#25226
Being Personal isn't About Being Their "Buddy"
I have written often about the value of writing online in a personal voice. In particular, emails and newsletters lend themselves to a genuine, personal tone.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Writing>Technical Writing
#29215
Changing the Center of Gravity: Collaborative Writing Program Administration in Large Universities 
Technical communication practices have been changed dramatically by the increasingly ubiquitous nature of digital technologies. Yet, while those who work in the profession have been living through this dramatic change, our academic discipline has been moving at a slower pace, at times appearing quite unsure about how to proceed. This article focuses on the following three areas of opportunity for change in our discipline in relation to digital technologies: access and expectations, scholarship and community building, and accountability and partnering.
Johnson-Sheehan, Richard D. and Charles Paine. Technical Communication Quarterly (2004). Articles>Education>Writing>Collaboration
#24999
Collaborative Document Editing with svk
Say you have a document that needs to be presented in two languages and you are the translator. While the translation is in progress, someone revises the original master document. This means you now might be working with an outdated paragraph or one no longer present in the master version. This article tries to map this problem to parallel development, which version control systems solve with the branch and merge model. You will also see how svk helps you maintain translated documents easily.
Kao, Chia-liang. O'Reilly and Associates (2004). Articles>Content Management>Collaboration>Writing
#10350
Technical communicators frequently collaborate in workplace projects and bring a host of different kinds of expertise to this collaboration. Yet the understanding of communicators’ expertise among managers and subject matter experts is grounded in a view of writing as a finished product and authorship as singular. This article documents many different kinds of 'contributory expertise' employed by writers collaborating to produce articles for publication. Expertise in research, textual composition, visual composition, as well as other kinds of expertise garnered on previous projects is often brought to collaborative projects. Often emerging and developing as a function of collaborative work is expertise in framing the project, conducting review processes, and assessing outcomes. These categories are discussed in some detail to provide practicing communicators with ideas for documenting expertise in their specific workplaces, to provide students with ideas for developing expertise in various areas, and to prov
Henry, James M. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>SMEs
#10790
E-Mail Tutoring, A New Way To Do New Work
Although writing centers have used computers for over a decade now, they have used them primarily in autotutorials (computer-assisted instruction) and word processing. These applications reflect the influence of the process movement in composition studies and the writing center's commitment to the individual writer. Yet as the field moves towards the social in its scholarship and its writing technologies, writing centers might look towards e-mail to seek out new forms of tutor-student collaboration. The essay describes an experiment with e-mail tutoring and explores implications of new working conditions for online tutors.
Coogan, David. Computers and Composition (1995). Articles>Collaboration>Writing
#12934
Extending Your Tech Writing Skills: Pitching a Newspaper Column Idea 
Before pitching a column idea to your local newspaper editor, take time to examine whether becoming a columnist is right for you. In taking on a newspaper column, you not only take on a long-term commitment, but you also establish a responsibility to people in your own community. So, to begin, you might read Extending Your Tech Writing Skills: Becoming a Columnist, which identifies considerations for becoming a columnist. If you decide that becoming a columnist does suit your interests and goals, then the following tips and ideas can help you land a column with your local newspaper. As you'll see, examining and refining the topic, overcoming the competition, using a creative approach, and following up appropriately can help.
Ray, Deborah S. TECHWR-L (2001). Articles>Writing>Collaboration
#12933
While writing attention-grabbing, informative queries--a much-covered topic in the freelance writing arena--is important in landing assignments, don't overlook one important aspect that can help you continue landing assignments time after time: Establishing and maintaining good relationships with the editors you work with. This article offers advice, how-to and why-to information, and techniques to apply throughout the publishing process that can help you build good relationships with magazine editors. Although the following sections provide specific details and steps, the message is simple: A little understanding, consideration, and effort go a long way.
Ray, Deborah S. TECHWR-L (2001). Articles>Writing>Collaboration
#18862
Group Work and Collaborative Writing
Working with a group on a project can be a pleasure: responsibilities are equitably divided, the tedium of work is punctuated by conviviality and commiseration, and large problems dissolve under scrutiny from a variety of perspectives. Working with a group can also be frustrating, the seemingly indirect and digressive, as well as anxiety-ridden and inconvenient. But still, the product of group work has better odds for success than does the product of an individual.
Connery, Brian A. and John L. Vohs. University of California Davis. Articles>Collaboration>Writing
#29336
The Hidden Relationship Between Project Managers and Technical Writers
Want to know the secret to better quality documentation and improved software design? Will Kelly outlines how the key is an effective relationship between project managers and technical writers.
Kelly, William T. TechRepublic (2003). Articles>Collaboration>Project Management>Technical Writing
#30829
How to Entertain Technical Writers
I've often wondered what it would be like to throw a party and invite only technical writers. While we are a diverse bunch, we definitely share some common interests, pet peeves, etc. If you ever happen to arrange such a gathering, here are a few ideas for keeping your guests entertained.
Helpscribe (2008). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Collaboration
#14286
The Influence of Gender on Collaborative Projects in an Engineering Classroom 
Using a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis, this article discusses some of the findings from a larger study on collaboration and the role of gender. Here, we profile three student engineering teams as they participate in processes leading to the submission of a report for a team-based technical communication course. While some theorists suggest that gender can play a significant role in achieving a successful team dynamic, our study only partially supports that claim. A synopsis of two women from two predominantly male teams reveals glimpses of what the literature describes as traditional gender-linked behaviors by both men and women, but the all-female team does not conform to stereotypical patterns and their behaviors call into question the existence of these interactional styles. We suggest that factors other than gender and independent of a team’s gender composition—such as team commitment and a strong work ethic—exert a greater impact on collaboration. Nevertheless, the study does caution against assigning women to predominantly male teams since, when a team’s social structure is mostly male, traditional gender-linked interactional behaviors as well as manifestations of the culture of engineering are more likely to emerge. Overall, the study underlines the importance of examining specific face-to-face interactions to see how behavior is situationally produced in order to more fully understand the interactional strategies open to individuals.
Ingram, Sandra and Anne Parker. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (2002). Articles>Collaboration>Writing
#31847
Is Lone Writing Becoming a Team Sport?
Larbi discusses the transition—including advantages—that many lone writers face as globalization becomes more prevalent and individual consultants transform into lone writer teams.
Larbi, Nancy E. Intercom (2008). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Collaboration
#13920
The Issue of Quality in Professional Documentation: How Can Academia Make More of a Difference?
This article recommends strategies academics can use to contribute to an issue of great interest in industry: how best to define, measure, and achieve quality documentation. These strategies include contextualizing quality definitions, advocating the use of multiple quality measures, conducting research to identify specific heuristics for defining and measuring quality in particular workplace contexts, and partnering with industry to educate upper management about those heuristics and the benefits of promoting technical communicators to the strategic role of organizational “gatekeepers of quality.”
Spilka, Rachel. Technical Communication Quarterly (2000). Articles>Documentation>Collaboration>Technical Writing
#22690
Learning the Fine Art of Reviewing
If you asked me what the most painful part of being a technical writer is, my answer would be: 'Getting reviews on time. Getting good feedback and inputs on your work.' For me technical writing has been very pleasurable because I hardly got any review comments. My morale has therefore been very high. Project managers, developers and others are so busy trying to come up with good software (read trying to fix all the goof-ups and bugs!) that they usually tend to give documentation lesser importance. User manuals, who reads them anyway? We do not have time for it!
Kamath, Gurudutt R. IT People (2003). Articles>Editing>Collaboration>Technical Writing
#19740
Writing is popularly considered a spontaneous exercise, and often is. Spontaneous writing, however, does not always result in high quality results.
Aiyyangar, Ramesh. Indus (2002). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>Technical Writing
#27461
Now That You've Got a Double Agent, What Do You Do With 'Em?
Having demonstrated the importance of acquiring a double agent for writing projects, we now want to explain the best ways to successfully indoctrinate a double agent. This paper will help you prepare for, orient, train, and become a mentor for a double agent to help make him or her an effective member of your writing team.
Fisher, Judith R., Karen L. Mobley and Michelle M. Wright. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Writing>Technical Editing>Collaboration
#30537
Plural Authorship and the Thesis: What Graduate Students Tell Us About Collaborative Writing
Most graduate students at the Air Force Institute of Technology's School of Logistics and Acquisition Management write their theses as a team project. However, the Institute has gathered no systematic information about how students manage their collaborative thesis-writing processes. This research gathers descriptive quantitative and qualitative data from 1992 graduates concerning how they composed the teem-authored thesis. In addition, this research extends the collective vocabulary concerning collaborative writing, particularly when applied in academic settings.
Rice, Rodney P. and John T. Huguley, Jr. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Education>Writing>Collaboration
#30564
If we've been asked by a peer to review his or her work before it is sent out to be scrutinized by the world, our job is to neither edit nor rewrite the information. Our job is to give helpful, specific feedback about where the information communicates well and where it needs work. The more we understand about how to review a peer's work effectively, and how doing this is different from editing, the better feedback we can provide.
Gillihan, Dana L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Collaboration>Editing>Writing
#27366
Riff is a metaphor from jazz to describe a form of improvisation in which one musician borrows and builds on the musical phrase of another.
Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Collaboration
#30597
The Role of Double Agents in Writing Projects
Double agents on writing teams provide benefits to both product developers and technical writers with their unique skills and perspectives. You'll be more likely to get the information you need when you need it because your double agent has already set the stage for success. Learn the benefits of having a double agent working with technical writers as a part of the product development team. Discover valuable secrets never before divulged to the public that you can use to work with your product developers. Take out your magnifying glass and look for the clues.
Mobley, Karen L., Kathryn L. Turk and Judith R. Fisher. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>SMEs
#22113
The Role of the Editor in the Technical Writing Team
Editing today covers far more than printed materials. In this discussion, I am assuming a technical editor may be required to deal with: printed materials (for example, books, pamphlets, quick reference cards); electronic (for example, online documentation, online help, web pages); video scripts; computer-based training materials. I am also assuming that the audience for the material being edited is not comprised of other technical people; or if it is, the editor is not the person responsible for ensuring the technical accuracy of the material.
Hollis Weber, Jean. Technical Editors Eyrie (2002). Articles>Editing>Collaboration>Technical Writing
#25161
Same Tools, New Ideas: A Real-Life Example of Information Sharing and Reuse
Sharing information between writers in a team is a great way to maximize resources and minimize cost.
Kucbel-Saumier, Melissa. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2003). Articles>Collaboration>Writing
#31583
Social Media 101: Now Everyone's a Technical Writer
Free and cheap tools (blogging software, cheap digital cameras) have made "many-to-many" communication possible. This is sometimes called the "rise of the creative class." People are shifting from being consumers to creators.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. Palimpsest (2008). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>Social Networking
#30576
Storyboarding and Collaboration
For technical communicators, storyboarding is a path to collaboration with team members and users. Collaboration and storyboarding help technical communicators get new ideas, find new structures, and discover new modes of expression. In this workshop, you will learn about storyboards and how to develop them. You will also participate in exercises on conducting and collaborating on a storyboard review and on writing a storyboard specification. You will discover how collaboration helps create the context, organization, and design of a document through the use of storyboards.
Trapasso, Linda S. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Multimedia>Collaboration>Writing
#25114
Strategies for Peer-Reviewing and Team-Writing
When you peer-review other people's writing, remember above all that you should consider all aspects of that writing, not just--in fact, least of all--the grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
McMurrey, David A. Illuminati Online (2001). Articles>Collaboration>Editing>Writing
