#19933
Green Squiggly Lines: Evaluating Student Writing in Computer-Mediated Environments 
We have a theory, a trace, a prediction of what will happen in the influence that word processors have had on student writing. By outlining a history of word processors in writing pedagogy and assessment (a vast increase in studies of and pedagogies advocating revision occurred in the 1980s), 'Green Squiglly Lines' sketches the potential impact of electronic portfolios on writing assessment. How will the publication--the turning of academic essays into (pre)professional documents [literally portfolios in the graphic artist sense of the word]--change writing assessment in American higher education?
Whithaus, Carl. Academic.Writing (2003). Articles>Editing>Online>Word Processing
#31548
The Growing Power of Internet-Driven Public Relations
Many people don't realize the extent to which public relations has increased its influence since the growth of the Internet. This influence continues to grow as does the popularity and utility of the Internet itself. Literally millions of new web sites are added every month, and they represent the most extraordinary way to target your audience. Today's journalists, radio and television news producers and editors all prefer to receive news via e-mail and to instantly access web sites to secure the facts.
Caruba, Alan. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Online
#30743
The Guild Publishing Model is a workable and presently working model, taken seriously in computer science, economics, business, and demography among other fields; however, it has not entered the discussion of scholarly electronic communication. Instead, for example, discussion of scholarly communication in high energy physics focuses on arXiv.org, the repository model. We believe that this is a mistake; the GPM is an important and significant model that is worth noting, examining, and extending to other fields. The GPM can provide rapid sharing of information and increased comprehensive research access for those in academic departments or research institutes with small libraries, and it is an economically feasible model for institutions with basic computing support. The GPM is flexible, set up locally, according to interest, need, and available resources.
Kling, Rob, Lisa Spector and Geoff McKim. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2002). Articles>Publishing>Research>Online
#30710
The Half-Life of Internet References Cited in Communication Journals 
This exploratory study examines the use of online citations, focusing on five leading journals in journalism and communication. It analyzes 1126 URL reference addresses in citations of articles published between 2000 and 2003. The results show that only 61 percent of the online citations remain accessible in 2004 and 39 percent do not. The content analysis also shows that .org and .gov are the most stable domains. Error messages for 'dead' URL addresses are explored. The instability of online citations raises concerns for researchers, editors and associations.
Dimitrova, Daniela V. and Michael Bugeja. New Media and Society (2007). Articles>Publishing>Research>Online
#22015
Review: The Handbook of Digital Publishing
The Handbook of Digital Publishing is a remarkable work for both its breadth of content and the quality of explanation. The handbook is, quite simply, overwhelming. From animation to ZIP files, surely these two volumes have it covered. I looked up things I knew and things I didn't. For both, I found in Kleper a lucid, detailed explanation, usually complete with topic history, technical specifications, and options for use.
Hudak-David, Ginny. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Publishing>Online
#25118
The Harder They Fall: Pitfalls of Online Team Writing Assignments 
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has opened up new territories for teaching technical communication. But web-based courses can present steepchallenges for students working on team assignments as well as for teachers designing them. What conditions make it likelier that e-teams will fail? Whatconditions might better prepare instructors and student teams to deal not only with the technical, but also the interpersonal, challenges of learning from eachother in a CMC environment? First providing theoretical frameworks suggested by research into collaborative writing and the effects of CMC on learning andteamwork, I outline some difficulties facing students struggling to complete a technical writing team assignment. I then suggest strategies for instructors andstudents to help ensure that online teamwork is a productive and positive experience.
Goldrick-Jones, Amanda. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Articles>Education>Online
#23146
Harnessing the Power of the Internet
The 'information highway' and 'World Wide Web' are hot topics today. Companies are feeling that they must have a Web presence. Companies are also using Internet technology (HTML) to put technical documentation on the Net or on internal networks. Technical communicators are being asked to create Web pages and Internet documents. In this one-day seminar, you will discover what Internet publishing is all about. You’ll learn how to design effective Web pages and Internet documents.
Rockley, Ann. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Publishing>Online
#19399
HCI Publications and Other Information
This section lists various sorts of publications: weblogs, columns, journals, magazines, papers, reports, theses, web sites, etc.
de Graaff, Hans. HCI Index. Resources>Human Computer Interaction>Online
#19715
Help Development: "Just in Time, and Just Enough"
Too often technical writers fall into the 'tell them everything and tell them all at once' pit. Guided by a well-meaning desire to 'educate' users, what these writers typically do is overwhelm them. Finding the information you need when you need it is a key to success in every business function of every company. Therefore, technical communicators who are able to provide their customers with quick and useful knowledge bring an incredible added value to a beleaguered work force constantly expected to do more and to do it faster.
Edwards, Verlane. STC Central Iowa (2000). Articles>Documentation>Online
#19950
As Help Authors, we often treat online help as a 'thing,' not an activity. We’ve favored the noun over the verb! This preference is natural for writers, who enjoy producing books. If we hope to survive on a dynamic development team, we must train ourselves away from writing books, toward helping people. This shift means examining the bigger picture and adopting different ways of working.
Sisler, Paul and Catherine M. Titta. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#29926
The Help Landscape: A Mile Wide and 30 Seconds Deep
Two questions any writer must deal with are: 'What do I write about?' and 'How much do I say about it?' Essentially, these questions deal with the scope and the depth of a document. Technical communicators have a tendency to want to document a topic as completely as possible, and we carry this instinct with us when we architect and write Help files. In this column, I challenge that prevalent instinct and offer an alternative way of thinking about the scope and depth requirements of Help systems. The benefits of this approach are, I hope, better Help for users and, for our clients and employers, a more efficient use of technical communicators' time. First, I'll discuss three principles that underpin my perspective, then I'll give some practical advice about writing Help that people will actually use.
Hughes, Michael A. UXmatters (2007). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#20161
Help! Six Fixes to Improve the Usability of Your Online Help
Tight deadlines and limited resources often force wiiters to cut corners and release less than optimal help system designs. After considerable trial and error, I te come up with a checklist that can help you evaluate and improve your help system for the next release. Each question represents an important usability issue.
Timpone, Donna. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#13777
Here you will find the world's largest selection of WinHelp, HTMLHelp and HTML related files and hints.
#30499
Hero Stuff: Saving 50% on Support Costs with Fax and Modem Support Documents
In the PC products market, customers insist on excellent support at rock-bottom prices. The traditional model of customer support, having a phone technician answer customer questions, is becoming too expensive.
Brown, Constance C. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#22193
Heuristics for Sustainable Distance Education
Discusses eight conditions for technological change that can support innovation in educational settings. These conditions, which were first directed toward library contexts and then studied in a variety of education-related contexts, encapsulate the majority of sustainability issues associated with distance education. These eight conditions are not exhaustive, but programs that achieve many of them will probably experience a high degree of sustained success.
Selber, Stuart A. CPTSC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#31991
The Hidden Power of the Online Manual
Writing software manuals is boring, isn't it? We often think, "My software is easy to use. The user interface is intuitive. Why should I waste so much time writing documentation which nobody will read anyway?" Sometimes it's true. I've never read the WinZip or Internet Explorer manuals. Everything seems clear enough without further explanation. Nevertheless, even if your manual isn't being helpful to your software users, it may be helpful to you. Publish your manual online and turn its hidden power into a real benefit for your business.
Crane, Dennis. Dr. Explain (2006). Articles>Documentation>Online>Technical Writing
#30123
Hierarchies in Online Information: Balancing Depth and Breadth
Hart explains how understanding hierarchies--the order in which information is grouped--can help you choose an appropriate balance between the depth and breadth of your online information.
Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2007). Articles>Information Design>Web Design>Online
#24575
A Historical Look at Electronic Literacy: Implications for the Education of Technical Communicators
This article investigates the ways in which a subset of technical communicators acquired electronic literacy from 1978 to 2000, a period during which personal computers became increasingly ubiquitous in the United States in educational settings, homes, communities,and workplaces. It describes the literacy autobiographies gathered from 55 professionalcommunicators participating on the Techwr-l listserv, focusing on the large-scaletrends that these autobiographies reveal. To supplement the findings from these autobiographies,the authors conducted face-to-face interviews with four case-study participants:a faculty member, a professional communicator, and two students of differentbackgrounds majoring in technical communication. The article concludes with observationsabout the development of technical communication instruction in the twenty-firstcentury.
Selfe, Cynthia L. and Gail E. Hawisher. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2002). Articles>History>Online
#13927
Hither, Thither, and Yon: Process in Putting Courses on the Web
Educational institutions are employing a variety of processes to support Web-based courses. In our efforts to help faculty mount such courses, we found it helpful to divide course material into knowledge-based versus skill-based elements, and to develop activities that capitalize on the unique environment of the Web. In this article, we discuss our successes and failures, and cover some legal issues we discovered that affect how we use both preexisting and student-produced materials.
Thrush, Emily A. and Necie Elizabeth Young. Technical Communication Quarterly (1999). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#14051
Hot Politics: The Changing Places of Political Participation in the Age of the Internet
Among the many complexities of power, economics, interests, personality, passions, social interaction, ideology, culture, and religion that keep politics both more and less than rational deliberation are those that arise from the dynamics of literate interchange, the historical formation of forums, and the generic shaping of utterances within those forums. Recent research on genre and discursive systems, along with situated cognition and action, suggests that the character of the local activity space is extremely important for what happens, what people think and learn, and what social consequences emerge. While the shape of politics to emerge in the cyber world is still somewhat obscure, by considering the forums of political interchange that are emerging on the internet, how they draw on previous forums and genres of political interchange, and the pressures that seem to be encouraging the heightening of certain elements within those genres, we may gain a first reading of some choices in front of us.
Bazerman, Charles. UCSB (2000). Articles>Collaboration>Online>Politics
#31455
How Companies Are Using Online Surveys to Measure Employee Satisfaction
With technology improving rapidly and costs continuing to drop, businesses are conducting more sophisticated online surveys. No longer confined to traditional paper-based surveys, companies are reaching out more than ever for employee feedback. These surveys include employee satisfaction, upward or "360" evaluations and the performance review process. Online surveys now contain open-ended questions, multiple formats and complex branching tools, giving businesses the potential to gather more insight about employees, corporate culture and business processes than ever before.
Frayne, Dennis. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Management>Online>Surveys
#10139
Bo-Christer Björk and Ziga Turk, editor and one of the co-editors of the Electronic Journal of Information Technology in Construction, surveyed scientists and discovered that they increasingly look to e-journals for information.
Bjork, Bo-Christer and Ziga Turk. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2000). Articles>Publishing>Online
#18349
How to Create Adobe PDF eBooks
Creating eBooks that can be bought, downloaded, and viewed online has never been easier or more secure. In Adobe's How to Create Adobe PDF eBooks, you'll find the basic procedures and techniques you need to create eBooks in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Learn how to design good document templates for eBooks, convert your documents to Adobe PDF using recommended eBook job options, and optimize your Adobe PDF documents so that they display at their best in the free Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader.
Adobe (2003). Design>Publishing>Online>Adobe Acrobat
#13201
How to Create Web-Based Training (WBT)
The market for Web-based Training (WBT) products and services is expected to grow from $197 million in 1997 to $5.5 billion in 2002. Many technical communicators and trainers are already interested in creating WBT, but they do not know how to get started. In this session, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of WBT, when to consider WBT, who is using it—and why, how much it costs to develop WBT, and design issues to consider. I will also share some WBT examples.
DeLoach, Scott. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#31089
The keywords that set off the Intercom editor's Google Alert no doubt included technical communicator, technical writer, technical communication, and Society for Technical Communication.
Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Publishing>Online>Blogging
