#20521
Bulgarian Psychologist Giorgi Lozanov, the father of Accelerated Learning, once commented, 'The language of music, rhyme and rhythm reach not only the ear, but the mind as well, via a much shorter path than logical facts and arguments.' Music’s ability to reach past the logical regions of the mind and into its emotive centers makes it a powerful learning tool. And yet, owing to a lack of familiarity with the different musical styles, many trainers do not use it effectively. This article overviews some musical styles and suggests possible applications for those styles.
Millbower, Lenn. Presenters University (2003). Articles>Presentations>Rhetoric>Audio
#21698
The process of organizing information and presenting it in whatever format makes it most meaningful to the user.
Deshpande, Shashank. STC India (2003). Presentations>Information Design
#20948
This presentation looks at some of the common pitfalls that first-time technical communication managers encounter, and discusses how this affects the effectiveness of both managers and their teams, and hopes to spark a debate about alternative management styles.
Bailie, Rahel Anne. Hamer Associates (2001). Presentations>Management>Collaboration
#14540
Welcome to the Management Stem! What is Management? We define it as the “art” of getting things done -through and with other people. Through a variety of discussions, workshops and presentations, we’ll share case studies, tools, techniques, theory AND practical advice about managing projects and managing people.
Watt, Carolyn L. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Management
#18265
Managing a Distributed Documentation Group 
A distributed documentation group is one in which people work together from distant locations, The new problem in managing such a group is that casual, face-to-face communication is missing. Technological solutions include source control, email, groupware, telephone, and the World Wide Web. Human solutions may be even more important. Autonomy, explicit standards, various ways to meet, and deliberately working across locations build the necessary communications and trust.
Jackson, Ken. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Management>Collaboration>Online
#13254
Managing Modular Documentation Using a Database
While implementing a Modular Documentation Method and the development of Responsive Hypermanuals (Lettvin, 1999), concerns were raised as to how to effectively manage the potential explosion of seemingly fractured document components (modules) while maintaining key infrastructure and quality assurance mechanism already in place. This paper examines one unique solution to this problem: building a web-based database application that manages and tracks modules, documents and resources for any documentation project. In addition, it has a built-in structure for handling a robust documentation process. Some advantages and obstacles in developing a modular documentation database solution for the web are discussed.
Earley, James M. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Documentation>Online
#13114
For a writer at the beginning of a project, the process of identifying the assumptions and expectations of the team that he or she is working with is as critical as the writing effort itself. Through discussion and review, the writer can help the team focus, from a writing point of view, on the risks and dependencies that are inherent in any project. While this process may not aid in avoiding seen and unforeseen problems later in the project, it does establish a context from which the writer can communicate to the team in way they will understand. It also provides an opportunity to make clear to the team the needs of the writer. This paper provides an approach for the writer to take to establish a context by which to identify and manage the expectations of others.
Murphy, Stephen W. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Management
#26209
Managing Quality: Systems and Metrics for Ensuring Quality in Products
There is, at present, no common definition of quality in technical communication--no common set of quality measurements for our profession.
Fisher, Lori H. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Management>Quality>Assessment
#27383
Managing the Knowledge Behind Business Decisions Through User-Centered Design: A Case Study
Jerome and Giovanni explain why efficient access to knowledge is essential for global business operations. Giovanni discusses how his company realized its systems needed improvement – and why user-centered design proved to be the appropriate solution. This empirical approach to interface design/architecture enables effective business decisions.
Nadel, Jerome and Giovanni Piazza. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>User Centered Design>Streaming
#18202
The Marathon of Chapter Presidency
This panel/discussion takes shape as the audience molds it. Each panelist is a past STC chapter president and has managed to successfully run the “Marathon of Chapter Presidency.” The past-presidents panel comprises a fellow, an associate fellow, a director sponsor, senior members, committee managers, and other leaders of the society. Issues are audience-dependent but may include topics such as handling volunteers, managing money recruiting members, and so forth. Join this informal discussion to share ideas, quandaries, and solutions for successfully leading a chapter.
Oestreich, Linda L., Mark Hanigan, Richard Julius, Patricia J. McClelland and Carolyn L. Watt. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Management>Professionalism>STC
#10123
The Marriage of Rhetoric and Pragmatics
The current proliferation of hermeneutic resources with a linguistic base--pragmatics, speech act theory, classical rhetoric theory, Burkean analysis, conversational analysis, Habermasian communicative action--is an embarras de richesse. Surely, at this point, we need, not another theory, but rather an attempt at synthesis, an attempt to turn this hermeneutic plentitude into a single theory. In this paper, we propose to take an initial step in this direction, to attempt to marry pragmatics and rhetoric. But given the theoretical exfoliation that has marked these areas, such a marriage can be managed only by imposing very strict limitations on the scope of our enterprise. We believe, however, that we can take a step in our preferred direction by addressing the more specific problem of whether the theory of Paul Grice, the father of pragmatics, is compatible with the theory of Aristotle, the father of rhetoric. We intend to do so by reconstructing Aritotelian rhetoric as a pragmatics.
Gross, Alan G. EServer (1998). Presentations>Lectures>Streaming>Audio
#13836
‘May I Have Your Attention?’: Exordial Techniques in Informative Oral Presentations 
An introduction, even a short one, makes audiences more willing to listen to a speech, think more highly of the speaker, and understand a speech better than when no introduction is given. Two experiments at Delft University of Technology support this conclusion. Subjects viewed videotapes of professional presentations on the topic of Sick Building Syndrome. In one experiment, subjects rated the effectiveness of three introductory or 'exordial' techniques in gaining audience attention: an anecdote, an ethical appeal, and a 'your problem' approach. Results indicate that audiences do respond to exordial techniques, and in a predictable manner. In the second experiment, two speeches with anecdotal openers were tested against one without any introduction. The anecdotes led to significantly higher ratings of the presentation's comprehensibility and interest, as well as the speaker's credibility. The presence of an anecdote also resulted in higher retention scores. Oddly enough, the relevance of the anecdote did not seem to make a difference in the ratings.
Andeweg, Bas A., Jaap C. de Jong and Hans Hoeken. Technical Communication Quarterly (1998). Presentations>Advice>Rhetoric
#24747
We need to know what quality is to develop a metric to measure it.
Fisher, Lori H. STC Proceedings (1999). Presentations>Quality
#18215
Measuring Value Added: Rationale and Approaches
This panel will present case studies on the value added by technical communicators and their information products to the products and services they support. Many of us practitioners would like to do more value-adding assessments, but don’t know how to adapt the measures to our real-world situations of limited budget and often limited interest among our customers. The panel will focus on practical approaches for applying some of the metrics used to calculate the value of our products and services (1,2). We will also discuss the benefits of this exercise for ourselves and our customers. With the current economic clime, waiting for others to determine the value of their work often means waiting in unemployment lines.
Knodel, Elinor L., Sandra M. Gallagher, Judith Leetham, Theresa Marchwinski, Amy E. Smith and Emily A. Sopensky. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>TC>Assessment
#30282
Meeting The Challenge Of Change, Sharing Ideas For The STC 42nd Annual Conference
In this panel discussion, the program manager and stem managers for the 42nd STC Annual Conference (scheduled for April 23 through 26,1995, in Washington, D. C.) will be available to share their ideas for the upcoming conference program and to hear your suggestions and ideas for meeting the challenge of change. Only issues related to the program will be discussed.
Armbruster, David L., Deborah L. Baxley Cynthia J. Brock, Steven M. Cascone, Constance L. Kiernan, Deirdre A. Murr, Linda L. Oestreich, Tom Wall and Carolyn L. Watt. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>TC>Presentations>STC
#27388
Meeting the Demand for Usability Expertise: An Offshore Model
Discusses how you can create and utilize a 'Center of Excellence' dedicated to realizing your company's development and design projects. Learn how you can staff a sustained usability effort.
Schaffer, Eric M. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>Usability
#14347
Mental Processing of Online Documentation: From Concepts to Applications
This panel will review the existing literature on how we mentally process online documentation and describe some implications for effective online document design. We invite the audience to define with us some critical areas for further research.
Knodel, Elinor L., Henrietta Nickels Shirk, Candace Sodetston and James Thibeau. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Documentation>User Centered Design
#13253
Metaphor Stacking and the Velveteen Rabbit Effect
“Metaphor Stacking and the Velveteen Rabbit Effect” includes a description of metaphor stacking and the use of a metaphor stack in the design of an interface, as well as a description of the “Velveteen Rabbit effect.” It also includes an analysis of the benefits of applying these concepts to interface design and some basic guidelines for doing so.
Bream, Steve. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Usability>Online>Tropes
#28794
Mike Hamilton Gives Flare Demo to the STC Suncoast Chapter
Mike Hamilton from Madcap Software visited the Suncoast chapter in Tampa, Florida, and presented on Flare. In this presentation, he talks about the story behind RoboHelp and Macromedia/Adobe (this blew my mind). He also provides a lot of inside detail on Flare.
Hamilton, Mike and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Presentations>Documentation>Software>Madcap Flare
#14533
Mind Mapping: Discovering The Rhetoric Of The Right Brain
Mind mapping is a visual technique of unleashing rightbrain rhetoric. Words and concepts are written down and circled; the circles are joined together into sets and subsets that indicate relationships but not necessarily organization. For the technical communicator, mind maps can improve the writing product by helping to break mental blocks, clarify project focus and connections, collect data without worrying about hierarchy and order, and begin to organize at any given level (detailed or general). Generating a mind map can help improve writing by consciously and deliberately using the right brain and its intuitive rhetoric.
Whalen, Elizabeth A. STC Proceedings (1994). Presentations>Rhetoric
#13186
Mobile Manuals for Mobile Professionals
PDAs raise new opportunities for technical communicators to provide corporate information in a compact, electronic package.
Buckley, Susan. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Documentation>Online>Mobile
#23167
Modelling Information, or Documentation Planning for Dummies 
Identify the user. Identify the user's goals. Drill down to task level. Establish what the user knows. Identify what the user needs to know. Identify what the user should NOT know.
Skau, Edwin. STC India (2003). Presentations>Documentation>Project Management
#14546
More Results on Measuring the Value Added by Professional Technical Communicators
Measuring value added is a topic of great concern to technical communicators. At the 1994 conference, represented results from a year-long project that included a questionnaire and several case studies. STC then funded a second, smaller project in which we are following up with some of the people who responded to the questionnaire and in which we are collecting new case studies.
Ramey, Judith A. and Janice C. 'Ginny' Redish. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>TC>Assessment
#13252
Moving to Electronic Delivery of Documentation
Moving to Electronic Delivery of Documentation” includes information about the fundamentals of electronic documentation, case studies, what to expect, how to research, identify, and implement a process for moving from an exclusively hard copy documentation development and delivery process to electronic documentation development and delivery.
Robertson, Angela and Sandy Storey. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Publishing>Online
#23138
Moving Up the Value Chain: Transitioning From a Cost Center to a Profit Center
A presentation about management issues for offshore outsourcing firms.
Ramkumar, Ramamoorthy. STC India (2003). Presentations>Management>Outsourcing>Offshoring
