#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 This means you now might be working with an outdated paragraph or one no longer present in the master version.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
#28790
Debbie Kennedy on Modular Writing and Reusability
Kennedy's presentation on modular writing and reusability was attended by about 200 people. In her presentation, Debbie explained how to chunk content by first looking at different content types: procedures, processes, facts, principles, and so forth. She also mentions a tool called Content Mapper that writers can use to chunk and reuse information through Microsoft Word.
Kennedy, Debbie. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Writing>Content Management>Podcasts
#22051
Developing the Specification for a Document
Between 25-30 percent of the overall writing time is typically devoted to developing the document specification, meaning how the document will be formatted and actually present the information. This is true even when the organization has a style guide with a prescribed format, but no “standard” for documentation overall. Although this may seem an inordinate amount of time and effort on the front end, before getting any information onto the paper, it is far more cost-effective than spending unplanned time rewriting and reformatting the document late in the production process.
Tech-Writer. Articles>Writing>Project Management>Technical Writing
#27887
It is my firm belief that every technical writer is passionate about her work and would put in her best efforts to deliver high quality. If you are a manager or an editor and are shaking your head in disagreement, think again. Why would someone want to submit a work of poor quality?
Lawrence, Prema. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>Writing>Project Management>Technical Writing
#20331
From Technical Writing to Knowledge Engineering 
This paper describes one writer's journey from capturing disparate bits of information as a technical writer in a large corporation to creating knowledge bases of related and evolving data, information, and knowledge. It illustrates how information development professionals can leverage their communication skills into highly-valued, interactive positions, working on teams with domain experts, information technology and information retrieval professionals, and end-users.
Knodel, Elinor L. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Writing>Knowledge Management>Technical 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
#13625
How to Keep the Content Coming: Five Tips
Maintaining a steady flow of high-quality content can be a major challenge for any online venue. Shifting priorities, unexpected crises, ebbing resources, and just plain burnout can (and probably will) take its toll on your content plans. These tips can help you prevent or compensate for problems with your supply of fresh online content.
Gahran, Amy. Contentious (2002). Articles>Content Management>Writing
#25950
How to Ruin a Writing Project in 10 Easy Steps
Does your job involve writing? Here's a surefire recipe for bringing on writer's block and making the whole process seem so onerous that you'll vow never to put pen to paper again.
Bennaco (2004). Articles>Project Management>Writing
#13454
The Implications for Technical Writers of the Movement Toward Open Systems
The movement toward open systems is gaining momentum. Those technical writers in the computer and software industries who have been accustomed to working in the world of proprietary systems will have to adjust to working in this new world of open systems. This paper briefly describes the open systems movement and then discusses in detail the implications of that movement for technical writers. This includes the challenges they will face and the skills they will need to develop. A brief case study of the involvement of technical writers in the Open Software Foundation’s DCE project is included.
Abbott, John J. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Knowledge Management>Open Source>Technical Writing
#23158
Keeping your Business Plan to the Point 
When you write a business letter, you must try not to waste your reader's time. The first step in any writing task is to set down your aim. Ask yourself, Why am I writing? and What do I want to achieve? The clearer you are in your own mind about what you want to achieve, the better your letter. These questions help you focus on the information that supports your central aim, and to cut information that's irrelevant. By doing this, you'll find you keep to the subject and perhaps write a document that is a third shorter than you would otherwise draft.
#22157
Leveraging Complex Content for the Support Chain
The support chain is becoming increasingly important as we begin to understand the deep underlying economic trends of the last half-century.
Osnat, Rani. ComTech Services (2001). Articles>Content Management>Technical Writing
#27593
Microcontent refers to small, granular, and possibly representative (that can provide a summary of or a navigation to a larger set of information) bits of information, typically available on the Web. An example in the domain of journalism might be headlines and news summaries, small bits of content that can be used on a front page of the news with links to more in-depth articles. The definition has grown in scope as much as in its application.
Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2006). Articles>Documentation>Content Management>Technical Writing
#19784
Lam’s software-controlled robotic etchers demanded multi-disciplinary manuals that were time-consuming to write. Since both software and hardware changes required a six-month re-write, manuals lagged behind product. Dividing manuals structurally into modular books enabled separate updates, as most urgently required. Modular engineering approaches to ongoing etcher development later drove a different modular design; but the approach enabled quick documentation of rapidly changing product. Company growth and product proliferation now combine with computer technologies to drive development of increasingly smaller modules of information, leading to a database model for books that may someday match individual machines.
Snavely, Deborah. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Content Management>Writing
#30546
Project Management for Writers
Project management skills are part of every writer's life, in some form or another. However, the more you use these skills to manage your daily work, the more you will grow as a writer. Estimating, controlling scope, and tracking your progress are all part of delivering the product that your "customer" wants. Your primary tool is your documentation plan. In this workshop, we will discuss why these processes are important to you and how to implement them on your job.
Yeo, Sarah C. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Project Management>Writing
#20134
Quality Documentation: ISO 9000 as a Process Model
While ‘quality’ is no longer the most popular buzz-word, there is still a need for thorough understanding of what it means to document a quality program. In preparing for ISO 9000 certification, I developed useful techniques which can be used to improve quality in other documentation tasks. Even if you're not involved in ISO 9000, it can serve as a good general model for documentation management. This paper briefly describes the ISO 9000 standard and the process of certification, how documentation in a quality program is different than usual technical documentation. and some of the useful tools and techniques.
Magyar, Miki D. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Management>Policies and Procedures>Technical Writing
#27462
Real Costs Of Technical Publications
This workshop shows a technical publication manager or rising professional how to work in the following technical publishing/financial areas: project management, operating budget preparation and management, and quality control.
Caernarven-Smith, Patricia. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Publishing>Technical Writing>Project Management
#20463
Single Sourcing in Technical Communication
No term has caused such a sensation in recent years among technical writers and illustrators as 'Single Sourcing.' The reasons: Enormous amounts of text and image material builds up in documentation and illustration companies. It is not uncommon for individual documents to contain several thousands of pages. If this is translated into several languages, then the administration needs are greater for both texts and graphics (graphics can contain text which must also be translated).
Fibinger, Iris. SVG Open (2002). Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing>Technical Writing
#26726
Six Reasons You Don't Need a Technical Writer (and Why They're Dead Wrong!)
Hiring the right freelancer to do the job correctly the first time around could save you hundreds or thousands in help desk calls, service calls, document revision, and distribution. Here's why.
Zuccardy, Ann. Ezine Articles (2005). Articles>Project Management>Writing>Technical Writing
#22197
Structured Content: What's in it for Writers?
Everyone has heard (or experienced) stories of CMS or knowledge management initiatives that did not work because content contributors refused to use the tools deployed or were unwilling or unable to supply content in the format required. The conclusion often reached is that writers cannot give up their WYSIWYG tools and that any attempt to make them do so is doomed to failure. On the other hand there are always those who will reply with stories of systems where writers have successfully adapted to the use of XML or SGML, and the CMS is working well. All that is required to duplicate this success, they maintain, is that writers must be forced and/or trained to use the new tools.
Baker, Mark. CMSwatch (2002). Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing>Writing
#28603
A Tale of Two Technical Writing Teams
Sometimes considered an afterthought in the product development lifecycle, technical writers often struggle to become part of a performing Agile team.
Broderick, Stacia. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Technical Writing
#29809
Time for Content to Become More Scientific
I'm all for formulaic writing. I love hierarchies and classification. I'm all for measuring content. There is a 'right' way to write content. Sure, it may not be the 'perfect' way, it may not be the way Shakespeare or Joyce would have written it, but it'll do. It'll get results and deliver value. A production line can be set up where this content can be mass produced, tested, and measured.
McGovern, Gerry. User Interface Engineering (2007). Articles>Content Management>Writing>Professionalism
#29565
Using a Wiki to Write About Wikis 
Academic writers are used to having their ideas encapsulated and enshrined in printed text (e.g., a journal article or a book), but publishing them in a wiki strips them of this protection. What happens when strangers change our writing? Since the traditional academic publishing paradigm has not caught up with the open-editing, peer-to-peer model, are we equipped to deal with the paradigm shift that wikis represent? These are issues we consider in this short piece.
Wilder, Hilary and Sharmila Pixy Ferris. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2007). Articles>Writing>Content Management>Wikis
#29426
Using the Triage Method in Technical Writing
Pragmatism is the necessary first step: do the best job you can do under the conditions. Nobody's going to benefit if you do a superb job on half the manual, then die of stress before you can document the important parts in the second half.
Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Geoff-Hart.com (1999). Articles>Project Management>Writing>Technical Writing
#22140
A collection of responses to Bernadette Longo's Spurious Coin.
Gaskill, David, Mary Been, Margaret N. Hundleby and Pete Praetorius. Journal of Computer Documentation (2001). Articles>Management>Scientific Communication>Technical Writing
#20740
Web Application Maps Business Opportunities
A technical writer develops a way to help a government contractor uncover procurement opportunities -- and in the process discovers a new opportunity for himself as an information profit center.
Montague Institute Review (1998). Articles>Knowledge Management>Information Design>Technical Writing
