Building and Maintaining Student Chapters  

Developing a strong student STC chapter is a challenging and rewarding experience. Those of us who are involved in this process can certainly benefit from sharing our ideas in a directed workshop atmosphere. Participants will exchange ideas and formulate working strategies for the development, maintenance, and growth of a student chapter.

Fink, Bonnie L. and William O. Coggin. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Collaboration>Education>STC

Building Documentation into the Interface

As documentation is more and more built directly into the interface, and as technical communicators move into interface design and usability, it is important to have a theoretical framework within which to make decisions about what kind of information will be conveyed at any moment. We can build on basic principles of cognitive psychology to help us make these decisions. We start from a question: Why should users be aware of the difference between interface and documentation when all they want is to get something done?

Quesenbery, Whitney. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Documentation>Usability

Building Documentation into the Interface  

As documentation is more and more built directly into the interface, and as technical communicators move into interface design and usability, it is important to have a theoretical framework within which to make decisions about what kind of information will be conveyed at any moment. We can build on basic principles of cognitive psychology to help us make these decisions. We start from a question: Why should users be aware of the difference between interface and documentation when all they want is to get something done?

Quesenbery, Whitney. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>User Interface>Help

Building Documentation Into the Interface: A Cognitive Theory  

As documentation is more and more built directly into the interface, and as technical communicators move into areas of interface design and usability, it is important to have a theoretical framework within which to make decisions about what kind of information should be conveyed at any moment.

Quesenbery, Whitney. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>User Interface>Cognitive Psychology

Building Effective Relationships with Engineers  

As the cycle times for developing new software technologies continue to shrink, the relationship between those who develop technology and those who write about it becomes ever more a factor in maintaining up-to-date, complete, and accurate documentation. Strong, positive working writerengineer relationships can relieve interdepartmental tensions and reduce the anxiety experienced by both writers and engineers at the end of a release cycle. Too often, differences in personality, communication style, and job requirements become barriers to building strong relationships. By examining our differences, we can explore strategies to improve the writer-engineer relationship.

Dwyer, Ginger K. STC Proceedings (1999). Presentations>Collaboration

Building Hypermedia Information Systems That Work  

The trend to online delivery of information means new challenges for developers. New skills must be learned. Developing a hypermedia information delivery system. Five steps are critical to the conversion process: (I) Determine spectjic system requirements. (2) Create a pzoject team with clearly assigned roles. (3) Develop an implementation plan. (4) Implement the Plan. (5) Update and maintain the system.

Williams, Travis W. and Stacey D. Hatley. STC Proceedings (1997). Design>Web Design>Hypertext

Building Language Theory  

Technical communicators need information about the nature and uses of language. Developing a working theory of language helps technical communicators conceptualize the qualities of good technical writing. Theory development and its application are especially important considering how rapidly technology changes the nature, function, and means of technical communication.

Fink, Bonnie L. and Gary M. Heba. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Language>Theory

Building Quality to Your Documentation  

The only way to ensure quality is to build the quality awareness into every aspect of your life and work. This paper tries to combine the two methods of ensuring quality: with the right process and with the right measurement.

Vatovec, Bogo. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Quality

Building Relationships Between University Programs and Local STC Chapters  

Collaboration between academic programs and STC chapters builds a sense of community and relevance for all participants. Neither academic programs or professional chapters by themselves provide sufficient educational or professional development opportunities. Working together helps inform faculty and students about workplace trends, helps introduce students to their future professional opportunities, and provides chapter members and their companies and organizations with access to up-to-date research and to students before they go on the job market.

Cunningham, Donald H. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Collaboration>Industry and Academy>STC

Building the Treasure House: Creating Knowledge Bases for the World Wide Web

What is a knowledge base? What are the components necessary to build one?

Massa, Jack A. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Documentation>Information Design>Databases

Building the Treasure House: Creating Knowledge Bases on the World-Wide Web  

Web knowledge bases offer an excellent platform for delivering technical documentation and customer support information. They also represent an area of great opportunity for technical communicators to expand their skills, satisfy their customers, and create value for their employers or clients. This session explores the components of a web knowledge base and the tasks involved in planning and building one.

Massa, Jack A. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Online>Web Design

Building Usability in from the Beginning: Analyzing Users and Their Tasks  

In this interactive session, attendees will practice their skills in interviewing users, creating task scenarios from the users’ perspective, and turning the task scenarios into designs for information products.

Hackos, JoAnn T. and Janice C. 'Ginny' Redish. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Usability>Methods

Building Your Home on the World Wide Web: Researching, Designing and Maintaining a Web Page  

Good web design follows many of the same tenants true of good design in any media: a concern for contrast, harmony, unity, and tone. But home page design also provides ways of presenting a corporate image and sense of place in unique ways through imagery, color, textured backgrounds, links, and unusual layout features. Technical concerns unique to Web page design includes the need to minimize download time through reduction in the size, complexity, and color depth of images and icons, and repetition of icons, backgrounds, and tables. All sites should have an introductory overview, a heuristic navigation system, links to local and distant sites, a response method, the date the site was last updated, and a copyright notice.

Kahn, Russell L. STC Proceedings (1997). Design>Web Design

Business Roundtable:  Are You Ready to Grow Your Business?  

In 2001 and beyond, do you plan to be the boss?  If you have the entrepreneurial itch, running your own business may be central to your career plan.  What practical, professional and emotional pitfalls are in store?  Four successful business owners share their experiences and discuss how to turn potential pitfalls into challenging, lucrative adventures.  

Fredrickson, Lola, Sheila Jones, Stephanie L. Rosenbaum and Donna Sakson. STC Proceedings (2000). Careers>Management>TC

"By the Way, We Also Want Online Help"  

This presentation describes a strategy to meet a last-minute enterprise demand for online help for a software application program. We established design standards for writing online help, developed a process for gaining consensus from the project team on the content of the online help, and wrote the online help. We accomplished this in less than four months-a task that originally seemed impossible.

Davis, Herbert S. and Meryl Natchez. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

Cadence Design Systems, Inc., Knowledge Transfer Plan Benchmarking  

Describes the motivation behind a Knowledge Transfer Plan benchmarking study conducted by JoAnn Hackos and Comtech. Bradbury wanted to compare Cadence’s publications and training organizations to other organizations’. She has integrated the findings into plans for the new year. JoAnn Hackos describes the benefits of participating in benchmarking activities. They include: peer and professional contact, the exchange of best practices within the field, understanding how other groups deal with the similar issues, and so on. Dr. Hackos introduces her partnerbased model of benchmarking in which companies cosponsor the studies, bringing increased participation at less costs.

Bradbury, Julie and JoAnn T. Hackos. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Knowledge Management>Usability

Café, thé, Ou Lait?: How Shall We Train Technical Communicators to Translate?  

Despite global trade, technical communication training programs have largely ignored translation issues. Some technical translation specialists suggest a full course to remedy this, a fully caffeinated approach we call cafe; others recommend fitting translation preparation into already existing courses, a lighter caffeine approach we call the. (Lait refers to the “caffeine-free ” courses lacking mention of culture, translation, or international audiences.) The second option, the, is probably the most realistic. Brewing our own the, one of us has experimented with addressing translation “pests. ” The other has examined the cultural gaps between U.S.-based technical communicators and their audiences abroad.

Maylath, Bruce A.R. and Emily A. Thrush. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Localization

Calculating RoI Using Industry Metrics  

Why prove our value; how value is measured; who decides what to measure.

Bailie, Rahel Anne. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Articles>Management

Calculating the Value-Added: What Hiring Managers Need to Know About Academic Technical Communication Programs  

Hiring managers need to understand academic programs in technical communication in order to evaluate potential new hires, especially for entry-level positions in challenging, high-tech, international environments. Changes in the profession, in the workplace, and in higher education have led to the proliferation of academic programs. These may offer advantages over non-academic training, in terms of cost, comprehensiveness, content, and control. Academic programs are also different among themselves, based on credentials, institutions, instructors, and program homes. By developing reasonable, informed expectations for what academic programs teach, managers who hire program graduates can experience the payoffs of lower-risk, more cost-effective long-term hires.

Rehling, Louise. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Interviewing>Management

Can the Computer Improve your Writing Style?  

We have spell checkers. We have grammar checkers. What we really need is a style checker.

Cohen, Gerald. STC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Writing>Editing>Word Processing

Can You Take Localization In School?  

Localization is an interdisciplinary endeavor and so has been difficult for postsecondary institutions to come to terms with. Recently, however, several institutions have begun offering coursework and programs, although their implementation and delivery are as diverse as the field itself.

Altanero, Tim. STC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Education>Localization

Can’t Someone Tell Me How to Measure Quality?  

Technical communication journals and conferences over the past decade have consistently covered the topic of quality, but much of this coverage has focused on defining quality in technical communication and describing models of quality for our field. Few have dared to declare a finite set of definitive metrics that could be used across our profession. This paper takes the bold (and yes, foolhardy) step of declaring a set of metrics that could be used universally to measure quality in technical documentation of commercial products. The author is fully aware that this will stir up controversy and dissent, but considers this her contribution to stimulating discussion of the area of specific quality metrics.

Fisher, Lori H. STC Proceedings (1998). Presentations>Usability>Assessment

Capital Equipment Workshop  

This workshop exposes attendees to the complexities of capital equipment budgeting and purchase, specifically in the areas of depreciation, useful life of a product, and accounting and company policy. By role-playing in a simulated business environment, attendees 'learn the ropes' and sharpen their skills.

Caernarven-Smith, Patricia. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>Management

Capital Equipment Workshop  

The purpose of this workshop is to expose members to the complexities of capital equipment budgeting and purchase. Specifically, the topics include: depreciation, useful life of a product, accounting and company policy. This workshop is for you if your group is using obsolete equipment and you need the skills to sell management on an upgrade for your department.

Caernarven-Smith, Patricia. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Workplace>Technology