P&P Proceedings and Journals Resources

 

(See also Books and Newsletters)

The following list is not meant as an endorsement of any publication or author.

 

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes | Career Opportunities | International Profession | Methods and Models | Tools and Techniques | Trends and Future | Writing and Editing

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes

• 1994-Forming a Policies & Procedures Professional Interest Committee
  Proceedings-1994; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This agenda provides details for one of the Annual STC Meeting agenda items. The item establishes the need to create a Professional Interest Committee (PIC) for assisting and uniting the writers of policies and procedures as one of the various groups of technical writers who are members of the STC. It proposes the PIC's mission, goals, scope, and activities; and it invites policies and procedures writers to join and volunteer to participate in this committee.
• 1995-Policies and Procedures PIC Meeting
  Proceedings-1995; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This agenda provides information about the status of the P&P SIG and the accomplishments for the past year. It reports on the willingness of the P&P SIG members to assist as volunteers. It also notifies that four teams were created for managing: membership, newsletters, programs and projects, and public relations.
• 1996-Policies and Procedures PIC Meeting
  Proceedings-1996; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This agenda provides information about the status of the P&P SIG and the accomplishments for the past year. It outlines the new business items to be: raising issues relevant to P&P and the PIC; developing action plans for PIC and upcoming conferences; engaging volunteers to assist with operations.

Career Opportunities

• A Career on Campus- Writing Administrative Policies for the Public University
  Intercom-November 2005; By Catherine Reynolds; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article explains how the skills acquired in the corporate environment can be of benefit to a writer employed in a higher education institution. It describes the opportunities offered to the writer for making a contribution to the elaboration of policies that impact the educating community. It also explains how different strategies such us learning the environment can be used to promote relevant and clear communication to the different groups of a campus community.
• Choose More Than a Job... Choose How You Want to Work
  Proceedings-2003; By Ronald Statt; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of working as a consultant, a contractor, or a company employee. Benefits such a traveling, education, experience, job changes, income, project assignments are compared between these three types of working as a technical writer. The article also discusses the drawbacks of insurance, taxes, and legal issues that an independent contractor must face.
• Contracting and Consulting for Policies & Procedures Engagements
  Proceedings-1999; By Raymond E. Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article states that employment reduction has resulted in a decrease of policy and procedures writers as employees, but it has increased the amount of opportunities for consultants and contractors. The article advices P&P writers seeking to engage their services for either consulting or contracting to be flexible and understand the three roles for leveraging services.
• Developing ISO 9000 Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; By Ralph E. Robinson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses document and data control issues as the common causes of registration failure with ISO. It presents the reasons why companies need to comply with ISO requirements, and the ISO 9000 Quality System Concept. It explains the documentation structure, the main goal of documentation, its effect on the registration process, and the control requirements for documentation. The article also presents these ISO standards as career opportunities for raising the profile of technical writers within the organization.
• Documenting Procedures After the Sole Subject Expert Has Left the ...
  Proceedings-1999; By Audrey Cielinski Kessler; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article narrates the scenario of a company that was left without the intelligence of the human resources expert. It describes the methods and strategies that the technical writer created to straighten out the mess. It provides insight as to questions the technical writer should ask for writing procedures that are organized and effective. Finally, it informs about the problems that arise when the processes are reviewed and especially when they are not reviewed.
• Full-Employment Legislation for Technical Writers
  Proceedings-1993; By Carolyn Dean; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article narrates the scenario the Author experienced when she began working on a project to implement regulations in a nuclear facility. It lists the different opportunities regulations provide to technical writers; policies and procedures development is counted among these opportunities. It explains how writers can take advantage of these opportunities created by legislation by advising to get immersed into the regulation and taking a related class.
• Managing a Company-Wide Policies and Procedures Project
  Proceedings-1996; By William B. Crepes; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses three important factors that must be considered when managing the documentation of policies and procedures company-wide without a disruption to business operations. The people factor section explains the reasons and methods for involving executive management in the project, and gaining the acceptance of the employees. The project factor section explains the methods for establishing scope, priorities, scheduling, and prototype development. The publishing factor explains the reasons for analyzing audiences, making documentation recipient lists, and controlling the distribution.
• Marketable Skills for the Policies and Procedures Professional
  Proceedings-1995; By Raymond E. Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a brief insight in the various skills that are required from Policies and Procedures writers. The article states that technology advancements and work force reduction require writers to acquire or become stronger in their marketing, managerial, analytical, instructional, communication, and people skills.
• Policies and Procedures- An STC Niche
  Intercom-November 2005; By Raymond E. Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article explains the creation of the P&P Special Interest Group (SIG) as the first body in the world for offering assistance to policies and procedures technical writers.
• Policy and Procedure Communication and the Lone Writer
  Proceedings-2002-By Susan Mason, Rich Maggiani, Julia Margulies, and Ralph E. Robinson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article positions the Lone Writer as an important instrument in the various phases of the documentation and communication of policies and procedures. The four authors of the article provide insight in four topics: the tools for promoting and selling to a company the need for P&P documentation; recommendations for ways of extracting information from subject matter experts; techniques for establishing standards such as obtaining management/staff support and keeping in touch with user groups; and the effects of international standards in the development of P&P documentation.
• Sarbanes-Oxley and New Opportunities
  Intercom-January 2004; By Holly E. Harkness; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents the reasons why the Sarbanes and Oxley Act offers technical writers career opportunities similar to those offered by Y2K. It defines the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) and notes that public owned companies are required to comply with the regulation and therefore, some companies are spending millions in their projects. The articles provides a br /ief background of how the author's team became involved with the project and it notes that the team wrote polices, procedures, processes, etc. The role of the technical communicator offers opportunities for demonstrating skills such as creating processes, identifying gaps, documenting controls, updating documents, etc. The article advises that to get started a technical writer should emphasize experience writing policies and procedures, and the knowledge of SOX and its interpretation.
• Standards- New Opportunities for P&P Writers
  Intercom-November 2005; By Ralph E. Robinson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses in detail the reasons why international standards are opening new opportunities for P&P writers, and how writers should take advantage of such opportunities. The author explains how the International Standards Organization (ISO) creates standards for global industries and why is good for business to comply with ISO requirements. Why are they important; he also provides a great deal of information about how international standards impact on P&P professionals.
• Technical Writing in the Financial Industry
  Intercom-April 2005; By Sandy J. Larsen; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article establishes the job requirements placed by the financial industry when hiring technical writers making them practically unable to qualify for the job. The author proofs through research that several writers have entered the financial field as writers with no knowledge of banking, finance, or mergers and have become successful. The author states that it is possible for qualified technical writers to transition into another field of expertise by volunteering services and becoming formally or informally educated in the field the writers want to work.
• Who Should Document Organizational Policies & Procedures-
  Proceedings-2002; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article addresses the typical situations and the typical solutions that organizations follow when documenting operational policies and procedures. It explains the unrealistic demands placed on employees and the effects of non-participation in the development of procedures. It also explains the common solutions such as hiring a writer, developing a program for employee participation, and training employees to write procedures. The article comments on the need to establish a team among supervisors, management, employees, and the stakeholders to support the efforts of a technical writer with writing and editing skills for producing performance-based communication.

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes | Career Opportunities | International Profession | Methods and Models | Tools and Techniques | Trends and Future | Writing and Editing | Top of Page

International Profession

• Creating a Paradigm Shift In Managers and Professionals Who ...
  Proceedings-1994; By Verna Richardson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article narrates the activities the policies and procedures writer performed to change managers' and professionals' view of standards. It explains some of the steps involved in the project initiation phase such as researching, recommending changes, and implementing the project. It relates the methods the writer used for marketing the project and obtaining support such as outlining the benefits to the different groups, explaining the concept of structured writing and becoming a Reader Advocate. The article enumerates the rights of readers in The Richardson Readers' Bill of Rights. Lastly, the article relates the benefit of cross-functional teams, which were created by the acceptance to the project and the adoption of the new standards by staff, managers and professionals of the entire organization.
• Developing ISO 9000 Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; By Ralph E. Robinson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses document and data control issues as the common causes of registration failure with ISO. It presents the reasons why companies need to comply with ISO requirements, and the ISO 9000 Quality System Concept. It explains the documentation structure, the main goal of documentation, its effect on the registration process, and the control requirements for documentation. The article also presents these ISO standards as career opportunities for raising the profile of technical writers within the organization.
• Documenting ISO 9001 Compliance
  Intercom-Febr /uary 2002; By Kelly A. Parr; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides background information on ISO 9000 and the reasons for complying with ISO 9001 requirements. It lists the five sections of the 9001 requirements and points these requirements as the basis for the audit of the documentation. It advises to purchase a copy of the ISO requirements, before preparing a documentation plan, for becoming familiar with the pyramid structure of the documentation process. It defines the need to establish an empowered employee task force including internal and external auditors. The author stresses the importance of performing detailed gap analysis, organizing the content according to schedules and milestones, writing the content according to the ISO pyramid levels, performing peer reviews, coordinating training prior to the implementation of procedures, and performing the audits for ensuring the quality of the documentation.
• Marketable Skills for the Policies and Procedures Professional
  Proceedings-1995; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a br /ief insight in the various skills that are required from Policies and Procedures writers. The article states that technology advancements and work force reduction require writers to acquire or become stronger in their marketing, managerial, analytical, instructional, communication, and people skills.
• Policies and Procedures- Opportunities Await Technical Communicators
  Intercom-November 2005; By Raymond E. Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses the various opportunities that await technical communicators in the world. It explains the reasons policies and procedures documentation is awakening interest in the business community. It provides a clear hierarchy of talents and skills required to achieve a career in policies and procedures documentation.
• Policy and Procedure Communication and the Lone Writer
  Proceedings-2002-By Susan Mason, Rich Maggiani, Julia Margulies, and Ralph E. Robinson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article positions the Lone Writer as an important instrument in the various phases of the documentation and communication of policies and procedures. The four authors of the article provide insight in four topics: the tools for promoting and selling to a company the need for P&P documentation; recommendations for ways of extracting information from subject matter experts; techniques for establishing standards such as obtaining management/staff support and keeping in touch with user groups; and the effects of international standards in the development of P&P documentation.
• Writing Processes and Procedures Using Audience Analysis and the ISO 9000 Document Hierarchy
  Proceedings-2000: By Tricia Cunat and Amary Craig; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article describes the method for writing processes and procedures using as the base a detailed analysis of the audience and the ISO 9000 definition of process vs. procedure. It provides a detailed definition and a comparison between processes and procedures, and provides examples of when using either or both is appropriate. It defines audiences and provides a model matrix for identifying potential audiences in the development of a user manual. In addition, it presents types of formats for delivering processes and procedures to the audience.

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes | Career Opportunities | International Profession | Methods and Models | Tools and Techniques | Trends and Future | Writing and Editing | Top of Page

Methods and Models

• Assessing the Maturity Grade of Policies & Procedures Programs
  Proceedings-1998; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article defines the terminology and the scope of policies and procedures and introduces an Assessment Model for measuring the level of policies and procedures programs developed in a corporate structure. The model measures the grade in consideration to the functions provided by the program. It states that the model plays a synergistic role measuring the contribution of P&P to the organization.
• Avoiding the Content Silo Trap(TM), Enterprise Content Management
  Proceedings-2002; By Ann Rockley and Jodee Clore; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article defines Silo Trap™, Enterprise Content Management (ECM), and promotes the use of a unified content strategy for managing the volumes of information produced by the various areas of a company. It describes the problematic effects of content silos such as poor communication, lack of standardization and consistency, high costs, etc. It expands the definition of content management beyond Single Sourcing into ECM for which it provides description of benefits such as maintenance speed, cost reduction, and customer relation opportunities.
• Capability Maturity Model Integration: Technical Writers Needed
  Intercom-November 2005; By Faye Newsham; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article explains in detail the reasons for increasing productivity and revenue by using Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). It defines Maturity and its five levels of maturity. It indicates how companies can obtain CMMI certification. It elaborates on the benefits of building a Process Assets Libr /ary. It enumerates the various reasons why the implementation of CMMI in a company will need a technical writer. Finally, the article provides suggestions on how to get involved to get started working with CMMI.
• Creating a Paradigm Shift In Managers and Professionals Who ...
  Proceedings-1994; By Verna Richardson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article narrates the activities the policies and procedures writer performed to change managers' and professionals' view of standards. It explains some of the steps involved in the project initiation phase such as researching, recommending changes, and implementing the project. It relates the methods the writer used for marketing the project and obtaining support such as outlining the benefits to the different groups, explaining the concept of structured writing and becoming a Reader Advocate. The article enumerates the rights of readers in The Richardson Readers' Bill of Rights. Lastly, the article relates the benefit of cross-functional teams, which were created by the acceptance to the project and the adoption of the new standards by staff, managers and professionals of the entire organization.
• Designing Policies & Procedures Information
  Proceedings-2000; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses the five levels of concern that documentation developers should address when preparing the design of policies and procedures. Level 1: Defines P&P Architecture, and addresses the need to either use/recreate existing architecture or create a new. Level 1: Compares the united or disunited relationship between the P&P documents to be developed. Level 3: presents the extrinsic and the intrinsic approaches for development the content and the effects of combining them. Level 4: describes the Prose-based and the Structured methods for writing and the uses of both. Level 5: refers to individual units and collective units as techniques for communicating the information.
• Documentation Project Management Resources
  Intercom-June 2006; By br /enda Huettner; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article describes the twelve basic areas for managing a documentation project that must be included in the new set of standards dictated by ISO requirements. These areas include: roles and job descriptions, process, plan content, suite design, review and testing, configuration management, audience and task analysis, software and systems engineering life cycle, estimation, work br /eakdown structure, and quality metrics. The article cites several resources available for learning to manage documentation projects.
• Estimating Time and Cost for Policies and Procedures Projects
  Proceedings-2003; By Adrienne Escoe; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides guidelines for estimating the cost of developing policies and procedures for a company. It points some of the misconceptions of scope and responsibilities between the client and the technical writer that eventually surface with financial downturns. It recommends the use of a checklist and a detailed list of items that should be included in it. It guides through the main items of scoping the project, and enumerates the tasks that should be considered, time, level, etc. The author recommends the careful preparation of a list of assumptions and the consequences of the violation of such assumptions.
• Improving Medical Treatment Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; Judy M. Gibbs; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides information on the implementation of writing techniques used in a technical field to improve the documentation of procedures of another. The author describes the scenario, narrates the status of the current procedures, and names the protocols needed to enhance the document. The article provides clear examples for enhancing the protocols, summarizes the positive results of implementing the recommended protocol enhancements, and provides a sample of the complete template.
• Pictures for Procedures
  Proceedings-1999; By Robert Krull; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article introduces a method for achieving balance between the people's mental representation of actions and the display plane in which the action is represented. It explains the components of actions as procedures that br /ain must conform with, and provides detailed information on the performer and the spectator's point of view as pictured on the display plane.
• Placing Policies and Procedures Online - A Practice Approach
  Proceedings-1997; By Ronald Robert Kirtland; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  The article introduces in br /ief, the lessons learned during the enormous task of updating and converting hard copy documentation to an online environment. It provides a br /ief insight into the phases of the project: analysis, research, development, user testing, and implementation.
• Procedures Writing Training in a Corporate Environment
  Proceedings-1993; Elizabeth T. Perelli; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article narrates the activities this author performed with one additional staff to implement a procedures writing training program in a financial company. The article describes the assumptions of the program, the challenges encountered during the process, and the benefits received by all participants in the program.
• The Technical Writing Machine- A Model for Teaching Writers How to Develop Troubleshooting Procedures
  Proceedings-1997; By Thomas F. Moran; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents The Technical Writing Machine as a model for teaching students to develop troubleshooting procedures. It indicates the reasons for creating the model and the benefits derived by its use. It presents a diagram of the model and explains the flow and its different components. The application of the model produces malfunctions systems for which strategies for problem solving must be written.
• Transition To Process-Based Policies and Procedures
  Proceedings-1997; By Jerri L. Huclayer; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article describes the old format for writing P&P and indicates the reasons why this format is becoming obsolete. It describes process-based policies as the new format of writing and points out the benefits of using such method. It explains that the new format places more importance on the process rather than who is doing the process.
• Web Delivery of Corporate Policies and Procedures
  Proceedings-2001-Jeannete P. Evans; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of delivering policies and procedures through the web. It presents the results of surveys conducted in a company to decide on the selection of the best delivery method to alleviate the old problem of maintaining policies and procedures binders updated. The author presents in a series of tables, the conclusions of research activities, advantages/disadvantages of online delivery, and the results of implementing web delivery.
• Writing Processes and Procedures Using Audience Analysis and the ISO 9000 Document Hierarchy
  Proceedings-2000: By Tricia Cunat and Amary Craig; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article describes the method for writing processes and procedures using as the base a detailed analysis of the audience and the ISO 9000 definition of process vs. procedure. It provides a detailed definition and a comparison between processes and procedures, and provides examples of when using either or both is appropriate. It defines audiences and provides a model matrix for identifying potential audiences in the development of a user manual. In addition, it presents types of formats for delivering processes and procedures to the audience.

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes | Career Opportunities | International Profession | Methods and Models | Tools and Techniques | Trends and Future | Writing and Editing | Top of Page

Tools and Techniques

• Developing Internal Procedures Online- The HowWe Manuals Project at Suncorp
  Proceedings-1996; By Dean Bell and Helen Smith; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a br /ief outline of the topics that were covered in the session presented at the SCT Conference. The purpose of the session was to relate activities performed during the various phases of developing internal procedures for online delivery at Suncorp.
• Dynamic Content Management
  Proceedings-2002-By Ann Rockley; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article defines dynamic content and provides examples of its use by companies of diverse operations and by E-commerce. It lists and explains the requirements for developing dynamic content, and provides a diagram that defines the process of dynamic content. It discusses the delivery of dynamic content documentation and explains the importance of dynamic content engines to retrieve the stored information. It notes this new writing method to be an opportunity for technical communicators, information designer/architect.
• Flowcharting Performance-Based Processes and Procedures
  Proceedings-1995; Raymond E. Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a br /ief insight into flowcharting as a tool for documenting processes and procedures. It defines flowcharting and describes its origin, format, and style. It br /iefly discusses tools, training, and trends.
• Flowcharting Processes and Procedures
  Proceedings-1994; Raymond E. Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article is a br /ief summary of the discussion presented at the STC Conference. It introduces Flowcharting as a tool, which technical writers may use for communicating processes and procedures. This article notes the difference between a process and a procedure, and it defines the appropriateness of flowcharting for either. It mentions interrelation of processes, the source of flowcharting symbols, and the techniques of flowcharting design.
• Improving Medical Treatment Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; Judy M. Gibbs; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides information on the implementation of writing techniques used in a technical field to improve the documentation of procedures of another. The author describes the scenario, narrates the status of the current procedures, and names the protocols needed to enhance the document. The article provides clear examples for enhancing the protocols, summarizes the positive results of implementing the recommended protocol enhancements, and provides a sample of the complete template.
• Information Gathering for Policies and Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; By Christine Dodwell; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a view of the various methods for collecting, using, and maintaining policies and procedures information. It defines internal sources, external sources, and publications as places to begin research. It explains the steps for collecting the information as interviewing, researching, outlining, detailing, and following up. It presents the need for maintaining files of the research and documentation process.
• Online Documentation and Local Area Networks
  Proceedings-1997; By Michelle E. Anderson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article states that with the growth of technology, the trend for presenting policies and procedures is to move from hard copy documentation into the online environment. The article discusses product functionality, readability/viewability, portability, and cost as factors that should be considered when converting hard copy policies and procedures to online media.
• Techniques for Successful SME Interviews
  Intercom-March 2000; By Jennifer L. Lambe; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article acknowledges the various techniques for gathering information, but it provides techniques for conducting successful interview with subject matter experts (SMEs). The article notes that SMEs may have various degrees of communication skills and therefore, it is the writer's (interviewer's) job to get prepared to optimize the results of the interview. It provides steps that should be taken prior, during, and after the interview. The steps prior to the interview include defining objectives, preparing for the meeting, and being punctual. The steps for during the interview include using active listening skills, asking open-ended questions, politely controlling the interview, repeating information to ensure understanding, identifying gaps, being accurate, organizing the information, and making no promises. The steps for closing the interview include thanking the SMEs, asking permission to follow up, reviewing notes immediately after the interview.
• The Team Approach to Writing Policies and Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; By Diane L. Whitmer; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a br /ief insight of the benefits inherent in using the team approach for writing policies and procedures. The article provides a method for structuring the documentation teams, for planning the writing, and for developing the documentation. The article describes team consensus, sense of ownership, stronger writing skills, and sense of hard-earned accomplishment as benefits of using the team approach.
• The Technical Writing Machine- A Model for Teaching Writers How to Develop Troubleshooting Procedures
  Proceedings-1997; By Thomas F. Moran; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents The Technical Writing Machine as a model for teaching students to develop troubleshooting procedures. It indicates the reasons for creating the model and the benefits derived by its use. It presents a diagram of the model and explains the flow and its different components. The application of the model produces malfunctions systems for which strategies for problem solving must be written.
• Transforming Tribal Knowledge into Written Instructions
  Intercom-April 2006; By br /adford R. Connaster; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents Sequence as software, which a technical writer may use to convert Tribal Knowledge into written procedures in a few days; it defines the industry term Tribal Knowledge and explains the reasons why businesses should convert this knowledge into written documentation. The article lists and explains the mechanical and writing skills required to convert Tribal Knowledge into written procedures; it also advices on a set of requirements to set up a project using software and photography equipment to document procedures. The author details the equipment set up and provides a lot of insight into the features of Sequence including some of its pitfalls.
• Writing Clear Policies and Procedures with Playscript
  Proceedings-1999-J. Richard Flemming CMC; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents Playscript as a documentation technique, and addresses the most important benefits of using this technique for writing policies and procedures. It defines "Performance Orientation," and details a method for using action writing. It establishes the need for structured writing as a complementing format to the Playscript technique to achieve clarity; and provides examples for using structured writing.

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes | Career Opportunities | International Profession | Methods and Models | Tools and Techniques | Trends and Future | Writing and Editing | Top of Page

Trends and Future

• A Cautionary Tale
  Intercom-November 2005; By Sheila C. Jones; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article narrates the story of a tragic accident that could have been prevented if policies and procedures could have been properly communicated to the workers. It also asks P&P writers to take responsibility for adding value to the document by going beyond the job that is requested.
• Creating "Living" Policies and Procedures
  Intercom-November 2005; By Geoffrey J. S. Hart; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article states that policies and procedures goals found in dusty old binders were created to enshrine best practices or to evaluate employees. The author explains that these policies and procedures would not be valuable unless they are effective in supporting the employees to achieve the goals of the organization. The author supports best practices, consistency, training, and compliance as goals for writing policies and procedures; but in addition, the author explains the reasons why policies and procedures must react immediately to business changes, thus arising the need to create living policies and procedures.
• Dynamic Content Management
  Proceedings-2002-By Ann Rockley; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article defines dynamic content and provides examples of its use by companies of diverse operations and by E-commerce. It lists and explains the requirements for developing dynamic content, and provides a diagram that defines the process of dynamic content. It discusses the delivery of dynamic content documentation and explains the importance of dynamic content engines to retrieve the stored information. It notes this new writing method to be an opportunity for technical communicators, information designer/architect.
• Online Documentation and Local Area Networks
  Proceedings-1997; By Michelle E. Anderson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article states that with the growth of technology, the trend for presenting policies and procedures is to move from hard copy documentation into the online environment. The article discusses product functionality, readability/viewability, portability, and cost as factors that should be considered when converting hard copy policies and procedures to online media.
• Procedures- The Sacred Cow Blocking the Road-
  Proceedings-1998; By Michael Hughes and Loren Burke; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article introduces characteristics of procedures that produce a mismatch when compared to characteristics of users' needs and expectations. It explains the principles of user interaction with written documentation and elaborates in detail on the emerging non-relevance of step-by-step- procedures as written today.
• Transition To Process-Based Policies and Procedures
  Proceedings-1997; By Jerri L. Huclayer; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article describes the old format for writing P&P and indicates the reasons why this format is becoming obsolete. It describes process-based policies as the new format of writing and points out the benefits of using such method. It explains that the new format places more importance on the process rather than who is doing the process.

Annual Meeting Agenda and Minutes | Career Opportunities | International Profession | Methods and Models | Tools and Techniques | Trends and Future | Writing and Editing | Top of Page

Writing and Editing

• Building an Electronic Documentation Repository
  Intercom-April 2005; By Barbara Block; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents a model for creating a documentation database that provides easy access to its users and a self marketing tool for the technical writer. It describes the three reasons for building a repository: building a showcase for the work produced, developing creative talent, and providing easy access of procedures for its users. The article provides insight as to the major milestones for building the repository: creating the database, designing the front end, and linking the database to the front end.
• Designing Policies & Procedures Information
  Proceedings-2000; By Raymond Urgo; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article discusses the five levels of concerns that the documentation developer should address when preparing the design of policies and procedures. Level 1: Defines P&P Architecture, and addresses the need to either use/recreate existing architecture or create a new. Level 1: Compares the united or disunited relationship between the P&P documents to be developed. Level 3: presents the extrinsic and the intrinsic approaches for development the content and the effects of combining them. Level 4: describes the Prose-based and the Structured methods for writing and the uses of both. Level 5: refers to individual units and collective units as techniques for communicating the information.
• Improving Medical Treatment Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; Judy M. Gibbs; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides information on the implementation of writing techniques used in a technical field to improve the documentation of procedures of another. The author describes the scenario, narrates the status of the current procedures, and names the protocols needed to enhance the document. The article provides clear examples for enhancing the protocols, summarizes the positive results of implementing the recommended protocol enhancements, and provides a sample of the complete template.
• Information Gathering for Policies and Procedures
  Proceedings-1996; By Christine Dodwell; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a view of the various methods for collecting, using, and maintaining policies and procedures information. It defines internal sources, external sources, and publications as places to begin research. It explains the steps for collecting the information as interviewing, researching, outlining, detailing, and following up. It presents the need for maintaining files of the research and documentation process.
• SOPs and the Technical Writer
  Intercom-April 2003; By Mark Edelman; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides a thorough method for writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It begins with a clear definition of what SOPs are and what they should not be and takes the reader through the structure, the research, authorship, management, professional matters, and concludes stating that writing SOPs is one way for companies to excel. It explains in detail the elements that should be included in the creation of SOPs such as front matter, purpose, scope, definitions, roles and responsibilities, etc. Equally detailed is the list of recommendations for dealing with authorship issues, which writers of SOPs may have to face; the list includes minimizing cross references, using consistent language, testing procedures, etc. The article stresses the importance of managing the sets of SOPs written to achieve quality, and warns the writers to beware of organizational changes as the worst enemy of documented SOPs.
• Writing Clear Policies and Procedures with Playscript
  Proceedings-1999-J. Richard Flemming CMC; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article presents Playscript as a documentation technique, and addresses the most important benefits of using this technique for writing policies and procedures. It defines "Performance Orientation," and details a method for using action writing. It establishes the need for structured writing as a complementing format to the Playscript technique to achieve clarity; and provides examples for using structured writing.
• Writing Procedures
  Intercom-November 2005; By Deborah K. Lockwood; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article provides basic instructions to technical communicators for developing policies and procedures from scratch. It provides definitions and examples for the terms policy and procedure. It presents techniques for establishing a clear writing roadmap such as using flowcharts or diagrams. Defines Playscript format and details how this format is used for writing procedures. Provides suggestions for establishing style guidelines, choosing numbering sequences, and organizing the procedures.
• Writing Procedures Like a Pro- The "How To" of "How To's"
  Proceedings-1999; By Rebeca J. Edgerton and Jill Nicholson; Summary by Maria Christophel (2006)
  This article is a br /ief summary of the session to be presented at the STC Conference. It is an invitation to attend the workshop for "Writing Procedures Like a Pro." It outlines the topics of the workshop, its benefits, and advantages.

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Compiled by Raymond Urgo

Last Updated 06/30/06, by Maria I. Christophel