http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Presentations/Writing A listing of the most recently indexed works about Presentations and Writing in the field of technical communication (and technical writing). en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Presentations/Writing http://tc.eserver.org/35358.html http://tc.eserver.org/35358.html Describes the most challenging aspect of creating slides for an oral presentation. Presents two principles for creating informative and persuasive graphics. Explains how to use drawing tools to communicate the schema of the slide and to emphasize important portions of the images. http://tc.eserver.org/34369.html http://tc.eserver.org/34369.html This presentation describes the standard structure of a lab report and provides a methodology for successfully producing such a report. It includes a description of the generic structure of a report and variations on this theme. http://tc.eserver.org/34370.html http://tc.eserver.org/34370.html Technical Writing explained using photographs of actual technical writers. http://tc.eserver.org/34200.html http://tc.eserver.org/34200.html A case study of a course in which students used collaborative online tools such as Google Docs for major writing assignments, and the results the instructor discovered. http://tc.eserver.org/34160.html http://tc.eserver.org/34160.html How to get lab discoveries and results into a written document. http://tc.eserver.org/34053.html http://tc.eserver.org/34053.html Medical writing requires a combination of technical skills in medical sciences and rhetorical skills in language arts. http://tc.eserver.org/33290.html http://tc.eserver.org/33290.html Several weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Brigham Young University-Idaho and the presentation I gave there titled “Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing.” This podcast is a recording of my presentation. http://tc.eserver.org/32783.html http://tc.eserver.org/32783.html The detailed notes for the presentation on creating quality content with Open Source tools that was given at DocTrain East 2008 (Oct. 31, 2008). http://tc.eserver.org/32683.html http://tc.eserver.org/32683.html If you know API writing, there is greater demand for your skills, that is, there are more jobs to which you can apply. At the same time, there is a shortage of API writers. API writers tend to work more closely with development, instead of through product management or product definition or through specs. You are closer to those who design the product, privy to design decisions -- closer to the action. http://tc.eserver.org/32686.html http://tc.eserver.org/32686.html Conversation is a theme that flows through all the work we do as technical communicators. Every use of your web site is a conversation started by a busy site visitor. http://tc.eserver.org/31613.html http://tc.eserver.org/31613.html The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the basic concepts of plain language. http://tc.eserver.org/31417.html http://tc.eserver.org/31417.html When you hear about XML publishing, you mostly hear about databases, workflow tools, and content management systems. These are typically costly systems aimed towards the information management needs of larger enterprises, where the sheer volume of information pumped through these systems provides a fairly rapid return on investment. This fosters the perception that you need one of these complex, expensive, enterprise solutions to use take advantage of the modularity and flexibility of authoring in XML. That is simply not true. You can realize the benefits of publishing from modularized XML, without the expense of an enterprise publishing system, by implementing the authoring environment on top of nothing more than your operating system's file system. Although this environment is not adequate for enterprise publishing needs, it is more than adequate for the needs small writing teams, businesses with a limited number of related products, proof-of-concept demonstrations, and even home users. The AIC documentation group at Cisco Systems has implemented such an authoring environment. We have been able to reuse and re-purpose modular, XML-based information without implementing a database back end. By examining how the AIC team implemented XML in a flat-file environment, you will see: * the decisions you need to make before implementing a flat-file XML system * the trade-offs, drawbacks, and pitfalls of implementing a flat-file environment (as compared to a database publishing environment) * the benefits of XML that are still available, even without the database * a migration path to a more traditional publishing environment http://tc.eserver.org/30367.html http://tc.eserver.org/30367.html Established in 2005, KnowGenesis Online Library for Technical Communication (www.knowgenesis.org/tc) is India's first online repository dedicated to accelerate knowledge sharing and promote self-learning in the field of technical communication. The library is available free of cost and require one time free registration to access the available material. The popularity and success rate of the library can be determined by the fact that within a year of its launch, it not only attracted more than 24000 visitors and gained more than 1500 subscribers, but also increased the volume of the hosted content from few documents to more than 2000 important documents, presentations, tutorials and links. KnowGenesis library presents a unique case for repository designers to study the complex design and implementation process that contributed to the stability and overall success rate of the online library. This paper not only shares the designing and implementation challenges faced by the knowgenesis team, but also presents the approach used to match the user requirements with the library design. Based on the lessons learned during the process, the paper also presents specific set of guidelines and recommends methodologies that can provide critical assistance for developing and managing medium and large scale repositories http://tc.eserver.org/30023.html http://tc.eserver.org/30023.html Make complex technical information understandable. Make it easy for the reader to read and extract information. Achieve clarity, conciseness, and coherence. http://tc.eserver.org/29523.html http://tc.eserver.org/29523.html A presentation introducting how to support technical documentation teams with open-source tools. http://tc.eserver.org/28753.html http://tc.eserver.org/28753.html This is presentation Keith Hoffman gave on writing and Web 2.0 at the University of Wisconsin. If you recall, Keith wrote the feature article in January's Intercom on Web 2.0. http://tc.eserver.org/24365.html http://tc.eserver.org/24365.html Information session, suitable for general audience. (40 slides) http://tc.eserver.org/24084.html http://tc.eserver.org/24084.html A table that displays aspects of developing knowledge that is personally and professionally useful. http://tc.eserver.org/23525.html http://tc.eserver.org/23525.html Have you ever considered taking on marketing duties at your present job, or even transitioning to a new career as a 'marketeer'? Wistfully, you dream of sipping martinis with your attractive new coworkers under the department’s neon sign, 'Marketing—Two Drink Minimum,' before heading home empty-handed at 5 p.m. Oh, wait a minute—that was a Dilbert cartoon. http://tc.eserver.org/23168.html http://tc.eserver.org/23168.html A slideshow that presents some often-confused elements of English grammar. http://tc.eserver.org/23139.html http://tc.eserver.org/23139.html Technical Writing in India has experienced explosive growth in business volumes as a result of outsourcing. 75 writers based in India are registered with the STC. Estimated 2,500- to 3,000-strong workforce. http://tc.eserver.org/22640.html http://tc.eserver.org/22640.html Plan; know your purpose, audience and scope; leave enough time to write and edit several drafts; don't bore the reader. http://tc.eserver.org/22277.html http://tc.eserver.org/22277.html A PDF document intended as a resource for teachers. The overview handout defines technical writing, lists examples, states rationale for teaching technical writing, reviews principles for writing instruction, explains basic technical writing concepts to be taught to students, and outlines methods for evaluating technical writing. http://tc.eserver.org/21705.html http://tc.eserver.org/21705.html Who can write a book? Timelines. Steps in bringing out a book. http://tc.eserver.org/21696.html http://tc.eserver.org/21696.html Experienced programmers find the man pages very useful but a naive user often finds them overwhelming. http://tc.eserver.org/18466.html http://tc.eserver.org/18466.html A slideshow about representing numeric data within technical documents. http://tc.eserver.org/18217.html http://tc.eserver.org/18217.html The study presented here examined the effect of nominalizations in technical documents on readers’ recall and comprehension. Subjects read one of two technical passages in either a nominalized or denominalized form, and took recall and comprehension tests. Results indicate that denominalized passages can help readers retain more information when the original nominalizations are critical to the readers’ understanding of the passage. http://tc.eserver.org/18216.html http://tc.eserver.org/18216.html In written instructions, the sequential order of procedural steps is crucial for effective and efficient performance. In this paper we demonstrate several “rules” for optimizing instructions in this respect: First things first: put instructions in an order that prevents users from neglecting important steps. Minimize cognitive load: put instructions in an order that allows readers to forget what they read. Save time and effort: put instructions in an order that “on average” requires as little time as possible of the readers. http://tc.eserver.org/18212.html http://tc.eserver.org/18212.html With books and manuals, users decide what information 1. they want and when they will acquire it. With training materials, however the writer/instructional designer controls the flow of information and the way in which it is presented. To write training materials requires careful consideration of adult learning principles, the possibilities and limitations of presentation media and, for classroom training, the difference between written and spoken language. A training writer also needs to distill from complex concepts the main points that participants will remember after the training. http://tc.eserver.org/14965.html http://tc.eserver.org/14965.html In <i>Language and Symbolic Power,</i> Pierre Bourdieu demonstrates how the language practices of institutions can generate symbolic violence and relations of power. At the same time, these language practices make existing power relationships seem natural and thus hide the symbolic violence from both more and less powerful inhabitants of these sites. Research has only recently begun to examine critically these practices as they function in corporate America. This talk will examine textual practices within a large manufacturer of agricultural equipment to show how they require subordinates to document their work in forms determined by management. Such documentation represents work in terms acceptable to managers and prevents subordinates from developing alternative understandings of the possibilities of their labor. http://tc.eserver.org/14563.html http://tc.eserver.org/14563.html While all words on the page should be necessary, not every word carries the same importance. Yet words compete for attention, and depending on what they mean to readers, one word may make a greater impression than another. As writers, we must express what’s important with bright words. We must tone down what’s not important and express them with dull words. We must avoid snags, words that distract, confuse, or interfere in any way with the smooth transfer of information. http://tc.eserver.org/14523.html http://tc.eserver.org/14523.html Organizational standards are often just a set of documents put into place for auditors or regulatory bodies. In such instances, the standards usually do not reflect current practices, which are passed along by word-of-mouth. Unfortunately, even if the information is up-to-date, it may not be easily retrievable by the person in immediate need of it. In a hospital setting, this situation can be extremely costly. It can also provide immense opportunities for the technical communicator to become a vital part of a cross-functional team. http://tc.eserver.org/14507.html http://tc.eserver.org/14507.html Experts in the field have defined the essential criteria of ethical behavior in a number of fields. This presentation attempts to translate those criteria to the typical working environment of full-time writers. It examines these criteria in terms of the skills, task, and responsibilities of those individuals who create the documentation and directives by which America does its work. http://tc.eserver.org/14535.html http://tc.eserver.org/14535.html At SAS Institute Inc., a leading software development corporation, the Documentation Development Division maintains separate staffs for writing and editing. Working as an editor and working as a writer require distinctly different skills in developing user documentation. In this paper, we discuss our experience making the transition from editing to writing: the differences between the jobs, the similarities, and how working as editors has benefited us as writers. We direct this paper to anyone interested in making the change, in either direction. While your situation may differ, we hope you find our experience informative. http://tc.eserver.org/14553.html http://tc.eserver.org/14553.html Technical writers can increase their value by having a technical base along with their communication skills. The technical base provides a way to recognize and appreciate d@erent perspectives in an industry collaboration. Misunderstanding or ignorance of differing perspectives can result in serious interpersonal and corporation issues that affect the final product. This presentation describes some of the obstacles encountered by a new technical writer on a software documentation teatn. These obstacles are examined in Iight of technical writing research in an effort to identify possible classroom strategies that might prevent or ease tensions that arise between collaborators with different backgrounds. http://tc.eserver.org/14503.html http://tc.eserver.org/14503.html According to the SCANS report, '80 percent of the workers on whom American employers will depend as we enter the 21st century are already on the job.' Onsite employee training and retraining must become a major focus for American companies. Technical communicators can develop site-specific training materials for their employers, but they will need to 'speak another language' in order to communicate the potential savings and benefits to management. Technical communicators who produce site-specific training materials can increase their job security by increasing their employer's ability to compete. http://tc.eserver.org/14518.html http://tc.eserver.org/14518.html Just as the profession of technical communication is fundamentally linked with the use of computers, so technical communication education and computer labs go hand-in-hand to prepare students for the professional world. Because of the importance of computer instruction, we need to discover how technical communication (TC) programs are managing these expensive yet quickly outdated facilities. Described here are the results of a survey of TC program directors questioned about their computer-supported teaching facilities. A profile of a 'typical' computer lab in a technical communication program is offered. http://tc.eserver.org/14513.html http://tc.eserver.org/14513.html A survey of 39 communicators in high-tech industries reveals low use of computerized readability formulas. Both technical and business communicators find current measures ill suited for the process or product of technical writing. http://tc.eserver.org/14382.html http://tc.eserver.org/14382.html This session will help participants understand how to write and submit a manuscript for publication in <i>Technical Communication.</i> It covers the types of articles the journal publishes, its audience, and suggestions for choosing topics, doing research, and preparing a manuscript. http://tc.eserver.org/14374.html http://tc.eserver.org/14374.html Although an index is one of the most important sections of a document, it's also one of the most misunderstood. Many people don kknow what an index is or mistake itfor the table of contents. For those casons, companies often don ‘tinclude indexes in their documentation. Will-written indexes increase productivity by helping employees$nd information faster This workshop provides the basic techniques of cteating an index your audience can use to find the information they need. lbu ’11have time to prepatv an index fmm a section of a document cun-ently in use by a major corporation. http://tc.eserver.org/14363.html http://tc.eserver.org/14363.html Users are encountering more and more situations where task dotumentation separates topics too much for the interconnected nature of the task. These complex processes require an approach that takes into account the effect of strategy on the outcome of the task. Users have to know what factors affect the quality and type of output, and the stages where branching will depend upon these choices. This paper deals with the methodology required to help users in trouble in complex tasks. It also presents the types of situations where this approach is most useful. http://tc.eserver.org/14365.html http://tc.eserver.org/14365.html Book reviews in a journal such as Technical Communication succeed when the right chemistry between reviewers and editor. Reviewers should recognize the multiple purposes of book reviews. They must contribute knowledge, integrity, writing ability, and objectivity to the review section. The editor, in turn, must be a people person, record keeper, visionary and nerd. http://tc.eserver.org/14241.html http://tc.eserver.org/14241.html Who should be listed as the authors of an article for a journal or conference proceedings? The basic requirement for authorship is that an author should be able to take public responsibility for the content of the paper. People who may have contributed intellectually to the work but whose contributions do not justify authorship may be acknowledged in the appropriate section of the paper. http://tc.eserver.org/13950.html http://tc.eserver.org/13950.html When the opportunity arose in 1990, I purchased a franchise from the Success Motivation Institute and presented literally hundreds of workshops on goal setting. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to finally achieve all my dreams through a business such as this. I learned about goal setting and Paul Meyer's Million Dollar Personal Success Plan. I loved the idea of teaching people how to help themselves become self-motivated and achieve their goals. But, there was a problem in my dream world. In order to run a business you must sell your products or services, and I simply hated being in sales! I just wouldn't get out and ask people to buy the goal setting plan. It wasn't that I didn't believe in it, because I do! When I finally started listening to myself as I taught others how to achieve happiness, I actually used goal setting to make the decision to give up that business and go back to technical writing. http://tc.eserver.org/13677.html http://tc.eserver.org/13677.html In this seminar we’ll explore the basic concepts in the grammar and syntax of kinetic sight-and-sound media: film, video, and multimedia (motion media). We’ll not discuss how to write scipts. Rather we’ll concentrate on learning how to encode information into kinetic visual images using filmic design techniques. Throughout this seminar we’ll view and critique award-wining films and videos, and explore a multimedia flowchart to see how others have applied such filmic techniques to solve specific communication problems. http://tc.eserver.org/13470.html http://tc.eserver.org/13470.html Most of us view government regulations negatively. Yet they provide a multitude of opportunities for technical writers. What are these opportunities? Where are they? How can you take advantage of them? A chance opportunity knocked on the author's door. Her experience can guide you to find and knock on opportunity's door. http://tc.eserver.org/13464.html http://tc.eserver.org/13464.html In this paper I describe my experience in taking over the management of an ongoing, complex, constantly changing, multiauthored document. I offer the following rules: 1. Learn all you can about the document before you make any changes. 2. Clean up the old document. 3. Work within the already existing system. 4. Keep records. 5. Change as little as possible. http://tc.eserver.org/13463.html http://tc.eserver.org/13463.html Many communication trainers adopt a “rules” approach, giving participants the “right” answers for writing problems. Our alternative approach focuses on individual participants’ writing contexts. In our writing workshops for university personnel, we train participants to develop and keep style guides. Individualized style guides help participants identify the conventions common in their particular organizations and help them maintain consistency between and within documents. Participants also benefit by developing a rhetorical approach to writing which builds their confidence and ability to respond to future writing situations on the job. http://tc.eserver.org/13477.html http://tc.eserver.org/13477.html Teaching technical writing students how to communicate with the different audiences of technical documents requires defining those audiences. Traditional division of audiences by educational level or job function fails to consider the readers’ familiarity with the subject and their interest in it. This paper sets up three categories of audience (lay, middle, and expert) and suggests how to communicate effectively with each, to help students prepare to create documents designed for different audiences. http://tc.eserver.org/13457.html http://tc.eserver.org/13457.html To learn software, passive users prefer to have concepts and procedures clearly spelled out for them, while active learners prefer experimenting with the program. When designing a manual, writers should keep both types of users in mind. Writers at WordPerfect are currently experimenting with minimalist design models that encourage active learning. One such model is an “On Your Own” section which guides users through creating a document. Another model is a visually oriented “Applications” section which provides tips on how to create a document. http://tc.eserver.org/13455.html http://tc.eserver.org/13455.html The levels of edit concept can be a valuable editorial tool, especially to clarify for staff what editors do with documents. However focusing on degrees of edit (light, medium, and heavy) can simplify decisions about editorial work on a document. Dividing heavy edits into macro edits and micro edits can clarify what editors do in editing a document thoroughly. This presentation simplifies the editorial process by examining the three different degrees of edit and establishing the aims and procedures for macro and micro editing. http://tc.eserver.org/13452.html http://tc.eserver.org/13452.html The increase in the number of products with accompanying documentation sold around the world has shown the need to develop some form of controlled English guideline. Simplified English is just one type of controlled English. The apparent benefits of writing in controlled fashion has led some to consider it a panacea. Others, however, have urged caution in accepting controlled English as the solution to all problems in the comprehension of documents. All forms of controlled English have certain essential features that any technical writer can accept. http://tc.eserver.org/13453.html http://tc.eserver.org/13453.html Recent advances in technology have brought today’s technical communicators to a crossroads. Writers are faced with the choice of learning a host of new skills not related to traditional writing skills or of becoming dependent on specialists in other fields to complete the technical communication process. By viewing new technologies asopportunities rather than problems, writers can gain control of the media as well as the message, increasing their ability to control the entire communication process. http://tc.eserver.org/13394.html http://tc.eserver.org/13394.html The Books by Users program, SAS Institute’s acquisitions program, serves a twofold purpose: helping SAS software users with book ideas turn their ideas into high-quality books about the SAS System; Providing Users with books about SAS Software to supplement primary documentation produced by in-house writers. This paper gives an overview of the Books by Users program and examines its operations and growth over the past three years. It offers tips both for companies building acquisitions programs and for authors hoping to interest publishers in their book ideas. http://tc.eserver.org/13393.html http://tc.eserver.org/13393.html The production of books that suit a publisher’s guidelines and find their appropriate market requires a perfect match of publisher and author. This panel discussion will explore the dynamics of authors and publishing professionals working to achieve that match. Acqui-sitions professionals and a technical book writer and editor will pro-vide information about what publishers expect from manuscripts and how they work with authors, suggest how writers can find the right publishers for their books, and describe how one successful techni-cal book acquisitions program was built. The discussion should be of interest to technical writers and editors hoping to publish and to publishing professionals in the trade or college book market. http://tc.eserver.org/13279.html http://tc.eserver.org/13279.html Are you afraid to hire an entry-level writer? Are you asking yourself questions like: Will an entry-level writer take up too much of my time? Will she be able to work independently? Will she succeed in this organization? Is a new writer worth the risk? http://tc.eserver.org/13246.html http://tc.eserver.org/13246.html This paper presents the preliminary findings from a study that sought to determine whether Japanese and American readers’ comprehension of expository text is similarly affected by text organization. Results are presented and discussed with regard to their implications for technical communicators. http://tc.eserver.org/10060.html http://tc.eserver.org/10060.html Although an expertise in language is our most fundamental, critical asset as technical communicators, it is the skill-set most often taken for granted, undervalued, or inadequately applied. Nevertheless, the huge increase in information competing daily for our readers’ time and attention makes the need for clear, concise, and accessible information products more essential than ever. http://tc.eserver.org/13160.html http://tc.eserver.org/13160.html Creating good sentences involves some basic guidelines, including making sure that each sentence states clearly who or what does what, controlling subordination, using familiar subject-verb order, controlling pronoun use, using action verbs and active voice, forgetting silly rules, placing modifiers properly, using punctuation to reveal sentence structure, and using correct grammar and syntax. Editing sentences requires some understanding of grammar and syntax to recognize errors and explain changes. Reading aloud and checking sentence length and pronoun reference can help, and reading well-edited writing can help develop a good 'ear' for sentences. http://tc.eserver.org/13156.html http://tc.eserver.org/13156.html Processes and procedures are part of our everyday lives. When we have a problem following a set of instructions or difficulty understanding when we are supposed to perform a specific task, we realize first-hand the importance of processes and procedures in our lives. In order to develop successful processes and procedures, we must understand the differences between these two document types. Processes describe a sequence of tasks while procedures describe how to perform a specific task. However, knowing the differences between processes and procedures isn’t enough. We must also use audience analysis. http://tc.eserver.org/13154.html http://tc.eserver.org/13154.html The rapid growth in demand for technical communicators is mirrored and driven by the continuing evolution of emerging technologies. Businesses striving to use technology to effectively position themselves must understand the role that the technical communicator plays in this evolution. As we continue to acquire a toolbox of skills, we enhance our proficiency as Renaissance communicators and propel our roles into the realm of knowledge management. http://tc.eserver.org/13127.html http://tc.eserver.org/13127.html The role of the writer is evolving as companies and teams evolve in what they produce and how they produce it. Web products demand the involvement of design-savvy writers, and GUI products in general demand writers ready to work within a design process. The writer not knowledgeable in design or design processes will not be ready to design in today’s software development environment. This paper examines one case study of writers’ involvement in the development of a GUI product and shows through the case study and through helpful tips how today’s writers can make a difference in product design. http://tc.eserver.org/13121.html http://tc.eserver.org/13121.html This paper discusses the author’s experience of teaching an English as a Second Language (ESL) technical writing class. The class consisted of students from several European and Asian countries who work for the same company as the author. The class began as an email “correspondence” class, but the author developed a web page which served as a “home” for the class to meet. As with most good classes, the teacher ended up learning as much or more than the students. This paper shares some of what the author learned from teaching. http://tc.eserver.org/13119.html http://tc.eserver.org/13119.html We have added so many visual and electronic aspects to our courses that there is little time for the basic skill of technical communication—clear writing that communicates a specific message to a specific audience for a specific purpose. Because we cannot provide instruction in all skills and strategies students need for all jobs now and in the future, we should focus on the basic concepts required for writing any document in any medium. We must help students learn to transfer the skills and strategies for one communication project to the next; we must help them learn to learn. http://tc.eserver.org/10778.html http://tc.eserver.org/10778.html This presentation reviews the purposes of APA documentation, as well as methods for effectively using parenthetical citations and a reference page. This presentation is ideal for the beginning of a research unit in a science course or any assignment that requires APA documentation. http://tc.eserver.org/10775.html http://tc.eserver.org/10775.html This presentation reviews the elements of an organized essay, including the introduction, the thesis, body paragraphs, topic sentences, counterarguments, and the conclusion. The twenty-one slides presented here are designed to aid the facilitator in an interactive presentation about constructing a well-organized argument. This presentation is ideal for the introduction of argument to a composition course, the beginning of a research unit, or the assignment of a written argument. http://tc.eserver.org/10776.html http://tc.eserver.org/10776.html This presentation introduces your students to methods for effectively searching the World Wide Web and evaluating the content of web pages. The twenty-four slides presented here are designed to aid the facilitator in an interactive presentation of search and evaluation strategies. This presentation (our most requested workshop!) is perfect for the beginning of a research unit in a composition course or for any research assignment that requires the use of Internet sources. http://tc.eserver.org/10779.html http://tc.eserver.org/10779.html This presentation is designed to teach your students about common sentence clarity problems, including misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers, and passive voice, as well as strategies for combining sentences together. The twenty-nine slides presented here are designed to aid the facilitator in an interactive presentation of methods for improving sentence structure. This presentation is suitable within any course as a refresher to common sentence problems.