Documentation and Training Productivity Benchmarks    

Investigates how computer-industry companies create end-user documentation and training materials, and how they measure productivity. Describes results of interviews of eleven managers of publications or training departments.

Barr, John P. 'Jack' and Stephanie Rosenbaum. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Documentation>Assessment

Documenting Contributory Expertise: The Value Added by Technical Communicators in Collaborative Writing Situations     

Technical communicators frequently collaborate in workplace projects and bring a host of different kinds of expertise to this collaboration. Yet the understanding of communicators’ expertise among managers and subject matter experts is grounded in a view of writing as a finished product and authorship as singular. This article documents many different kinds of 'contributory expertise' employed by writers collaborating to produce articles for publication. Expertise in research, textual composition, visual composition, as well as other kinds of expertise garnered on previous projects is often brought to collaborative projects. Often emerging and developing as a function of collaborative work is expertise in framing the project, conducting review processes, and assessing outcomes. These categories are discussed in some detail to provide practicing communicators with ideas for documenting expertise in their specific workplaces, to provide students with ideas for developing expertise in various areas, and to prov

Henry, James M. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>SMEs

Does Isolating a Visual Element Call Attention to It? Results of an Eye-tracking Investigation of the Effects of Isolation on Emphasis    

The study reported here assessed the effects of isolation on attention. Is it true, in other words, that isolating an element in a visual display—moving an element away from other elements and surrounding it with white space—will inspire a greater allocation of attentional resources to the isolated element than to other elements on a page or screen?

Williams, Thomas R., Christopher Mulligan, Kent Koprowicz, Jamie Miller, Christy Reimann and Da-Shin Wang. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Usability>Human Computer Interaction

The DuPont Experience: Strategic Planning for Information Design and Development Organizations    

In this discussion, I examine the strategic planning experience of the Information Design and Development organization in DuPont External Affairs. It describes why we undertook our strategic planning initiative, the process we used, the logistics involved in preparing for and carrying out the process, and the results of our work.

Breuninger, Charles L. Technical Communication Online (1997). Design>Information Design

Review: Easy Web Graphics  

Easy Web Graphics would be a good choice for novice or intermediate users of Microsoft FrontPage and Microsoft Photo Editor who want to make better use of those products.

Hudak-David, Ginny. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Graphic Design>Web Design

Effects of Pictures, Age, and Experience on Learning to Use a Computer Program    

Research indicates that older people generally do not process information differently than younger people do. Instead, 'the main difference ... seems to be that elderly users are less capable in dealing with any shortcomings in the manuals than younger users. The impact of badly designed manuals is usually greater for elderly people,' (van Hees 1996, p. 531). In line with this view, Hartley (1994) suggests that 'text will be easier for older people to use when their perceptual and memory processing loads are reduced' (p. 171). Although the criteria for good design remain a bit unclear, we can accept the general idea that designing well will help the elderly.

van der Meij, Hans and Mark Gellevij. Technical Communication Online (2002). Design>Accessibility>Software>Elderly

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: A Model of User-centered Technology Adoption    

This article connects the research into electronic editing reported by the author in two previous articles to a well-established theory of innovation adoption and diffusion. Everett M. Rogers's theory is first summarized, with emphasis on the perceived characteristics of innovations central to the innovation-decision process. The three most important of these categories for organizing personal judgments about an innovation are used to develop a model of the innovation-decision process with regard to electronic editing in technical communication. The central role of reinvention in the gradual, erratic diffusion of diverse e-editing practices in technical communication is discussed. The author explains and advocates a user-centered ethic of technology adoption, a perspective that values the agency of workplace communities in selectively adopting and reinventing innovations to support the work they do while preserving or enhancing their quality of life on the job.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Editing>Online

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: A Survey of Practices and Attitudes    

Presents results of a sample survey on why, how, and to what extent technical communicators use computers to edit. Suggests that electronic editing is becoming a common editing mode.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Editing>TC

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: The Compelling Logics of Local Contexts    

Reports a qualitative study of e-editing practices and attitudes in specific workplace contexts. Sheds light on how specific workplace contexts influence perceptions and interpretations of e-editing's benefits and drawbacks.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Editing>Online

Review: The Elements of Technical Writing  

The elements of technical writing includes a basic definition of technical writing--'writing about subjects in technical disciplines'--as well as a high-level outline of the book. Few prefaces contain as thorough a summary of changes as Pearsall offers. The summary of changes in this second edition acknowledges the necessity for current information in the changing technical writing arena, listing several specific changes from the first edition.

Williams, Jocelyn Crump. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Reviews>Writing>Technical Writing

Emerging Skills in Technical Communication: The Information Designer's Place in a New Career Path for Technical Communicators    

As the responsibilities of and demand for technical communicators have grown, demand for a new set of skills called information design has emerged. Information design is preparing communication products so that they achieve performance objectives established for them. Although some technical communicators now call themselves information designers, the field originally emerged from architects, graphic designers, and library scientists, and related work by instructional designers. Information designers prepare blueprints for communication products. To do so effectively, they need skills in information design and development, the technology they are communicating, the technology of communication, the industries they are communicating to, and business skills. They must also be comfortable with a variety of media and genres. Moving to information design creates a new career ladder for technical communicators.

Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (2001). Careers>Information Design

Empirical Evaluation of Concept Mapping: A Job Performance Aid for Writers    

The usefulness of concept mapping as a job performance aid for writers of technical documents was examined. Thirty-four writers were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group received 2 hours of training in the use of concept mapping. Both groups revised the same chapter from a computer manual, and an experienced technical editor blindly evaluated each revision. In part two of the study, revised texts were given to two groups of users. One group received a concept-mapped revision, while the other group received a text revised by a writer who had used conventional revision techniques. Readers' comprehension was tested and compared. Revision time was not significantly different between groups, and the editor's ratings of quality were not different. However, readers' comprehension was significantly higher with the concept-mapped versions. These results suggest that concept mapping is a useful revision tool for writers.

Crandell, Thomas L., Naomi A. Kleid and Candace Soderston. Technical Communication Online (1996). Articles>Information Design>Writing>Assessment

Empirical Proof for Presenting Screen Captures in Software Documentation    

None of the previous studies on screen captures addressed the functions in the framework. There was no empirical research on any of the four functions of screen captures. This article presents our research on these functions. Each section starts with a brief explanation of the function. Next, we illustrate the screen capture designs used to test the function. The remainder of each section explains the setup and results of the empirical study. The article ends with some general conclusions about the functions of screen captures.

Gellevij, Mark and Hans Van Der Meij. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Documentation>Graphic Design>Screen Captures

English for Specific Purposes: The Development of Technical Communication in China's Universities    

Along with China’s rapid development in science and economy, technical communication between Chinese and Westerners is becoming more and more important. The purpose of this study is to promote the teaching of technical communication in China by introducing it into China’s college English for specific purposes. Postgraduate classes from grades 2001 to 2004 at Capital University of Medical Sciences in Beijing were assigned to study English for Technical Communication, a course that integrated the concepts of technical communication into English for specific purposes. In the survey of Grade 2004, over 96% of the graduates claimed that it was necessary for them to study English for Technical Communication; more than 90% of the students confirmed that the course was practical; and 90% of them claimed that the course had significantly improved their abilities in technical communication. Therefore, introducing technical communication in English for specific purposes would be a feasible way to develop the teaching of technical communication in China.

Duan, Ping and Weiping Gu. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Language>Regional>China

Review: Envisioning Science: The Design and Craft of the Science Image  

As an accomplished photographer of science and engineering research, Felice Frankel knows how to capture her readers' attention—her exquisite images in Envisioning science communicate their amazing power, by her design, and ultimately 'teach us to see' science in a different way. We are witnesses to the excitement of discovery represented in such images as cadmium selenide nanocrystals, self-assembled polyhedra, yeast colonies, and mouse embryo lungs, thereby illustrating the book's educational value.

Winn, Wendy. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Graphic Design>Scientific Communication

Review: Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design  

When I first looked at this book, I was very much impressed with its layout. There are lots of beautiful and clear examples, along with well laid-out pages. Chapters consist of various CSS projects, such as creating an events calendar. You can download companion files for each chapter in zipped form from a Web site the author has set up. So the book is in fact an instructional one, one that you can use to learn as you go or just read straight through, depending on your preference.

Hawley, Todd. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Reviews>Web Design>CSS

Essential Works on Technical Communication    

Presents an annotated list of 115 essential works on technical communication compiled from a list of over 600 titles from a wide variety of print, Internet, and professional sources. Constitutes what might be called 'essential literacy' in technical communication.

Alred, Gerald J. Technical Communication Online (2003). Resources>Bibliographies>TC

Establishing a Corporate Style Guide: A Bibliographic Essay    

Deciding whether to establish a house style guide can be a difficult decision for corporate writing departments. Management must decide whether it is worth the time, money, and energy to develop its own specialized style guide when various general style books already exist on the market. And if a company does decide to go ahead and establish a house style guide, what form should the document take? Will the guide be effective? What considerations should be weighed in determining whether house style rules should be established in a particular business? This article surveys several recent studies that can help answer these questions by examining such mediating factors as explanations of why and how a style guide can improve document quality and consistency to the strategies for developing the guide itself.

MacKay, Peter D. Technical Communication Online (1997). Resources>Bibliographies>Style Guides

Establishing a Presence on the World Wide Web: A Rhetorical Approach    

This article presents a framework--grounded in the classic rhetorical concept of ethos--for thinking about how technical communicators might examine the unique characteristics of the World Wide Web and the audiences it serves. The usefulness and increasing popularity of the Web is based on how well individuals and organizations use the technology as a means of establishing an online ethos. Technical communicators are already familiar with the obvious goal of establishing a professional ethos, but they might also consider some techniques for establishing sites having a more diverse and communal ethos. This ethos is expressed in 'special interest' Web sites constructed by individuals, and several commercially-oriented organizations have also successfully incorporated this ethos into their sites.

Hunt, Kevin. Technical Communication Online (1996). Articles>Rhetoric>Online

Estimating the Cost of High-Quality Documentation    

The cost of developing a typical end user document at Cadence Design Systems is about $40,000. The cost of not providing complete and completely accurate documentation can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cover, Martha, David Cooke and Matt Hunt. Technical Communication Online (1995). Articles>Documentation>Pricing

Ethical and Intercultural Challenges for Technical Communicators and Managers in a Shrinking Global Marketplace    

In today's shrinking global marketplace, many technical communicators face challenges related to intercultural communication. This article examines ethical issues in intercultural communication, beginning with a brief survey of classical ethical models, then focusing on the guidelines for ethical communication developed by Allen and Voss to provide a framework for discussion. Of Allen and Voss's 10 values for ethical communication, we focus on privacy, legality, teamwork, social responsibility, and cultural sensitivity. We offer specific suggestions for avoiding stereotyping, tokenism, and ethnocentrism in technical documentation, including before-and-after examples. We examine the risks involved in using graphics and icons and in attempting to translate idiomatic usages. The article concludes with guidelines for technical communicators preparing documentation for international audiences and with suggestions for managers who wish to give their employees guidance regarding ethical and effective intercultural communication.

Voss, Daniel W. and Madelyn Flammia. Technical Communication Online (2007). Careers>TC>Outsourcing>Offshoring

Evaluating Our New Look and Moving Online: Seeing Is Believing    

The editorial advisory board and I have been asking our readers' opinions about the journal's redesign and the directions this publication should take in the future. We've also commissioned usability studies and carefully examined the technologies available for online publication. In this editorial, I'd like to share what we've learned and the directions in which we hope to move during the coming year.

Hayhoe, George F. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Publishing>Online>Usability

Evaluation of an Informational Web Site: Three Variants of the Think-aloud Method Compared    

To evaluate Web sites, usability experts often use methods that were originally employed for the evaluation of software applications. In doing so, they assume that these methods will work exactly the same for both types of test objects. However, there is a major difference between transactional software applications and informational Web sites, a difference that could have an effect on the workings of various usability methods. As such, we felt that it was valuable to repeat one of our previous studies in which we compared concurrent think-aloud protocols, retrospective think-aloud protocols, and constructive interaction to evaluate a Web application, this time using a Web site. The results of our study showed that in some respects, the methods did work differently depending on the test object they were applied to. However, we conclude that the three methods are largely interchangeable and that the decision to choose one variant of the think-aloud method over the other should be based on practical considerations.

van den Haak, Maaike J., Menno de Jong, D.T. and Peter JanSchellens. Technical Communication Online (2007). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Methods

Evolution-Revolution: Toward a Strategic Perception of Technical Communication    

Although we tell ourselves that technical communication is important to the bottom line of organizations and all of the business literature reinforces our convictions that information is strategic to business success, few of us feel 'strategic' to the organizations we work for.

Carliner, Saul. Technical Communication Online (1996). Careers>Management

An Examination of Factors That Affect the Credibility of Online Health Information    

The study reported in this article examined the effect of street address and external links on perceptions of credibility of a Web page. The study attempted to determine how readers process these cues by drawing on key theories in both technical communication and psychology, including the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The article includes a review of relevant literature on which the experiment reported here was based, hypotheses concerning the expected outcomes of the experiment, the methodology, the results, and a discussion of the results. Finally, conclusions and implications for future research are discussed.

Freeman, Krisandra S. and Jan H. Spyridakis. Technical Communication Online (2004). Design>Web Design>Scientific Communication>Biomedical