Spelling and Grammar Checkers  

Provides a few suggestions about how writers and editors can use spelling and grammar checkers more effectively.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2001). Articles>Word Processing>Software

Stalking the User: Practical Field Research  

Describes how technical communicators can use field research--observing people in their workplaces, homes, and schools--to gain a better understanding of user behavior.

Rosenbaum, Stephanie L. Intercom (2003). Articles>Usability>Methods>User Centered Design

Standard Operating Procedures and the Technical Writer  

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are sequences of steps for workers to follow to complete tasks. Owing to industry standards and government regulations, SOPs are increasingly in demand. The pharmaceutical sector is a case in point: Companies are expected to conform to GxP (good practices in manufacturing, testing, and other areas). A big part of GxP is the standardization and documentation of production tasks. The ISO 9000 conventions used in other industries have similar requirements. SOPs are typically required for activities such as operating or calibrating a machine, backing up data, testing samples, and requesting approvals of changes in systems.

Edelman, Mark. Intercom (2003). Careers>Workplace>Policies and Procedures>ISO 9000

Standards in an Uncertain World    

Today, Help authors take HTML for granted. But XML is starting to displace HTML, bringing with it new technologies like DITA and Web 2.0, as well as the potential for disruption. Perlin examines how to prepare for the change through adhering to standards.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2008). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Help

Starting Your Business: Costs, Structures, and Pitfalls  

Sheds light on choosing a business structure and paying business taxes--and just may save you money and headaches.

Butow, Eric. Intercom (2004). Careers>Management

STC@50: STC Members Share Their Stories  

In commemoration of STC's 50th anniversary, several Society members share anecdotes about their experiences in STC and the technical communication profession.

Babcock, Elizabeth. Intercom (2003). Articles>TC>History>STC

STC and the W3C  

As technologies like XML, content management software (CMS), and single sourcing continue to seep into technical communication, they bring demands for cost-effective development, faster time-to-market, and automation. Meeting these demands will require standards for coding, language, metadata, and other such elements. The good old days of 'winging it' in documentation are coming to an end.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2004). Design>Web Design>Content Management>Standards

STC's Evolving Conference  

This article discusses the impact of STC's annual conference on the professional development of technical communicators.

Rutkowski, Ed. Intercom (2001). Articles>TC>History>STC

STC's Independent Contractor/Temp Agency Employee Survey  

The results of STC's 2001 survey of technical communicators in the United States and Canada who call themselves independent contractors or temp agency employees include information on compensation, work habits, and job satisfaction.

Intercom (2002). Articles>TC

STC's U.S. Independent Contractor/Temp Agency Employee Survey  

STC presents the results of its 1999 Independent Contractor/Temp Agency Employee Survey.

Intercom (2000). Careers>Freelance

Still Another Rule?  

Bush questions the wisdom of rigid grammatical rules that do not take into consideration the complexities of English.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2000). Articles>Language>Style Guides

Strategic Challenges for Technical Communication Managers  

Suggests ways that technical communication managers can confront the challenges facing their departments in 2002.

Carliner, Saul. Intercom (2002). Careers>Management>TC

Streamlining an Interface Using Information Design Principles  

Describes a process for improving interface usability.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2004). Design>Usability>User Interface

Streamlining Content Creation and Publishing with XMetaL and DITA  

To streamline the product documentation process, many technical publication teams are moving to Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). Learn best practices for applying this information model, and hands-on techniques for improved content creation and publishing with JustSystems XMetaL.

Silver, Jerry. Intercom (2007). Articles>Content Management>XML>DITA

Structured Content Management in the Enterprise  

As other areas within organizations begin to consider structured content for the same reasons as technical communication departments, technical communicators have a golden opportunity to assist others in their move toward structured CM.

Rockley, Ann. Intercom (2007). Articles>Content Management>Information Design

The Style Guide is Dead: Long Live the Dynamic Style Guide  

Arguing that printed style guides are too static to be useful, Hart recommends using a dynamic style guide, a system of templates, macros, and reference materials that actually guides writers through their work. The article also advocates direct interaction between editors and writers as a non-technical approach to a dynamic style.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2000). Articles>Writing>Style Guides

Styling XML: An Opinionated Guide  

McLaughlin evaluates the abilities of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XSLT (eXstensible Style Language for Transformation) to render XML content in Internet browsers.

McLaughlin, Douglas J. Intercom (2001). Design>Web Design>XML

Subsidiary Reviews in the European Union  

Companies in many different industries are working at a feverish pace to produce translations of end-user documentation to meet EU deadlines, some of which are as early as December 2003. As a result of these deadlines, technical communicators in affected industries— such as medical devices and home appliances— are quickly overcoming many traditional translation hurdles. Documentation departments have formed solid relationships with translation agencies, streamlined documents to facilitate translation, and developed corporatelevel translation policies. However, challenges remain for documentation departments and translation agencies worldwide.

Balchunas, John. Intercom (2003). Articles>Documentation>Localization>Europe

Substantive Editing: Break It to Them Gently  

Emphasizing the need for clear, polite communication between editors and authors, Hart demonstrates how editors should address imprecise wording, ineffective organization, and other substantive issues.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2002). Articles>Editing

The Successes and Challenges of Visual Language  

Discusses efforts to create manuals that rely entirely on pictures for communication.

Hofmann, Patrick. Intercom (2004). Design>Document Design>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric

Successful Hiring Using Role Profiles  

Explains how role profiles—descriptions of the roles new hires are expected to fill within an organization—can help managers make informed hiring decisions.

Mason, Catheryn L. Intercom (2003). Careers>Management>Recruiting

Survival Skills for Part-time Technical Writing Parents  

Suggests ways technical communicators can cope with the often-conflicting demands of work and family.

Tremblay, Leanne. Intercom (2001). Careers>Advice>TC

Tabular Data: Finding the Best Format  

Discusses the results of a study comparing several formats for displaying data in tables.

Tullis, Tom and Stan Fleischman. Intercom (2004). Design>Document Design>Visual Rhetoric>Charts and Graphs

Taking a Second Look at Screen Captures  

Asserts that screen captures aren't as necessary and helpful as many writers of documentation might think.

Bright, Kathy. Intercom (2001). Design>Documentation>Graphic Design>Screen Captures

Taking Advantage of "Automatic Text" Features  

I recently began looking for a way to eliminate the need to manually perform small repetitive tasks. In Microsoft Word, that way is through the software’s 'automatic text' features: Autoformat, Autocorrect, and Autotext. In this article, I’ll focus on these features in Word, but will also discuss how to lighten the work load in other software.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2004). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word