SIGDOC'94 Preliminary Program and Registration]

["Susan B. Jones" <sbjones -at- MIT -dot- EDU>]

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                          SIGDOC'94

                     PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

          TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS
          AT THE GREAT DIVIDE:
                                     FROM COMPUTING TO
                                INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

                ACM 1994 SIGDOC CONFERENCE
                    OCTOBER 2 - 5, 1994
            THE BANFF CENTRE FOR CONFERENCES

In 1982, SIGDOC held its first meeting.  A respectable computer,
in those days, was still a mainframe or perhaps a minicomputer.
Microcomputers were just appearing on the scene. WordStar and
VisiCalc were coming into the vocabulary. A new breed of technical
writers was writing third-party manuals to explain to computer
neophytes what the vendor manuals didn't tell.

Twelve years later we convene in a vastly different world - a
world in which
     *  millions of microcomputers, mainframes, minis, and
        supercomputers of many different makes and models are expected
        to work together
     *  people believe they should be able to use a computer the way
        they use their other toys and appliances - easily
     *  everyone who can afford a computer may not have the skills to
        read about them
     *  people want more than the keyboard and mouse as primary
        accesses to computers

The 80s brought us chunking, usability, ease-of-use, graphical
interface design, user friendly. The 90s' jargon includes
interoperability, device independence, virtual reality, the
information highway, and electronic document distribution.

The 1994 conference theme, "Technical Communicators at the
Great Divide: From Computing to Information Technology," gives us
a context to explore how we fit into this turn-of-the-century
world; to talk about the change and continuity in our roles as
documentors of information technology, and to share our
experiences as we stand at a watershed in our profession.

       SIGDOC OFFICERS
       Nina Wishbow, Bell Northern Research,  Chair
       Stephanie Rosenbaum, Tec-Ed, Vice Chair
       Barbara Mirel, DePaul University, Secretary
       Kathy Haramundanis, DEC, Treasurer
       R. John Brockmann, U. of Delaware, Past Chair

       SIGDOC'94 PROGRAM COMMITTEE
       Susan B. Jones, MIT, Chair
       Paul Beam, U. of Waterloo
       John Brockmann, U. of Delaware
       Stanley Dicks, Bellcore
       Phyllis Galt, MIT
       Barbara Mirel, DePaul University
       Mimi Saffer, SAS Institute
       Ray Siemens, UBC
       Angela Patrick, Mead Data Central, Chair, Tutorials
       Cathy Kincaid, Nova Corp. of Alberta, Chair, Banff Logistics
       Chris Hallgren, Canadian PrePress Institute, Chair, Posters

GETTING TO BANFF
     Banff is about an hour's drive from Calgary city limits, and
     about an hour and 45 minutes from the Calgary International
     Airport.

     When you leave the airport, follow the signs for Barlow Trail
     South. Once you're travelling south on Barlow, take the 16th
     Avenue/Highway #1 West exit. Follow the signs for Banff/Lake
     Louise (#1 Highway West). The Conference Centre is in the
     Banff National Park. If you are driving, you will be charged
     a $20 CDN entrance fee (per car) when you enter the park.
     This fee is good for one week.

SPECIAL AIRFARES
     Air Canada (and its connectors) is SIGDOC's official air
     carrier. For special airfares, call 1-800-361-7586 to make
     your reservation. Be sure to use our registered event number:
     CV941218.

CAR RENTALS
     In conjunction with Air Canada, AVIS Rental cars is providing
     us with special conference rates. Discount number is B835539.

BUS SCHEDULES
     Brewster Transportation runs daily bus trips from Calgary
     International Airport to Banff at 3 pm and 6 pm. Fares are
     adult $28.00 CDN (one way), child $14.00 CDN (one way). Buy
     tickets at the Brewster counter in the airport.

CONFERENCE HOTEL
     SIGDOC'94 has reserved the Banff Centre: Mountain Campus for
     our annual conference. The Centre is really four centres in
     one: the Centre for the Arts, the Centre for Conferences, the
     Centre for Management, and the International Institute for
     Innovation. Any profits made from the Conference Centre go
     directly back to the performing arts programs at the Banff
     Centre.

     A room in the Banff Centre includes three meals and two
     nutrition breaks a day, and access to a recreation centre
     (pool, whirlpool, sauna, aerobics classes, gymnasium,
     racquetball and squash courts, running track, weight-lifting
     equipment) all for $106 CDN (single), or $167 CDN (double).
     Please book your room before August 1, 1994. After August 1,
     1994, rooms are on an "as-available" basis.


     If you stay at another hotel, the Banff Centre will arrange a
     lunch and nutrition break package for no more than $20.00 CDN
     for each day that you attend. You can arrange this at the
     registration desk.

OTHER HOTELS
     The Banff Park Lodge (222 Lynx Street, P.O. Box 2200, Banff,
     Alberta, Canada T0L 0C0) has been selected as the conference
     overflow hotel. To get special conference rates, call 1-800-
     661-9266 and mention you are attending the SIGDOC conference.
     Please note, rooms are on an "as-available" basis. The Banff
     Park Lodge is a 15-minute walk from the conference centre.

VIRTUAL REALITY & MULTIMEDIA TOUR
     On Tuesday afternoon, October 4, the Banff Centre for the
     Arts has arranged a tour of the Virtual Reality and
     Multimedia labs. Stop by the registration desk to find out
     the times and to sign up.

A TAST OF BANFF/LAKE LOUISE
     The Second Annual "A Taste Of Banff/Lake Louise" is October 1
     and 2. Only 10 minutes from the conference centre, over 25 of
     Banff and Lake Louise's finest restaurants will be waiting f
     or you in heated festival tents. Great food and free
     entertainment! Here's a sample from last year's menu: baked
     tiger prawns with goat cheese and prosciutto with sun dried
     tomatoes ($3.00), steamed Arctic Char in Chinese cabbage with
     orange ginger sauce and brown basmati rice pilaf ($3.00),
     escallop of venison with Black Pepper and Guinette Cherries
     ($3.00), . the list goes on and on.

     All week you and your family can enjoy a variety of free
     activities such as nature hikes, and art walk tours. (You may
     need to arrange those a few days in advance).

DAY TOUR OF THE ICEFIELDS
     Stay an extra day and join other conferees on the Highway and
     Snocoach tour of the Columbia Icefield.


THE PROGRAM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1994
TUTORIALS

TUTORIAL #1: Contextual Inquiry: Grounding Your Design in
             User's Work

TIME:          Full day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

INSTRUCTORS    Mary Beth Raven, Ph.D., Dennis Wixon, Ph.D.,
               Digital Equipment Corporation's Usability Expertise
               Center

CONTENT:       Introduces new, proven alternatives to traditional
               interviewing through hands-on exercises. This
               tutorial will particularly benefit those who are
               taking on the responsibility of integrating
               documentation into a product.


OBJECTIVE      Participants will learn the fundamentals of the
               contextual inquiry research approach, which
               involves conducting field research with customers
               and incorporating what is learned into product
               development.


WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
               Designers, programmers, managers, writers, and
               course developers.


FORMAT:        Lecture, videotape demonstrations, and hands-on
               exercises.


TUTORIAL #2: Human Factors in Multimedia Communications

TIME:          Half-day, morning, 8:30 am - noon

INSTRUCTORS    Arlen Michaels, scientist and electronic
               communications advisor, Bell-Northern Research
               Limited

CONTENT:       Introduces the considerations involved when
               developing information products that incorporate
               additional human sensory stimulation through sight
               and sound. This is based on Arlen's SIGDOC'92
               tutorial on Human Factors in Multimedia.

OBJECTIVE      Participants will learn the benefits and
               limitations of multimedia communication from a
               psychological perspective and explore new
               approaches to interactive communication. This
               tutorial is not about using multimedia tools, nor
               is it a detailed prescription of multimedia design
               methods.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
               Writers, editors, document planners, and other
               technical communicators.

FORMAT:        Lecture and audio/video presentation.



TUTORIAL #3:  Tour of the Internet: Getting Up To Speed on
              the Information Highway

TIME:          Half-day, afternoon, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

INSTRUCTORS    Joanne Costello, Manager, Network Support Services,
               Christi-Anne Castro, Network Consultant,
               Massachusetts Institute of Technology

CONTENT:       A fast-forward jump into the Internet and its invaluable
               sources of information.

OBJECTIVE      Participants will learn the background and benefits
               of the Internet, how to navigate it, and its social
               and ethical implications (such as copyright laws,
               plagiarism, and intellectual property laws).

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
               Professionals who have or will have access to the
               Internet and wish to use it to enrich their work.

FORMAT:        Lecture and hands-on exercises.


REGISTRATION:  All day
EVENING:       Welcome to SIGDOC'94 Reception


MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1994
CONFERENCE PROGRAM

9am - 10am
Plenary Session: Greetings

10:30am - noon
Session 1: An Overview and Introduction to Mosaic and the
World Wide Web
    Mosaic/World Wide Web presentation, Chris Hudel, Hewlett Packard
    Canada


Session 2: On-line Help
    Timing the Development of a Quality On-line Help System to
    Minimize Panic and Save Costs, Bruce W. Knorr, Ann Norton,
    WordPerfect Corp.

    Changing the Documentation Paradigm: Design for On-line First,
    Karl Smart, Matt Whitting, WordPerfect Corp.

Session 3: Models for Documentation and Training, Part 1
    Writers and Trainers Unite! Experiencing a Paradigm Shift in
    Technical Communication, Rob Houser, AT&T Global

    A Combined Project Planning Model for Documentation/ Training at
    BNR, Glenn C. Russell, Bell Northern Research

Luncheon  Rigo Award: John M. Carroll, speaker: "Making History,
          Giving Reason: Technical Communicators at the Great
          Divide."

1:30pm - 3pm
Session 4: Behind the Scenes of Networked Information
     Untangling the (World-Wide) Web, Tony Cahill, Michael G. Hinchey,
     Liam Relihan, University of Limerick

    Implementing an Interface to Networked Services, Abdul Hanan
    Abdullah, Brian Gay, Aston University

    Multi-Level Documentation of Organizational Architectures and
    Processes, Rudolf K. Keller, Anuraag Garg, Amin Noaman, Tao Tao,
    Centre de recherche informatique de Montreal (CRIM)

Session 5: Visual Design Tools
    Visual Information Design and Development Tool for Document
    Engineering, Jeffrey K. Holtzman, Bresson Rupp Lipa & Co.

    Object Help for GUIs, David Freeman, R.R. Donnelley & Sons
    Company, Technology Center

Session 6: Development and the Customer
    Engineer/Customer Communication Practices: A Study of Software
    Engineering, John K. Horberg, RPI

    Electric Rhetoric: Toward a Rhetoric of Electronic Documents, Kara
    Heinrichs, University of Michigan

3pm - 5pm
Session 7: Documentation in a Distributed Environment
    Interoperability: Rethinking the Documentation Paradigm,
    Robbie Beam, Jaelyn Williams, WordPerfect Corp.

    Implementing On-line Methods and Procedures in a Distributed
    Client-Server Graphical User Interface Environment, Kenneth R.
    Ohnemus, CSC Consulting and Diana F. Mallin, AT&T Bell Labs

Session 8: Information Design and Multimedia, Part 1
    Leading the Design Team, Steven J. Reilly, David C. Woomer,
    Intelligent Controls, Inc.

    Multimedia: Towards an Electronic Performance Support System, Ann
    Rockley and Desiree Sy, Information Design Solutions, Inc.

Session 9: Multi-Site/Multi-Culture Issues
    Conducting Multi-Site Documentation Projects: What Works, What
    Doesn't, Katherine Drew, Legent Corp.

    Preparing for the Global Market, Susan Goodall, Powersoft Corp.

Evening            Poster Session



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1994


8:30am - 10am
Session 10: Creating a CD-ROM
    Creating a CD-ROM Publication from Scratch: A Case Study, Brian J.
    Thomas, SPIE

Session 11: CAL (Computer-Aided Learning)
    Go Ahead, Help Yourself! User-Interactive On-line Help in a CAL
    Authoring Environment, Paul Beam and Diane Burke, University of
    Waterloo

    CAL, Empowerment and the "Average User," Paul Beam, The Canadian
    Imperial Bank of Commerce

Session 12: Models for Documentation and Training, Part 2
    Integrating On-line Help, Documentation, and Training, R.
    Stanley Dicks, Bellcore

    Zen and the Art of Learning Support: Combining Documentation,
    Training, and On-line Help Functions for a Unique Organizational
    Approach to Information Development, Karen Goeller, Bellcore

10:30am - noon
Session 13: Information Design and Multimedia, Part 2
    Creating Large Multimedia Titles, Rich Helms, Mark Ryan, IBM
    Canada

Session 14: Information Design Perspectives
    ConTextualizing the Environment: Narratives of Use in On-line
    Documentation, Edward Barrett, James G. Paradis, MIT

    A Theory of Organization, Joseph I. B. Gonzales. Shelton, CT

Session 15: Virtual Reality and Multimedia Tour

Luncheon  Diana Award: Speakers from Xerox Corporation

1:30pm - 3pm
Session 16: Knowledge-Level Support of Scholarly Communities
    Knowledge Acquisition and Representation Techniques in
    Scholarly Communication, Brian R. Gaines, University of Calgary

    Groupware Concept Mapping Techniques, R. Kremer, University of
    Calgary

    Active Documents Combining Multimedia and Expert Systems, Mildred
    L. G. Shaw, University of Calgary

Session 17: Enhancing the Usability of System Interfaces
    A Unified Approach to Indexing and Retrieval of Information, Kevin
    Cox, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong

    The Fate of Indexes in an On-line World, Mary Jane Northrop,
    University of Michigan

    The Work Flow in HyperText Modeling, Chris Hallgren, Canadian
    PrePress Institute

Session 18: Designing Writers
    Joining the GUI Design Team - One Writer's Experience, Leslie A.
    Johnson, NeuralWare, Inc.

    Virtual Reality, AI, and Instructional Text: Meeting Demands for
    Realistic, Transparent, and Forgiving Environments, Scott DeLoach,
    Atlanta, GA

3:30pm - 5pm
Session 19: Designing Information Services for Specific Communities
    Building an Internet Resource for the Optical Engineering
    Community, Rick Hermann, SPIE Press, Rich Donnelly, On-line SPIE-
    The International Society for Optical Engineering

    The Sephardic Electronic Archive - A Technological Leap in the
    1990s, Yitzchak Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel

Session 20: Collaborating to Create Usable Products
    Technical Writers and System Developers Collaborating in
    Usability-Oriented Systems Development: A Case Study, Par
    Carlshamre, Linkoping University

    A New Vision of Help: Rhetorical Considerations for the
    Humanization of Help, Patricia L. Brooksbank

    Bridging the Communication Gap in the Workplace with Usability
    Engineering, Desiree Sy, Information Design Solutions, Inc.

Session 21: Virtual Reality and Multimedia Tour (Repeat)

Banquet    Diana Patterson, Past SIGDOC Chair, speaker


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1994

8:30am - 10am
Session 22: "Virtual" Communities
    Multi-User Domains and Virtual Campuses: Implications for
    Computer-Mediated Collaboration and Technical Communication, Brad
    Mehlenbacher, Beth Hardin, Chris Barrett, and Jim Clagett, North
    Carolina State University

    Information Ecologies and System Design: The Israeli Mass
    Multimedia Network, Menahem Blondheim, Ph.D., Hebrew University of
    Jerusalem

    The Changing Roles of Educators: Using E-mail, CD-ROM, and On-line
    Documentation in the Technical Writing Classroom, Lynette, R.
    Porter, The University of Findlay

Session 23: Using On-line Help Development Tools
    Creating Helplus(TM): A Cooperative Method of GUI Design, Carla
    Merrill, Phil Herold, SAS Institute Inc.

    Creating On-line Help the Easy Way, Susan Goodall, Powersoft Corp.

Session 24: Roundtable
ACM Journals: Online or Paper?

10:30am - noon
Session 25: Facing the Future - A Panel
    Traversing the Divide: Documentation Challenges of the 90s, Karl
    Smart, moderator, Freda Husic - Apple, Peter Orbeton - Lotus,
    Delanie Alcorn-Jones - Microsoft, Matt Whitting - WordPerfect

Session 26: Roundtable
    SIGDOC Home Page: What should we do with it? How should we tend
    it?

=======================================================================
BONUS OFFER:  TWO conferences - ONE trip!

The week preceding SIGDOC '94 is IPCC 94, the IEEE Professional
Communication Society Conference, September 28-30.  Its theme is
"Scaling New Heights in Technical
Communication."

Contact Nancy C. Corbin, Publicity Chairman, PCS at
<ncorbin -at- lfs -dot- Loral -dot- com> or call (703) 367-6013 for more information or
to register for free workshops on Saturday October 1.

And join us all on Saturday evening for a SIGDOC/IPCC joint reception.

==================================================================
Complete the attached Registration form. All registration fees
include a copy of the proceedings and an invitation to the
SIGDOC'94 welcoming party on Sunday night. Fees are in CANADIAN
DOLLARS. Send completed forms to:

Elsa Biswurm
Banff Centre for Conferences
Box 1020 - Station 11
Banff, Alberta, Canada T0L 0C0
Tele: (403) 762-6312
Fax: (403) 762-6388

------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     PER      # of
                                    PERSON   PEOPLE


ACM members                         $375.00  _____
SIG members                         $375.00  _____
Non-members                         $450.00  _____
Full-time students                   $75.00  _____
Full-day tutorial (members)         $200.00  _____
Half-day tutorials (members)        $100.00  _____
Full-day tutorial (non-members)     $220.00  _____
Half-day tutorials (non-members)    $110.00  _____

Banquet ticket                       $30.00  _____
Additional proceedings               $35.00  _____
Icefields Highway Tour         $40.00/adult  _____
Snocoach tour*                 $27.50/child  _____
(maximum 47 people, minimum 30 people)*

Please reserve a single room        $106.00  _____
               a double room        $167.00  _____
at the Banff Conference Centre from: _____________
                                 to: _____________

Make check or money order for  $___________ (CDN)
payable to SIGDOC'94. Fees are in CANADIAN DOLLARS.

Cancellations and no shows A $35.00 charge will be levied for
cancellation or no shows. If you do not give the Centre a
24-hour cancellation notice you will be charged for that night's
accommodation.


Name:

Title:

Organization:

Address:

City/State:

Zip/Country:

Phone:                Fax:                  Email:




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