#30351
Becoming InfoWranglers: New Career Ladders and Competencies for Technical Communicators
The emergence of the web has accelerated the convergence of marketing communications, training, and technical communication. Marketing communicators are increasingly producing users' guides, trainers are producing wizards and marketing materials. Technical communicators are producing tutorials and pre-sales literature.
Carliner, Saul. Boston Broadside (2000). Careers>TC
#20969
When she learned that I would be teaching a course in her department, the department secretary made a mailbox for me and made sure that I received a copy of every memo and announcement distributed to the rest of the faculty. Other part-time faculty appreciated this service, so it became a part of the secretary's standard operating procedures. But I never received the mail because the mailbox was in Crookston, Minnesota and I taught the course by instructional television (ITV) from St. Paul, Minnesota, approximately 350 miles away.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Articles>Education>Online>Collaboration
#20848
Big Boxes and Shoppertainment: More Lessons for Web Design from Mall and Retail Design
Explores some tactical issues in structuring and presenting content.
Carliner, Saul. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Design>Web Design>E Commerce
#20972
A Brief Guide to Communication Products Used in Online Learning
An overview of the various genres of information about online learning products.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Articles>Editing>Online
#13057
Build a Business Case for Online Learning Projects 
Upper-level decision makers seem to thrive on 'what if?' Here's how it works: Line workers, managers, and independent consultants enthusiastically propose a project, and executives shred it apart with 'what ifs?' and 'have you considereds?' In reality, such questions indicate that a project proposal is incomplete. The people who prepared it may have assumed an overly optimistic or pessimistic result, overlooked relevant alternatives, or may not have considered relevant component costs. And when it comes to technology projects--such as online learning development -- executives may kick 'what if' into high gear. Though the benefits of such projects seem self-evident to the converted, the possibility of a high price tag and organizational disruption sobers many executives considering the online plunge.
Carliner, Saul. ASTD (2000). Articles>Management>Proposals
#10356
Business Objectives: A Key Tool for Demonstrating the Value of Technical Communication Products 
Little has been written for technical communicators on how to identify the business goals of the projects we work on, or how to write those goals in observable, measurable terms. When we prepare goals in observable, measurable terms, we call these goals objectives. This article is intended to fill that gap. It first describes the challenges of setting business objectives for a project, next describes the three ways that a performance improvement program can contribute to the business performance of an organization, and then explains how to write a business objective. Finally, this article describes the benefits of writing business objectives.
Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (1998). Careers>Writing>Business Communication
#14225
Choices and Challenges: Considerations for Designing Electronic Performance Support Systems
Introduces the breadth of decision-making required in EPSS design. Explores choices and challenges facing designers in the design process, performance cycle, technology constraints, use of storytelling techniques, evaluation, and success factors.
Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Content Management>Web Design>EPSS
#24024
The Common Beliefs and Practices of Technical Communicators
Although technical communicators are a diverse group, and our beliefs and practices span a spectrum, we share certain common beliefs and practices about our field.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2002). Resources>TC
#18651
A postmortem is a meeting of all members of the project team at the end of the project to identify what went well and should be repeated on future projects; and what did not go well and how to avoid these situations on future projects. In addition, the postmortem should provide time for the members of the project team to thank one another for their contributions. Often during the course of a project, team members become so comfortable working with one another that they do not thank each other for their contributions or acknowledge exceptional work. As a result, team members might not realize that their colleagues appreciate their contributions. The postmortem provides a formal opportunity for team members to offer one another such recognition.
Carliner, Saul. STC Northeast Ohio (2002). Articles>Project Management>TC
#10329
Demonstrating Effectiveness and Value: A Process for Evaluating TC Products and Services
This article attempts to provide a framework that can be used to assess the effectiveness and value of technical communication products, and suggest how we can use it to help our clients perceive the value of those products. The framework is adapted from a similar framework initially developed by Kirkpatrick for trainers. First, the article presents the Kirkpatrick model and identifies the limitations in using it to assess the quality and value of technical communication products. Next, an adapted model for assessing the quality and value of technical communication products is presented. Last, the article addresses a series of issues related to collecting data about quality and value, such as when to collect the data, how to ensure its credibility, and how to report it to others. This framework may help us develop a widely used and accepted methodology for assessing the quality and effectiveness of technical communication products.
Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (1997). Articles>TC>Assessment
#20847
Designing for Real People: Additional Lessons for Web Design from Mall and Retail Design
Suggests lessons from bricks-and-mortar retailers that can be applied to web design.
Carliner, Saul. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Design>Web Design>User Centered Design>Usability
#20971
prompting them only when they must make a decision. A wizard involves a structured series of dialogues that applies users’ responses to produce a result, such as installing software or writing a business letter. It is different from a tutorial and other online information in that it helps users accomplish a task, not teaches them how to do it. A wizard is a performance support tool; that is, it supports users as they perform a task. Because the system performs some of the work, it can seemingly bring a user to a higher performance level in less time than conventional training methods. But the cost can be a dumbing down of tasks. Users perform tasks without understanding them and aren’t aware of the underlying decisions. As a result, users may not be able to perform tasks if the system is down. You should use a wizard to build performance only when people can perform a task without knowing all of the steps.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Design>User Interface>Wizards
#20970
Determining Constraints for e-Learning
One of the challenges of starting an e-learning are the constraints. If you don’t uncover them before you begin a project and choose software, the issues can come back to haunt you. Following are questions you can ask to determine the constraints you'll need to address when implementing e-learning in your organization. You might need to ask additional questions, but these should give you a good start.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#13054
Instructional designers increasingly find technical communicators in their territory, as technical communicators find instructional designers. Is this increasing contact merely a coincidence, or does it portend an evolutionary merger of the two fields?
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2001). Careers>Education>Instructional Design
#24475
The 1995 E and R PIC Focus Group on Technical Communication Research will continue the dialogue begun at STC annual conferences in 1993 and 1994. The 1993 Focus Group discussed partnerships between the Society, industry, and the academy, while the 1994 one discussed planning initiatives for technical communication education.
Batorsky, Barry J., Saul A. Carliner, John James Conklin, Jeffrey L. Hibbard, Kenneth T. Rainey, Stuart A. Selber, Sherry G. Southard and Katherine E. Staples. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Research
#31982
Eight Issues to Consider When Developing Metrics for Your Technical Communication Group
Wondering how you can assess the effectiveness and productivity of your work? Admittedly, it’s not easy and there are no simple approaches. But it can be done. As you develop a program, consider these issues, which arose from a review of literature on the metrics used to assess the productivity and effectiveness of software engineering, training, marketing communications, and technical communication.
Carliner, Saul. STC Quality SIG (2003). Articles>TC>Quality>Assessment
#20967
4This white paper introduces training and performance improvement professionals to knowledge management. Specifically, it: describes what knowledge management is and how it is used within organizations in general, and within training and performance improvement groups in particular; identifies the technology needed for a knowledge management system; identifies the work activities needed to effectively place information in a knowledge management system; suggests ways that training and performance improvement professionals might be affected by knowledge management efforts within their organizations.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2001). Articles>Knowledge Management>Education>Online
#20974
Eight Ways to Use Authoring Tools to Improve Your Productivity with Drafting
Most authoring tools have features that can help you improve your productivity. You might be able to benefit from some of these suggestions now; keep the others in mind for future projects.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Articles>Writing>Software
#20966
Eighteen Quick Tips for Designing Online Learning Exercises and Supplemental Information 
How do you develop effective online learning? This interactive half-day workshop introduces you to 18 techniques, including the must-ask questions of a needs analysis, the must-consider issues for writing objectives, different learning models you can incorporate into courses, ways to keep learners' attention, and tips for designing screens and writing for online presentation.
Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#10427
As the responsibilities of and demand for technical communicators have grown, demand for a new set of skills called information design has emerged. Information design is preparing communication products so that they achieve performance objectives established for them. Although some technical communicators now call themselves information designers, the field originally emerged from architects, graphic designers, and library scientists, and related work by instructional designers. Information designers prepare blueprints for communication products. To do so effectively, they need skills in information design and development, the technology they are communicating, the technology of communication, the industries they are communicating to, and business skills. They must also be comfortable with a variety of media and genres. Moving to information design creates a new career ladder for technical communicators.
Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (2001). Careers>Information Design
#14606
Carliner predicts that 2003 will again be a difficult year for employment in technical communication, but also identifies possibilities for increased employment of technical communicators in several industries.
Carliner, Saul. Intercom (2003). Careers>TC
#10301
Evolution-Revolution: Toward a Strategic Perception of Technical Communication
Although we tell ourselves that technical communication is important to the bottom line of organizations and all of the business literature reinforces our convictions that information is strategic to business success, few of us feel 'strategic' to the organizations we work for.
Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (1996). Careers>Management
#18832
Focus Groups: Planning the Education of Technical Communicators During the Next Ten Years
These focus groups continue the dialogue begun in focus groups organized by Ken Rainey and Katherine Staples, Education and Research PIC, at the 1993 annual conference in Dallas. Participants discussed the topic of how partnerships among the Society, business and industry, and colleges and universitates could strengthen academic programs in technical communication, empower the profession, and promote research.
Barnum, Carol M., Saul A. Carliner, JoAnn T. Hackos, Rita Reaves, Stuart A. Selber and Sherry G. Southard. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Education>Industry and Academy>STC
#13055
Future Travels of the InfoWrangler
Some of the questions most commonly asked by professionals in a given field are 'where is the field headed?' and 'how will that affect me?' In this article, I give one person's view of where the fields of technical communication, training, and marketing communications are headed and how that might affect people working in those fields.
Carliner, Saul. Intercom (1998). Careers>Information Design
#10045
This course introduces visual thinking, visual expression, and the practice of graphic design. First, it teaches general princples of graphic design. Then it teaches about the components of graphic design: typography, page and screen design, picture and symbols, and corporate identity.
Carliner, Saul. Bentley College (2000). Academic>Courses>Graphic Design
