#14083
Ten Practical Techniques for Single-Sourcing with FrameMaker 
A PowerPoint slide show about using FrameMaker for single-source document creation and management.
WritersUA (2002). Presentations>Content Management>Single Sourcing>Adobe FrameMaker
#27652
Tips and Techniques for Single-sourcing with RoboHelp X5
RoboHelp now offers a rich set of features for delivering multiple customized outputs out of a single project. This article by Matthew Ellison provides some guidelines and tips on using the key single-sourcing features.
Ellison, Matthew. WritersUA (2004). Articles>Documentation>Single Sourcing>Adobe RoboHelp
#27650
Trends and Opportunities in Software User Assistance: Part 1
This article provides an overview of the latest trends in software user assistance based on surveys, interviews, and observations by the author and other experienced user assistance professionals. The article defines the key terminology, highlights the most important issues and elements, and offers both short and long-term predictions for the field. The article will appear in four installments. The next installment will be in February.
Welinske, Joe. WritersUA (2005). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#13774
A Usability Test of Web-based User Assistance
Recently, WinWriters used the web-based registration process for its annual Online Help Conference as a case study to test several models of user assistance for the Web. We conducted a series of usability tests to: find out how what sort of questions and problems users have as they complete a web-based transaction; discover how users respond to various forms of user assistance available within a web-based task; define the registration process for future conferences. The tests provided some clear conclusions as to user preferences. We have described the tests and summarized the findings here.
Ellison, Matthew. WritersUA (2002). Articles>Usability>Web Design
#20886
User Assistance Resource Directory: Web Resources 
The following general resources are Web sites of interest to Help authors, technical communicators, and programmers.
#13776
WinWriters Online Help Resource Directory
This comprehensive, up-to-date list is your one-stop link to the brightest and best resources in the Help world—all the tools, contacts, and information you'll need to develop thorough, effective, polished Help projects.
#10157
WritersUA (formerly WinWriters)
WinWriters specializes in providing quality training and publications for the community of online Help developers. Our clients represent a diverse group of technical writers, software developers, contractors, and consultants—all of whom share a common interest in online Help. WinWriters is the premier source for world-class, world-wide Help development conferences and seminars. The annual WinWriters Online Help Conference draws hundreds of participants to hear the latest news, techniques, and technologies in the Windows Help arena. Our Help training seminars are held in high regard throughout the U.S. and the world.
#27671
A central element of any job we hold is the compensation we receive. While compensation is only one factor in our descision to accept a position, it's how many of us keep score and the way all of us pay the bills. The WritersUA Salary Survey provides you with detailed and comprehensive information about compensation for user assistance professionals.
WritersUA (2006). Careers>Documentation>Salaries
#28263
XML Architecture for Customized User Assistance
Content reuse enables technical communicators to create multiple deliverables from a single set of source documents. A key component of reuse is identifying which information belongs in which deliverable. Some customization is feasible with build tags (RoboHelp), conditional text (FrameMaker), topic reuse (FrameMaker and AuthorIT), and similar features.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. WritersUA (2005). Articles>Documentation>XML>Adobe FrameMaker
#27647
XML Architecture for Customized User Assistance
To create a specific deliverable, you collect all of the relevant topics and wrap information around them. A printed book, for instance, contains topics grouped into chapters along with front and back matter.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. WritersUA (2005). Articles>Information Design>Help>XML
#27640
An XML Architecture for Technical Documentation: The Darwin Information Typing Architecture
DITA is an architecture for creating topic-oriented, information-typed content that can be reused and single-sourced in a variety of ways. It is also an architecture for creating new information types and describing new information domains, allowing groups to create very specific, targeted document type definitions using a process called specialization, while at the same time reusing common output transforms and design rules. We discuss several methods that can be used to extend DITA's basic topic types.
Day, Don, Erik Hennum, John Hunt, Michael Priestley, David Schell and Nancy Harrison. WritersUA (2004). Articles>Documentation>XML>DITA
#33623
The WritersUA 2008 Skills and Technologies Survey
There is no question that the software development world offers a lot of excitement and challenging work. In the area of software user assistance we are particularly challenged by having to master a wide range of disciplines. From foundation skills like writing and editing—to the coding of content—to usability testing and user interface design, we find ourselves in a profession that is difficult to define. What is it that we really do? The objective of this survey is to take a snapshot of our collective professional life in an attempt to identify what we value in our daily work as user assistance professionals.
WritersUA (2008). Careers>TC>Technology>Surveys
#33730
An XML Architecture for Technical Documentation: The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)
DITA is an architecture for creating topic-oriented, information-typed content that can be reused and single-sourced in a variety of ways. It is also an architecture for creating new information types and describing new information domains, allowing groups to create very specific, targeted document type definitions using a process called specialization, while at the same time reusing common output transforms and design rules. We discuss several methods that can be used to extend DITA's basic topic types.
Day, Don, Erik Hennum, John Hunt, Michael Priestley, David Schell and Nancy Harrison. WritersUA (2004). Articles>Documentation>XML>DITA
#33809
The WritersUA 2009 Salary Survey
A central element of any job we hold is the compensation we receive. While compensation is only one factor in our descision to accept a position, it's how many of us keep score and the way all of us pay the bills. The WritersUA Salary Survey provides you with detailed and comprehensive information about compensation for user assistance professionals. Our 2009 Salary Survey results were viewed on our web site by over 21,000 visitors. We hope you find these new survey results useful in gauging where you stand amongst your peers.
WritersUA (2009). Careers>Salaries>Technical Writing
#34912
Review: Review of Screen Capture Tools
This article describes the process of capturing screens and reviews some of the leading capture tools available. It is revised annually to take account of new releases, and was last updated in February 2009.
Ellison, Matthew. WritersUA (2009). Articles>Reviews>Software>Screen Captures
