QA plan help?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Susan Hogarth wondered: <<What is the difference between a QA plan  
and a protocol?>>

Strictly speaking, a "plan" describes what you hope to accomplish and  
why; a "protocol" describes how you plan to go about accomplishing  
these goals. However:

<< To me it seems there should be a fdifference, but I've been handed  
a 'qa plan' to edit that looks more like a (not very detailed)  
protocol.>>

One of the first things you learn as an editor (and sometimes  
belatedly learn as a writer) is that words don't always mean what you  
think they mean. One of the wisest things I ever learned early in my  
career was to ask my conversation partner just what they heck they  
really mean. Assuming that we share a definition is rarely a good  
idea, and can lead to disastrous misunderstandings.

This also works in relationships outside work, by the way. <g>


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
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