Information and information sources

Information and information sources

The dictionary definition of `communication' usually mentions something like `the means by which we convey information'. There are, of course, many different ways of conveying information. You might consider, for example, the different ways that you could let your tutor know that you will not be attending college next week. You could speak to him in person, telephone him, leave a message on his answering machine, put a note on his desk, send him an e-mail message, or even write a letter and post it to him.

The method that you chose depends on a number of factors (not the least of which might be how friendly he is!). To be certain that he gets the message you might decide to speak to him in person (this might not be so easy if you do not have a good reason for not attending!). Alternatively, your college may require that you explain your absence in writing and they may have a form that you must complete. In deciding how to convey a simple message like this you probably need to think about several factors, including:

• How important is the information?
• How will I know that the information has been conveyed and understood?
• Do I need to keep a record of the information?
• How well do I know the person or persons with whom I am communicating?
• How urgent is the information?
• Is this a 'one-off' message or is it part of something much bigger?

Forms of communication

The forms of communication that we use in everyday life can be broken down into four main types, namely:

• Written
• Graphical
• Verbal
• Other (non-verbal).

Each of these main types of communication can be further subdivided. For example, graphical communication can take the form of drawings, sketches, block diagrams, exploded views, graphs, charts, etc.

Some of these can be further divided. For example, there are many different types of graph and chart.

In everyday life, we usually convey information by combining different forms of communication. For example, when we speak to other people we often combine verbal with non-verbal (body language) forms of communication. Body language can help add emphasis to our words or can be used to convey additional meaning.

Presentations to groups of people usually involve verbal communication supported by visual aids such as overhead projector transparencies, handouts or flipcharts. Technical reports invariably combine written text with diagrams and photographs.

Throughout this unit there are numerous opportunities to develop your own skills in obtaining, processing, evaluating and presenting information. In order to do this, you should be prepared to make use of appropriate technology (i.e. hardware and software). For this reason, we will not study hardware and software as a separate topic. Instead, we will assume that you will acquire familiarity with its use as you progress through the topics in this book.

Activity 2.1

From the types of communication shown in Figure 2.1, identify (with reasons) methods of communication that you consider most appropriate in each of the following situations:

(a) Making an appointment to see a doctor.

(b) Apologizing for forgetting your sister's birthday.

(c) Directing a friend to a restaurant in the next town.(d) Selling your car.

Present your work in the form of a brief set of hand-written notes.

Activity 2.2

Complete the table shown below by placing a tick against the applicability of different forms of communication in relation to fitting a plug to the electric cable on a portable appliance:

Information sources

Engineers use a wide variety of information in their everyday lives. This information is derived from a variety of different sources including:

• books
• application notes
• technical reports
• data sheets and data books
• catalogues
• engineering drawings
• CD-ROM
• databases
• websites.

Books

Books, whether they are paper-based publications or one of the new generation of electronic books (eBooks), provide information on an almost infinite number of subjects and a good technical library can be invaluable in any engineering context. All books contain summary information. This typically includes:

• the date of first publication
• the date(s) of any reprint(s) (with or without corrections)
• the date(s) of any subsequent edition(s)
• the date(s) of any reprint(s) of subsequent editions (with or without corrections)
• information concerning copyright
• British Library Cataloguing data
• an ISBN number
• other library (e.g. Library of Congress) cataloguing data
• information relating to the printing and binding of the book.

Test your knowledge 2. 1

Take a look at the information that appears in the first few pages of this book and then answer the following questions:

1. What was the year of first publication?

2. Is this book a reprint?

3. Who owns the copyright?

4. What is the book's ISBN number?

5. Who has published the book?

When using a book as a source of information it is important to ensure that it is up to date. It is also necessary to ensure that the content is reliable and that there are no omissions or errors. Book reviews (often published in the technical press) can be useful here!

Electronic books are presented in electronic rather than paper format. The book actually comprises of a number of files which can either be downloaded into a PC, laptop, or pocket reader device or which can be supplied on a CD-ROM. In order to convert the files that make up the book into something that can be read on the screen, the PC, laptop or pocket reader requires appropriate software such as Adobe's Acrobat Reader or Microsoft's Reader.