#20733
The Art of Indexing and Some Fallacies of its Automation 
The phrase 'information storage and retrieval,' coined in the fifties - when computers were first harnessed to the twin tasks of recording verbal communication and finding it again on demand - is somewhat misleading and it is also missing a vital element. The misleading part is that many people seem to believe that these tasks can only be performed by machines. Yet information has been stored on stone tablets, papyrus rolls and in books for thousands of years and it has also been found when needed. The missing part is that, in order for stored information to be retrievable - whether manually or by machine - an intermediate operation is of crucial importance: the stored information must be indexed.
Wellisch, Hans H. CPD (1992). Articles>Indexing>Information Design
#14028
Dichotomy, Consubstantiality, Technical Writing, Literary Theory: The Double Orthodox Curse 
Where are the departments that are truly strong at the extremes of literature and technical writing, yet have a Rogerian discussion of the differences going on? The sort of department I mean would offer work in technical and professional writing comparable to that at Rensselaer or Carnegie Mellon and literary theory comparable to that at Duke or Berkeley. Am I wrong in assuming that technical writers can and do move all the way from one extreme to the other, while literature professors do not see themselves either at an extreme or as part of any sort of continuum that would, if followed far enough, reach to the writing of software documentation for a process control?
Neel, Jasper. JAC (1992). Articles>Education>TC
#13770
The Engineer as Rational Man: The Problem of Imminent Danger in a Non-Rational Environment 
Mine safety instruction manuals and training guides reflect an engineering perspective based on the concept of a Rational Man, a perspective which obsstructs effective risk management.
Sauer, Beverly A. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (1992). Articles>Documentation>Risk Communication>Rhetoric
#22409
Many grammar reference works take what is a relatively simple subject and, with unnecessary expansion and elaboration, turn it into an impenetrably dull experience for the reader. In this article, I'll take a brief look at three books that offer an easy and readable alternative.
GaryConroy.com (1992). Articles>Reviews>Style Guides
#24959
Flexible Diff-ing in a Collaborative Writing System
Discusses the use of computer-generated information about what has been revised in the display of editing in word processors.
Neuwirth, Christine M., Ravinder Chandhok, David S. Kaufer, Paul Erion, James Morris and Dale Miller. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (1992). Articles>Editing>Word Processing>Collaboration
#30324
Health Care Prescriptions for a Terminal Job
What do you do about medical insurance coverage if you are laid off?
Randolph, Brett W.F. Boston Broadside (1992). Careers>Unemployment>Biomedical
#30333
Next to writing an enthusiastic thank you note for socks received as a birthday gift, the most difficult task for many writers is creating a help wanted ad that succinctly defines the requirements of the position while encouraging only perfect candidates to apply.
#20942
How to Write and Publish Scientific Papers: Scribing Information for Pharmacists
Scientific writing can be both professionally and financially rewarding, but many pharmacists hesitate to write for publication. A primary obstacle is not knowing how to begin. Thoughtful planning is the first and most important step. Before writing a word, the writer should identify the main message, audience, target journal, resource materials, type of manuscript, and authorship.
Hamilton, Cindy W. Hamilton House (1992). Articles>Scientific Communication>Publishing
#30319
If You Want Something Done Right, Don't Do It Yourself
When you get fed up and do decide to blaze your own trail, don't forget to take some friends along with you. You never know when you're going to run into a wild past participle that you need help taming.
Allen, Jennifer. Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>TC>Collaboration>Workplace
#22407
In the publishing process, as in the finished book, the index comes last. It cannot be created until pages have been laid out and finalized. By this time everyone, including the author, is (1) tired and (2) worried about the publication deadline. First-time non-fiction authors who had acceded blithely to doing their own index now quail at the task they've undertaken—and, more often than not, underestimated.
Rodberg, Lillian R. GaryConroy.com (1992). Articles>Indexing>Marketing
#22408
Since most manuals aren't meant to be read from cover-to-cover like a novel, a method of rapidly accessing a subject is required; in other words, an index. A good index is a vital component in any manual of more than 20 to 30 pages long. An otherwise excellent document can be made next to useless without an index: don't feel tempted to skimp on this valuable but admittedly tedious task. If you have the budget, consider sub-contracting professional indexers to create your index for you: both for your convenience and the excellence of the results.
GaryConroy.com (1992). Articles>Indexing>Documentation
#26299
An Introduction to Machine Translation
The mechanization of translation has been one of humanity's oldest dreams. In the twentieth century it has become a reality, in the form of computer programs capable of translating a wide variety of texts from one natural language into another. This book introduces methods adopted in current systems
Hutchins, W. John and Harold L. Somers. Academic Press (1992). Books>Language>Localization>Machine Translation
#21977
Kairos in the Rhetoric of Science
If there is a canonical text in this still-early period of the rhetorical criticism of science, it is the 1953 Nature paper in which James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick proposed the double helix structure for DNA.
Miller, Carolyn R. North Carolina State University (1992). Articles>Scientific Communication>Biomedical>Rhetoric
#20817
A Layered Interaction Analysis of Direct Manipulation
The concept of direct manipulation is usually viewed as a single characteristic of a class of interaction styles. Here, direct manipulation is analyzed according to a detailed layered interaction model, showing that it has quite different effects on the dialogue on the different levels. In particular, the "no errors" claim may be true at the syntax level but not at several of the levels above or below that level. Furthermore, a unified framework is presented for conceptualizing Direct Manipulation, What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG), Transparency, Immediate Command Specification, Arcticulatory Directness, and Computational Appliances according to a layered interaction view.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1992). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>User Interface
#30326
Listening: the Often Forgotten Ingredient
If listening isn't in the mix when developing documentation, then the project may not cook.
Allen, Clare. Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>Documentation>Collaboration>SMEs
#30336
Misclassified Workers (Part II): A Financial Time Bomb
This article examines some of the consequences of misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they should be treated as employees.
Randolph, Brett W.F. Boston Broadside (1992). Careers>Management
#30325
NetWorks or, How to Make Professional Connections When You Live and Work in the "Sticks"
NetWorks is an association of people involved in public relations, technical/computer documentation, marketing, fund raising, planning and development, training, journalism, editing, video production and publishing. We have a common interest in sharing ideas, information and resources.
Olander, Karen Wise. Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>TC>Collaboration>STC
#30335
On Teaching Technical/Business Writing
Whether one teaches business communication or technical writing (or some amalgam of the two), the first statements an instructor makes in class should be to apprise students that the course upon which they are embarking is but a specialty within a larger field of writing, that their courses in English composition, philosophy and survey of literature (and the papers written for those courses) will all apply to the specialized communication field they now must address.
Wyld, Lionel D. Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
#30323
As a technical writer with over seven years of experience and a Master's degree, I am disappointed with the lack of part-time jobs and lack of responsiveness by employers to create part-time technical writing positions.
Fass, Lisa. Boston Broadside (1992). Careers>Unemployment>Freelance
#18242
Publishing on the Cheap: One Idea That Worked
For computer centers to eliminate paper documentation is cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
Durack, Katherine T. ACM SIGDOC (1992). Academic>Computing>Publishing
#30330
The demand for recycled paper is on the rise and more and more paper manufacturers are producing recycled paper in the same categories and range of choices as virgin stock. However, because of the variations and inconsistencies in the raw materials used, paper that contains recycled fiber tends to he at the middle to lower quality levels of each paper grade.
Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>Publishing>Prepress>Paper
#22247
Risk Communication in the Context of Consumer Perceptions of Risks
One goal of risk communication on food safety issues (among many) is communication between risk assessors and risk managers and the average citizen. This dimension includes both communication with the citizenry as a whole, through the mass media and other widely disseminated information, and communication with consumer organizations that participate in the risk analysis/risk management process.
Groth, Edward III. Consumers Union (1992). Articles>Risk Communication>Biomedical
#22246
Siting a Hazardous Waste Facility: The Tangled Web of Risk Communication
Risk communication is a relatively new field of study which has been concerned with the problems arising from the communication of scientific and technical assessments of risk to various sections of the public. These problems have largely been construed as technical ones: how to transfer difficult material from 'experts' to 'people' with the maximum effectiveness and the minimum loss of accuracy and content. Perhaps because technical or practical concerns have dominated, debates which have occurred in the literature of risk analysis have apparently had little impact on the field of risk communication.
Beder, Sharon and Michael Shortland. University of Wollongong (1992). Articles>Risk Communication>Government>Policies and Procedures
#30322
Smart Marketing Enhances Credibility and Creates Customers
Today's business climate is kinder to those who understand and act on the fact that there are numerous ways to communicate positive attributes.
Juergens, Tom. Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing
#27842
Some Principles for Negotiating with Clients
Assume that negotiation is part of freelancing. When called about a job, express an interest in the proposed project and its terms, but don’t feel compelled to accept the whole package immediately.