guidance for creating personalised career trajectories and maximising internship experiences.
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Advanced-Level Writing in the University Classroom and Beyond: Mindful Practices for Technical, Business, and Scientific Communication
Dawn Atkinson; Stacey Corbitt · Montana Technological University · 2026
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Advanced-Level Writing in the University Classroom and Beyond: Mindful Practices for Technical, Business, and Scientific Communication. To encourage this open textbook’s use in various undergraduate classes, it has been developed as an all-in-one resource that concentrates on technical writing, business writing, scientific writing, and technical editing. It offers a no-cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities. If you would like to access a Word Document version of this text please email Author, Stacey Corbitt, scorbitt@mtech.edu.
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A Handbook of Higher Education Leadership
Ed Ray · Oregon State University · 2024
Thirty-five experienced and accomplished higher education leaders have come together to provide twenty-five essays on twelve topics about which all leaders, aspiring leaders and students of higher education should be informed. This is a labor of love, provided for free electronically, and there are no star turns here. Each essay is focused on providing the reader with advice based on wisdom acquired from lessons learned. Some topics covered include: beginning and completing a leadership position, responding to authority, establishing accountability, budget policy, long-term planning, affordability and student success, creating a safe community, fundraising, research funding, college athletics, and crisis management.
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Efficacious Technology Management: A Guide for School Leaders
Gary Ackerman · Gary Ackerman · 2018
Dr. Gary Ackerman, an educational technology specialist with decades of experience in K-12, community college, and faculty development has released Efficacious Technology Management: A Guide for School Leaders. This is his second book, and it is available under a Creative Commons license. This book describes efficacious school technology as that which is used for educationally appropriate purposes, is properly configured to be robust and reliable, and is aligned with local expectations, so it is reasonable. This type of school IT emerges from collaborative planning including educators, IT professionals, and school leaders. This book helps educators understand IT and IT professionals understand education, so their collaboration can be efficient and effective.
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Project Management for Instructional Designers
Bobbie Sandberg; Royce Kimmons; Rebecca Zundel · David Wiley · 2018
Project Management for Instructional Designers (PM4ID) is a textbook about project management tailored specifically for instructional designers, intended for use in graduate programs in educational technology. This book is based on a pre-existing openly licensed textbook which was donated to the commons by a benefactor that desires to remain anonymous, and has been collaboratively revised and remixed by faculty and students at Brigham Young University.
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Research Data Management in the Canadian Context
Emily Carlisle-Johnston; Danielle Dennie; Émilie Fortin; Elizabeth Hill · Western University · 2023
Research Data Management is a term for all the things that researchers do to structure, organize and maintain data before, during and after doing research. RDM is also an emerging discipline that is concerned with researching and developing ways to manage research data more effectively. But what is research data? Where is the push towards formal Research Data Management coming from? What are the requirements of good data management? Research Data Management in the Canadian Context: A Guide for Practitioners and Learners looks at these questions and more, all with a focus on Canadian guidelines, regulations and infrastructure.
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Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project
Karl Fogel · Karl Fogel · 2005
Producing Open Source Software is a book about the human side of open source development. It describes how successful projects operate, the expectations of users and developers, and the culture of free software. The book is released under an open copyright. You can buy it in bookstores, order copies from O'Reilly Media, or browse and download it here.
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Game Based and Adaptive Learning Strategies
Carrie Miller; Odbayar Batsaikhan; Elizabeth Pluskwik · Minnesota State Colleges and Universities · 2022
This book is designed to accompany a graduate-level instructional design course: Game-Based and Adaptive Learning, but could also be used for undergraduate teacher education or instructional design courses. The original texts and material for this book came from the development of a course for Brandeis University as part of their MS in Learner Experience Design program. This material can be used to teach pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and instructional designers about game-based and adaptive learning. Assessments used in the actual Game-based and Adaptive Learning course are included in the final chapter and serve as recommendations for assessments of the learning outcomes. The material in this book pairs well with Using Game-Based Learning Online – A Cookbook of Recipes by The EGG. The Faculty Showcase materials were developed by dedicated faculty during the course of a year-long game development workshop in which faculty were introduced to GBL, developed game prototypes, played a variety of games, and finally playtested their designs. The work they continue to do in the area of GBL is part of the inspiration for this book. If you would like to contribute your own case study, please contact me at carrie.miller@mnsu.edu for consideration. Carrie Lewis Miller, Ph.D.- editor/author- Instructional Designer, Minnesota State University, Mankato