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Making It Pretty--Study Referenced in Earlier Posting
Subject:Making It Pretty--Study Referenced in Earlier Posting From:"George F. Hayhoe III" <george -dot- hayhoe -at- SRS -dot- GOV> Date:Thu, 17 Nov 1994 13:13:00 -0400
In my earlier posting today, I referred to "a recently completed study
funded by STC that describes exactly how technical communicators like me
add value . . . ." For those who are not familiar with it, I was alluding
to the value-added study by Ginny Redish and Judy Ramey. It is scheduled
for publication in the 1Q95 issue of _Technical_Communication_, which is
due out in January. Those who would like to read the study before its
publication in _Tech_Comm_ can obtain it by contacting the STC office
(stc -at- tmn -dot- com).
Redish and Ramey's findings, along with some very revealing case studies,
demonstrate exactly what we technical communicators contribute to the
products and services our companies/clients offer to their customers.
Perhaps more importantly, they suggest ways we can collect specifics about
the value we add to our own companies'/clients' products and services.
Redish, Ramey, and their colleagues who conducted the case studies have
already reported the highlights of their findings at a number of
STC-sponsored conferences, notably the STC Annual Conference in Minneapolis
last May. Prepare to be amazed at the extent of the value-add which can be
demonstrated by some of your fellow technical communicators!
This is arguably the most significant research project ever undertaken in
our field, and we can be proud that STC played a vital role in it by
providing most of the funding and by arranging matching grants from
industry.
Similar research was undertaken by the Manitoba, Alberta, and Canada West
Coast chapters of STC through a grant from the Canadian federal government,
with additional funds from the chapters guaranteed by a loan approved by
the STC board of directors. Information about ordering the results of that
study can be obtained from James Conklin (james_conklin -at- jjconklin -dot- mb -dot- ca).
--George Hayhoe (george -dot- hayhoe -at- srs -dot- gov)
Assistant to the President for Recognition Programs, STC
