Creative Ways to Reward Employees and Improve the Quality of their Deliverables  

This panel discussion shows how managers of small, medium, and large technical writing teams use rewards and recognition to: motivate teams to improve their work quality; recognize individuals as opposed to teams; recognize remote team members; retain employees; create a positive work culture.

Murphy, John, Barbara A. Giammona, Ilana Rosenshein, Patrick Reed-Reimer, Taryn Light and Gloria Reisman. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Management

Critical Elements in the Design of Help and Hypertext Systems  

The demand for help and hypertext systems has created a problem for many documentation departments, particularly those in smaller companies and inexperienced in creating these forms of online documentation. The scarcity of existing literature compounds this problem. This document provides writers in small companies with limited resources some suggestions to facilitate hypertext project management, planning, design, editing, and usability testing. Also discussed is how to select a hypertext package.

Wasserman, David C. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Hypertext>Help

A Critical Look at E-mail  

E-mail usage is so common and popular now that we hardly think about it. Because of its prevalence, many people have written critically about it, compelling us to look at our own usage.

Crawley, Charles R. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Communication>Online>Email

Cross-Cultural Considerations for Designing International Internet-Based Learning  

As increasing numbers of multinational corporations, consultants, universities, and instructional designers create Internet-based learning (IBL) courses or require courses to be taken via the Internet, not all are aware of the need to adjust their design expectations and assumptions due to cross-cultural considerations involved in such online courses. Eight critical considerations discussed in this paper include the following: language, culture, technical infrastructure, local/global perspective, learning styles, reasoning patterns, high/low context communication, and social context. Recommendations are listed for low-context designers to design with more cultural sensitivity for global learners and also for high- context learners who take low-context IBL courses.

Vawn Tinney, Mari, Joanne P. H. Bentley and Bing-Howe Chia. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Education>Online>International

Cross-Cultural Differences in Verbal And Visual Communication Have Implications for Interface Design for International Users: A Survey of International Students and Faculty at the University of Minnesota in Current Interfaces  

The purpose of this study is to find out how English speaking computers causes the inconvenience of the non- English speaking users, especially Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Because these oriental scripts are based on ancient Chinese ideographic characters. I want to explore the language and culture differences of the these countries which may be critical factors in determining how software tools can best accommodate different user groups at the U. of Minnesota. I hope, by conducting this research, I can gain insights into appropriateness of certain interaction technologies indifferent cultural environments.

McDowell, Earl E. and Pi-hai Sun. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>User Interface>Accessibility>International

Cross-Cultural Differences in Verbal And Visual Communication Have ImplicationsFor Interface Design for International Users: A Survey of International Studentsand Faculty at the University of Minnesota in Current Interfaces  

The purpose of this study is to find out how English speaking computers causes the inconvenience of non-English speaking users, especially Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Because these oriental scripts are based on ancient Chinese ideographic characters. I want to explore the language and culture differences of the these countries which may be critical factors in determining how software tools can best accommodate different user groups at the U. of Minnesota. I hope, by conducting this research, I can gain insights into appropriateness of certain interaction technologies indifferent cultural environments.

McDowell, Earl E. and Pi-hai Sun. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>User Interface>Accessibility>International

Cross-Platform Publishing  

Desktop publishing has evolved tremendously over the last 10 years, coming from manual paste-up and manual design to complete digital photo-editing and digital graphic design. The challenges and issues we face in the translation industry are directly related to the authoring methods and build-environments of today’s writers. One of the biggest issues to date is the use of more than one platform for the authoring and localization (translation) of texts, ads, publications and software. The two most prominent platforms used for publishing media are the PC platform (Win 95 & 98) and the Macintosh. When a document is created, it is often authored for the source language; in other words, the authoring is not done with translation in mind.

Knoerndel, Dan. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Publishing>Document Design

Crossing Borders: Tips For Preparing Your Writing For Subsequent Translation  

'Going Global' is more than a buzzword -- it is the way to do business. What you write may wind up being read by someone who does not speak English. To create documentation for an international audience, we must learn to overcome the challenges faced when communicating with people who speak languages other than our own.

Rimalower, George P. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Business Communication

Crossing Disciplinary Borders  

In a collaborative project that bridged professional cultures, 40 students from technical communication and computer science collaborated on a software development project. They worked in small groups developing subparts of a complex word processor. Questionnaires and project logs revealed that participants found the project generally appropriate and beneficial, but the cross-disciplinary collaboration was neither valued twr successful.

Allen, Nancy J. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Service Learning

Crossing the Chasm: The Quest to Bring the Best of Academia and Industry to the Technical Communication Profession  

Crossing the two worlds of academia and industry is a precarious, yet exhilarating, “communication odyssey.” This paper charts the channels that teachers in academia and technical communicators in industry can use to access these two worlds, and describes the challenges and rewards in making the journey. It relies on both primary sources (my personal experiences, and those shared by others) and secondary research in the technical communication profession’s trends. Such crossings are similar to the “foreign exchange” programs we advocate for students: the resulting insights and “cross pollination” from academia and the workplace will help our profession to flourish. industry can benefit both worlds through “crosspollination” and will help our profession to flourish.

Kryder, LeeAnne G. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Collaboration>Education

Current Research: An International Perspective  

Research provides the basis for technical communication practices. Such research, conducted in the United States, is readily available to STC members through the Proceedings, Technical Communication, and other technical communication journals. However, research being performed in other countries is not so readily available to those in this country who may need it.

Warren, Thomas L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Research>International

Current Research: STC's Research Program  

This interim report shows that the research program sponsored by STC in its publications is becoming more annecdotal each year, relying less and less on research for support of its generalizations.

Warren, Thomas L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Research>STC

A Curriculum for a Corporate Technical Writing Department: Providing Cost-Effective, Ongoing, Quality Training  

This paper develops a cost-effective, ongoing, process-oriented writing curriculum for a technical writing department. This curriculum meets the needs of adult learners and the corporation and provides training for all experience and expertise levels while also allowing writers to meet the demands of their projects.

Gyure, Gloria M.D. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing

A Curriculum for the Research and Practice of International Technical Communication  

It is no secret that businesses around the world need to compete globally in order to survive. What is a secret is that technical communicators in every county in the world are untrained to deal with the issues, deadlines, standards, and quality measures necessary to address the needs of global businesses. This paper offers some ideas and justification for a curriculum in international technical communication.

Hoft, Nancy L. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>International

Curriculum Re-design for Web-Based and Distance Learning: The 'Search' for Online Models  

This paper discusses the work in progress at the Illinois Institute of Technology/Program in Technical Communication and Information Design in web-based instruction and distance learning. Part I is a case study of issues involved in the re-positioning of a traditional classroom course in online design to Internet delivery. Part II discusses issues in the design of instructional materials for the web and cognitive principles for designing these materials.

Eiler, Mary Ann, Susan Feinberg and Margaret Murphy. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online

Customer Partnering: Another Way to Gather User Data  

Information developers have been using user-centered design principles for some time now. Many of the techniques available, however, do not provide the depth of knowledge needed to design more complex information products. Customer partnering sessions take place ofer a period of three or four months, allowing information developers to learn more about customer needs and how information products are used. Customer partnering relationships benefit both the company that funds the sessions and the customers who attend them.

Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

Customer Satisfaction Lessons Learned from Building Furniture with Wordless Documentation  

Documentation and package design play a major role in customer satisfaction. The author tested three sets of wordless documentation by building pieces of furniture from three different manufacturers. While the construction methods, packaging, and wordless documentation methods were on the surface very similar, small differences had a significant impact on the usability of the instructions and the overall customer satisfaction with the documentation and the product. Decisions that were handled differently included visual verification of parts, whether or not extra hardware was provided and how it was provided, the appropriateness of the hardware, the quality of the hardware, the need for additional tools, and the care evidenced in packaging and labeling of parts. From these experiences, she makes recommendations for enhancing customer satisfaction that apply not just to wordless documentation, but to other consumer products.

Norris Bradford, Annette. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Documentation>Technical Illustration>User Experience

Customer-Centered Publications  

The ultimate goal of today's technical communicator is to provide customers with product information that is clear, concise, and easy to use. Our panel will explore strategies for achieving excellence in designing and developing task-oriented user education materials.

Burgess, Gloria J., Chris Dahl, and Margy Kotick. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>User Centered Design

Customer-Supplier Relationships in the Writing Process  

Do you know your customers? They may be in the next office. The collection of people involved in the writing process need certain things from each other; they compose a contained group of customers and suppliers. In order to effectively produce documents, these internal customers and suppliers must recognize and meet each other’s needs. Evaluating the documentation process and determining how well all parties’ needs are met will promote teamwork as well as process improvements.

Ward, Brian. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Writing>User Centered Design

Customized Book-Based Electronic Collections: Case Study and Exploration of Issues  

Collections of technical documentation vary in their delivery media, file format, user interface and degree of integration of the component documents or information. This paper looks at definitions and attributes of collections before reviewing the development of book- based, customized CD collections in a company operating in a fast-changing industry. Issues arising from this case study are explored and findings are used to identify a broad categorization of collections and build a starting point check list for collection design. Major issues in collection building are summarized.

Symonds, Yosef. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Documentation>Online>Case Studies

CyberLaw and You: What New Media Communicators Must Know  

As our world changes, so, too, do the laws to which we are subject. Gone are the days of the 'wild, wild web.' Here are the days of increasing regulation, at both the state and Federal levels, of the Internet. Recently enacted Federal legislation includes the Copyright Extension Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Digital Theft Deterrence Act and the Anti-Cybersquatting and Consumer Protection Act. Looming on the horizon in a number of states is the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), which, when enacted by the individual states, will force significant changes to how anyone operating in the computer industry will conduct his or her business. In addition, case law continues to evolve in trademark, jurisdiction and other areas related to the Internet and electronic content.

Juillet, Christopher. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>Online

Data Collection and Analysis: A Look at Process-Oriented and Product-Oriented Field Studies  

This paper discusses methods for identifying, collecting, and analyzing field data for product design. We present three examples of field studies (one focused on the use of a specific product and two focused on more general user processes) to illustrate how the type of study can affect field methods. In the product-oriented study, observers built an understanding of the work environment by looking at how the users interacted with the product and how the product affected their work, identified patterns of activity, and offered explanations for these activities. In the processoriented studies, observers built an understanding of the work process and made recommendations about how to support it.

Schulz, Erin Leanne, Judith A. Ramey and Denise Carlevato. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Usability>Methods

Database Web Publishing: No Static At All  

Spend time planning the site. Pay particular attention to database table structure. Keep the code as simple as possible. Reuse code whenever possible. Use the right tools for the job.

Kendrick, Monte L. STC Four Lakes (2003). Design>Web Design>Server Side Includes