#29056
Committees within international standards organizations write standards. Prior to approval, these standards must pass through several reviews for technical accuracy and stylistic appropriateness. The style considerations are based on documents published by both the umbrella organization (International Organization for Standarization, or ISO) and the various committees and subcommittees within it. Because authors and editors who use these documents frequently do not have English as a first language, the documents must explain unambiguously just how committees should prepare their documents. This study looks at a sample of those instructional documents using Restricted and Elaborated Code and metadiscourse analysis to determine how easily users can read and understand the material. The findings suggest that the documents do not send a clear message to authors and editors and can be stylistically hard to understand. Consequently, the approved standards themselves are hard to read and interpret.
Warren, Thomas L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2001). Articles>Editing>Style Guides>Standards
#29080
Cultural Influences on Technical Manuals 
Budget and time constraints often force technical communicators to produce manuals that are less than effective. One reason is the time they take to analyze their document's users. Normally, user analysis involves demographic, or organizational, or psychological approaches or combinations. Rarely will they evaluate the culture of the user and determine what that means for developing the document. Typically, localization will edit the document for cultural elements, but that is an expensive and time-consuming process. This article discusses the cultural elements in developing a document and shows, through a comparison of two mythical cultures, how the document will differ when organized for those two cultures.
Warren, Thomas L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2002). Articles>Documentation>Cultural Theory
#30423
Current Research: An International Perspective 
Research provides the basis for technical communication practices. Such research, conducted in the United States, is readily available to STC members through the Proceedings, Technical Communication, and other technical communication journals. However, research being performed in other countries is not so readily available to those in this country who may need it.
Warren, Thomas L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Research>International
#30424
Current Research: STC's Research Program
This interim report shows that the research program sponsored by STC in its publications is becoming more annecdotal each year, relying less and less on research for support of its generalizations.
Warren, Thomas L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Research>STC
#14059
What follows is a selected bibliography on document design. It is not exhaustive. Please feel free to add to it by contacting me.
#23441
How We Educate Technical Communicators in the United States
Schools sending a representative to the annual CPTSC meeting have increased over the years from 9 in 1974 to 39 in 1993. Approximately 10 to 12% of the Society for Technical Communication membership identifies itself as being associated with academic programs-- although not all these programs offer certificates or degrees in technical communication.
Warren, Thomas L. TC-FORUM (1998). Articles>Education>TC
#29116
Increasing User Acceptance Of Technical Information in Cross-Cultural Communication
A significant problem in technical communication is persuading the user that the information is accurate, valid, and useful. All too often, technical communicators treat users as members of their own culture. When authors do consider cultural issues, they often focus on matters such as vocabulary, visuals, and organization. Other strategies, however, can be useful in gaining acceptance of technical information in cross-cultural situations. For example, the communication theory of compliance-gaining offers suggestions for how the technical communicators can adapt the text to enhance user acceptance when communicating to members of their own culture as well as when communicating across cultures. Communicators can use promises, threats, demonstrate positive and negative outcomes, extend friendliness, etc., to develop the text. In this article, I will explain several compliance-gaining strategies authors can use, identify rhetorical strategies they can combine with compliance-gaining strategies, show how these strategies can be effective in a cross-cultural environment by comparing the strategies in two sample cultures, and analyze a brief sample.
Warren, Thomas L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2004). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design>International
#18473
Project Management for Professional Publications 
Managing technical publications—whether they be paper-based, web-based, or any of many electronic forms—requires skills in scheduling, budgeting, managing people, and the like. To that end, the core of the course will prepare the students to assume management roles in various businesses, industries, or governmental agencies.
Warren, Thomas L. Oklahoma State University (2002). Academic>Courses>Management>Project Management
