Site Maps and Hypertext Links: "Food" for Search Engine Robots

Site maps and links are so important for search engine optimisation - find out why.

Webcredible (2003). Design>Information Design>Sitemaps>Search Engine Optimization

Six More Tips For Raising Your Search Engine Rankings

Whether your site is profitable or not with PPC advertising, search engine rankings are an important factor to consider in improving profitability. The higher you are on a variety of search engines, the better off your profitability.

Pires, Halstatt. Ezine Articles (2005). Articles>Web Design>Search

Six Powerful Ways to Find Link Targets

Building up links into your website is one of the most effective ways of achiveing a high search engine ranking - find out how to find the best websites from which to request links

McGaffin, Ken. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Social Media Marketing: A Guide

Marketing to social media websites such as Digg and del.icio.us has become an integral part of any SEO campiagn - find out what you need to do.

Eaves, David. Webcredible (2008). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

SQL Cookbook: Advanced Searching  

Some types of searching operations stand apart from others in that they represent a different way of thinking about searching. Perhaps you're displaying a result set one page at a time. Half of that problem is to identify (search for) the entire set of records that you want to display. The other half of that problem is to repeatedly search for the next page to display as a user cycles through the records on a display. Your first thought may not be to think of pagination as a searching problem, but it can be thought of that way, and it can be solved that way; that is the type of searching solution this chapter is all about.

Molinaro, Anthony. O'Reilly and Associates (2001). Articles>Information Design>Databases>Search

The State of Research in Technical Communication    

There have been many attempts to assess the state of research in our field. This article is our attempt to both (1) synthesize recent analyses, opinions, and conclusions concerning the status of technical communication research and (2) propose an action plan aimed at redirecting our field's agenda for its research. We explore these questions: What are the recent research trends in our field? What is and is not promising about our recent approaches to research? Where do we need to go next? What are the critical components for a new agenda for our research?

Blakeslee, Ann M. and Rachel Spilka. Technical Communication Quarterly (2004). Articles>Research>TC

STC Research RFP Epost Discussion Board  

The STC Research RFP Discussion Board was created using Epost, part of a University of Washington online toolkit. The discussion board is open to the public.

University of Washington-Seattle. Resources>Collaboration>Research

Strategies for Improving Enterprise Search

Acquiring and installing a search engine is just the beginning of creating an effective enterprise search system. John Ferrara walks us through strategies for addressing critical aspects of the user experience often overlooked or ignored.

Ferrara, John. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>Search Engine Optimization

Strategies for Research in Technical Communication  

The purpose of research in technical communication is to determine effective methods of communicating information to target audiences. This two-part workshop will provide hands-on activities for the participants. One leader will define strategies for locating sources and evaluating the literature; another will offer guidelines for the study design, collecting and analyzing data; another will help participants learn how to report results accurately for a given audience; and one leader will help participants learn how to write effective grant proposals. From this workshop, we should develop model strategies from which we can obtain evidence of effective methods for communicating information.

Applewhite, Lottie B., Kenneth Rainey Sherry G. Southard, Katherine E. Staples and Christopher Velotta. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>TC>Research

Strategies for Research in Technical Communication  

This is a repeat of a workshop at the 42nd annual conference sponsored by the Education and Research PIC. The workshop provides consultation for participants interested in conducting research projects. It provides hands-on activities for participants in designing research projects, methods for data collection, methods of data analysis, conducting literature reviews, preparing grant proposals, and reporting research results.

Rainey, Kenneth T., Lottie B. Applewhite, Sherry G. Southard, Christopher E. Velotta and Thomas R. Williams. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Research>TC

Strategies for Research in Technical Communication: Purpose and Study Design  

Professional communicators are concerned with numerous issues related to their work. Providing the answers to all the questions raised by these issues is the primary purpose of their research in all of its forms (basic research, formal research, and scholarship). A discussion of research in academic and corporate contexts illustrates the 'who does what and why' in those settings. The sample study design presented provides a starting point for technical communicators who want to conduct formal research.

Allen, Jo and Sherry G. Southard. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Research

Strategies in Technical Communication Research  

The annual offering of this workshop sponsored by the Education and Research PIC provides consultation for participants interested in conducting research projects. It provides hands-on activities for participants in conducting literature reviews, designing research projects, preparing grant proposals, methods for data collection, methods of data analysis, and reporting research results.

Rainey, Kenneth T., Lottie B. Applewhite, Katherine E. Staples, Christopher E. Velotta and Jan H. Spyridakis. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Research>TC

Strength in the Technical Communication Journals and Diversity in the Serials Cited    

More than 1,600 serials from across the disciplines were identified as sources for technical communication scholars. The 99 most frequently cited serials are described. This citation analysis is distinguished from others by the size of the database (25,000+ citations), the 10-year review of articles published in five technical communication journals between 1988 and 1997, the number of serials cited and reviewed, and the focus on technical communication as a discipline. The analysis yielded two observations. First, five technical communication journals have grown in strength as forums for discussions of technical communication. Second, the serials cited illustrate the diversity of resources referred to from business, education, psychology, science, and technology-related sources. As a discipline, technical communication has developed depth and rigor through building the base of its research and theory while integrating the research and theory gathered from a number of disciplines.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2000). Articles>Research>TC

Study Shows How to Get Bottom-Line Results from Internal Communication

Over the years, numerous studies have boasted the connection between internal communication and bottom-line results. These studies, though valuable for establishing a connection, do not delve into the important question of how. How does communication impact the bottom line? Which communication practices add the greatest value? Can communicators do to make their internal communication programs contribute to organizational success?

Vogt, Peter. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Research

Submitting Your Site to the Open Directory

Getting your site an optimum listing in the Open Directory (DMOZ) is vitally important as far as search engine positioning is concerned as Google gives a lot of importance to sites being listed in the Open Directory.

Roy, Sumantra. 1stSearchRanking (2003). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Survey of Technical Writers in Small and Startup Software Companies

As part of my research for a presentation at the Forum 2000 Conference in June 2000, I conducted a survey of writers at small and startup software companies. The subject of the survey is the writer's perception of his or her role at a small or startup company. The survey also collected a small amount of factual data about the writer's place of work. I announced my survey on a number of technical writing mailing lists, probably reaching an audience of some 5,000 subscribers. Over 100 writers asked for the questionnaire, and 78 writers submitted replies.

Farbey, David. Tripod.com (2000). Articles>Research>Workplace

Technical Communication Research: A Call for Action

Argues for an increased emphasis on research in technical communication education.

Spilka, Rachel. CPTSC (2005). Presentations>Education>Research

Technical Communicators Shun Research, Yet Research Results Are Applicable In Practice  

Like their colleagues who produce paper documents, few help developers are aware of the research that has been done on topics relevant to the information products they design. This article describes four recent studies that are relevant to help developers, and suggests how help developers can use the knowledge gained from those studies to improve the performance support systems they build. The fact, however, is that there is a lot of good research that addresses topics of concern to practitioners in our field. Moreover, the best research reports always include implications for practice. Finally, if we ignore research results, we won’t learn what we need to know so that we can stop spending all our time putting out fires.

Hayhoe, George F. George Hayhoe Associates (2001). Articles>Documentation>Research

Technical Writing: Simulated Search Activity

This activity is meant to simulate the process of finding and evaluating information on the World Wide Web. We present it as a simulation to aid new Web users, who may feel uncomfortable with conducting an actual search. For detailed information on searching for information on the Web, as well as evaluating and citing sources, see our online guides.

Selber, Stuart A. Addison Wesley Longman (1997). Academic>Course Materials>Research>Search

Technology and Knowledge Transfer: Science and Industry Working Together    

Science and technology are intimately related. The technology sector that drives the modern economy would never have arisen without basic scientific research, and that research is now being funded by companies seeking to gain a technological edge over their competitors. Despite this mutual dependence, technical communication has taken different paths in science and industry. Technology and knowledge transfer, the communication of research results to an audience that can implement the results, bridges these two solitudes and strongly resembles much of the work done by other technical communicators.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>TC>Research>Workplace

Ten Steps To Higher Search Engine Positioning

This article outlines ten steps to help you get better search engine positioning.

Davies, Dave. evolt (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Ten Tips to the Top of the Search Engines

Having a website that gets found in Google, Yahoo, and MSN, etc. isn't hard to do, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are my latest and greatest tips to get you started.

Whalen, Jill. High Rankings Advisor (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Teoma: The Superior Search Engine?

One search engine that really caught my attention at the search engine strategies conference in Chicago was Teoma. Teoma is the search engine that powers Ask Jeeves, also knows as the ask.com search site.

Schwartz, Barry. Lil Engine (2003). Design>Web Design>Search

Theory and Research Stem Overview  

The objective for this stem is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas so important to the advancement of our profession. Qualitative and quantitative research, theory testing and building, experimentation, and applications testing are foundations of our profession, and this stem offers one venue for consideration of, collaboration about, and discussion of new research ideas and methods. The Theory and Research Stem brings together people from business, industry, and academia for what we hope will be enlightening and stimulating sessions that promote additional research and theory building after the conference.

Porter, Lynnette R. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Research

Theory and Research Stem Overview  

In its second year the Theory and Research stem has grown in scope and subject matter. We welcome a myriad of Usability sessions into this stem - new this year! We think you’ll find a natural link between the latest research, new theory, and their application with a focus on the user. Research and its implementation are essential to improving our methods, tools, and response to users’ needs. From planning, to prototyping, to collaborative design, to usability testing, through production, you’ll find topics to pique your interest. This stem provides a forum for discussing fresh ideas and new results, assessing trends, and evaluating research that confirms or revises the way we work.

Logan, Leanne. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Usability>Research