DocQment archive
This page lists feature articles and columns in each issue. There are also book reviews and many news items about the Quality SIG.
Online issues
The articles are linked from the newsletter main page (follow the month and year links here).
December 2003 (HTML)
"Eight issues to consider when developing metrics for your technical communications group" by Saul Carliner
"Six Sigma hiring" By Dr Wendell Williams
"Musing on Metrics: Making a list and checking it twice" by Steve Jong
September 2003 (HTML)
"Metrics: What we measure and why" by Deirdre Murr
"Customer satisfaction as quality metric" by Diane Davis
"Musing on Metrics: Joining the wagon train" by Steve Jong
June 2003 (HTML)
"Demonstrate documentation value-add with NASA's Automated Requirement Measurement (ARM) tool" by Donn Le Vie, Jr.
"The careful communicator and foreign plurals" by Hugh Hay-Roe
"Musing on Metrics: Order from Chaos--a Parable" by Steven Jong
"Chronicle of a Six Sigma Project" by Jill Finan
March 2003 (HTML)
"Six Sigma and the Baldrige Model" by Ann L. Wiley
"Musing on Metrics: The most important thing" by Steve Jong
December 2002 (HTML)
"Does editing ensure quality?" by Jonathan Price
"Quality in tough times" by Lori Fisher
"Musing on Metrics: Prove your quality" by Steven Jong
"Developing author guidelines that ensure compliant document submissions" by Gary Michael Smith
September 2002 (HTML)
"Quality gets an ‘F’?" by Ann L Wiley
"Practical, effective metrics must solve problems" by Geoff Hart
"Musing on Metrics: A measured look at the STC Publications Competition" by Steven Jong
"Juran: A lifetime of quality" by Scott Paton
June 2002 (HTML)
"Choosing a Six-Sigma project" by Jill Sutton Finan
"Musing on Metrics: Quality programs--Six Sigma" by Steven Jong
March 2002 (HTML)
"Six Sigma and technical communication" by Jill Sutton Finan
"Lessons learned from an election" by George Hayhoe
Printed issues (PDF)
October 2000 Joint with the Usability SIG newsletter (PDF)
"Usability and quality: partners in achieving effective documentation" by Ralph Robinson and Dick Miller
"Are organizations doing enough to improve customer satisfaction?" by David Dick and Shelby Rosiak
"How technical communicators can apply user-centered design" by Lori Fisher
"Gui bloopers: how not to design software" by Jeff Johnson
"Results on a study of usability testing" by Elaine Ostrander
"Quality, usability, and the ontological argument for the existence of God" by Craig Marion
"Musing on Metrics: Why measure usability?" by Steve Jong
Special Pre-Conference Issue 2000 (PDF)
Preview of conference sessions related to quality
Winter-Spring 2000 (PDF)
"The plane crash" by John Kump
"Transitioning to ISO 9001: 2000: by Ralph Robinson
"In the Trenches: Message in a bottle from my desert island" by Amy Perry
"Musing on Metrics: Documentation and ISO 9000" by Steve Jong
Fall 1999 (PDF)
"Results of new metrics in technical publications" by Diane Davis
"Achieving quality beyond ISO 9001" by David Dick
"A look at ISO 9001: 2000" by Ralph Robinson
"Musing on Metrics: Buggy whips, the Arch Deluxe, and quality improvement" by Steve Jong
"The importance of the quality culture" by Kim S. Cameron
Summer 1999 (PDF)
"Information products and quality" by Jeanette Evans
"Musing on Metrics: Marching toward world-class documentation" by Steve Jong
"In the Trenches: Improving the quality of documentation reviews" by Richard Colvin
Winter 1999 (PDF)
"The evolution of perennial questions" by Miki Magyar
"Musing on metrics: Documentation and quality assurance programs" by Steve Jong
"A look at ISO 9001:2000" by Ralph Robinson
"In the Trenches: Knowledge leveragers 'R' us: technical writers as producers of quality tools" by Amy Perry
Fall 1998 (PDF)
"Use downtime to make quality improvements" by Richard Colvin
"Top ten suggestions for writing poor documentation" by David Dick
"In the Trenches: We got it right (almost)" by Don Lenk
"Musing on Metrics: Ed Deming: The patron saint of quality" by Steve Jong
"A quality program for the solo practitioner" by Miki Magyar
"Quality as I see it!" by Guru Kamath
"ISO 9000: 2000--the next evolution" by Ralph Robinson
Summer 1998 (PDF)
"Documentation design is not a solution for poor product design" by David Dick
"In the Trenches: Overcoming inflation: the benefits of minimalist design" by William DuBay
"Musing on Metrics: Getting documentation right the first time" by Steve Jong
Spring 1998 (PDF)
"Can't someone tell me how to measure quality?" by Lori Fisher
"Listserv hosting thoughtful, interesting discussions" by Jennifer Atkinson
"In search of quality" by Karen Steele
"In the Trenches: Love, truth, beauty, corn, and a little salt" by Don Lenk
"Musing on Metrics: Quality for ourselves" by Steve Jong
Winter 1998 (PDF)
"Improving products with heuristic reviews" by Dr. Charles Kreitzberg and Whitney Quesenbery
"Writing freelance articles" by Jennifer O'Neill
"Start with your subject matter experts" by Miki Magyar
"Musing on Metrics: Process metrics, or getting the vice president off your back" by Steve Jong
"Technical writers and ISO implementation: some responses" by Ralph Robinson
"Where is the quality in quality control?" by William H. DuBay
"Self-help a very good place to start" by David Dick
Fall 1997 (PDF)
"Skills and education for information technologist" by Robert Krull and Roger Grice
"In the Trenches: Quality in the real world" by Julia Land
"Using technical writers for documenting ISO 9000" by Ralph Robinson
"Looking for information" by David Dick
"Musing on Metrics: The great readability-index debate" by Steve Jong
"Usability testing bibliography" by David Robbins
Summer 1997 (PDF)
"Editors and the quality of their resumes" by Phil Brittenham
"References on usability" by David Robbins
"What is data quality and where does it begin?" by Mary Ann Eiler
"Musing on Metrics: What is a metric?" by Steve Jong
"In the Trenches: I thought YOU had the quality process" by Bonni Graham
Spring 1997 (PDF)
"Documenting business processes" by Don Lenk
"Improving picture quality with digital cameras" by Ted Dennison
"New SEC requirements for plain English in disclosures" by William H. DuBay
"Measuring why people by" by Eye for Design of User Interface Engineering (Jared Spool)
"Dreaming in color: print quality goes digital" by Phil Brittenham
"Musing on Metrics: What do your customers want? Ask them!" by Steve Jong
"In the Trenches: adding value"
Winter 1997 (PDF)
"When a quality result is a goal" by Eye for Design publication of User Interface Engineering
"Move toward a behavioral model of quality control" by William H. DuBay
"Using standards to build quality into online help" by Donna M. Marcotte
"How do you measure quality?" by Ted Dennison
"Musing on Metrics: Quality is conformance to requirements" by Steve Jong
"In the Trenches: A new approach to quality in contracting" by Phil Brittenham
Fall 1996 (PDF)
"Quality: A Deming approach" by Tom Coens
"Coping with quality" by Nancy Walters
"Musing on Metrics: Why measure quality?" by Steve Jong
"In the Trenches: the evangelical editor"
Summer 1996 (PDF)
Column: "Musing on Metrics: You can't measure quality...can you?" by Steve Jong.
Issues before Summer 1996 that are not online
Spring 1996. DocQment. Features: "Capability maturity model: a standard for quality in software" by Julia Land; "Usability testing and the four factors of misery" by Susan E. Smith. Column: "In the Trenches: Kaizen at the Rocket Ranch" by Brian Atkinson.
Winter 1996. DocQment. Features: "Developing quality metrics that we can use for benchmarks" by Robert Krull; "Kaizen: Improving quality bit by bit" by Gary Perez. Opinion: "A closer look at Japanese quality" by Steve Jong.
Fall 1995. DocQment, Quality PIC Newsletter. Feature: "The Role of Technical Communication in the Documentation of Quality Management Systems. Part II. What Companies Have Learned from ISO" by Terrance M. Skelton. Column: "In the Trenches: Validate: the radiator fan" by Don Lenk.
Winter (January) 1995. Quality Professional Interest Committee Newsletter.
Feature: "The Role of Technical Communication in the Documentation of Quality Management Systems. Part I: Achieving Quality " by Terrance M. Skelton.
November 1993. Quality News Briefs for STC Quality PIC
July 1993 STC Quality PIC News from Shirley Anderson (later Hancock)
1991 to 1993, various mailed reports from the founder Ann L. Wiley