TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I sent this to you direct but received an unknown address message, so that's why
its ended up on the list.
I don't believe you can standardise the writer/developer ratio. There are so
many variables to consider, such as
* experience of writers
* experience of developers working with writers
* how simple or complex the topic or product is to write about
* how intuitive the interface is to use
* the type of documentation you're writing, e.g. online, hard copy,
procedural, reference, quick reference etc.
I'm currently working on a project where the R&D department has about 100 staff
and there are three writers. I wouldn't say that this is very average! I've also
written for a company with less than 20 staff. I think that each project is
unique and this reflects in the number and quality of staff assigned to it.
Hope this is of help. Sorry it's so late after your original posting.
Regards,
Sonja Draeger
Learning Products Developer
Hewlett-Packard Australia Ltd
sonja -at- hpato -dot- aus -dot- hp -dot- com
