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Subject:The Earlier 1986 Study on Certification From:Bill DuBay <bill_dubay -at- PHOENIX -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 18 Jun 1997 10:02:10 PDT
Anyone interested in certification should be aware of the work of Andy
Malcolm, who had headed up an elaborate, four-year, investigation of the
issue, which culminated in the "Final Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on
Certification," published by the STC in May, 1986. For background, read
Andy's excellent analysis of that project in his article, "On Certifying
Technical Communicators" in the Second Quarter 1987 issue of Technical
Communication.
Andy pointed out to me that the STC had a technical session on certification
at its 11th conference, in San Diego, in 1964. Obviously, the certification
of technical communicators is not a new idea. In 1975, and again in 1981, the
STC Board authorized studies to determine the level of interest among the
membership for certification. In 1982, Andy was appointed manager of the Ad
Hoc Committee on Certification. The group held meetings throughout the
country and set up extensive lines of communication with the membership,
including publishing articles in Intercom and Technical Communication. They
queried both membership and employers regarding issues including:
1. What should a certification program include? [Training, experience, tests,
judges, committees, etc.]
2. Would employers value certification?
3. What would certification cost STC? Would dues or fees pay for it?
4. How many would apply for certification?
5. How much would members pay for certification?
6. What vocations would be covered? [Writers, editors, graphics artists,
etc.]
7. What skills would be covered?
8. Who would operate the program? [STC, entirely a professional testing
organization, a combination, etc.]
Besides conducting the membership and employers surveys, the Committee also
managed to draw up a detailed Certification Plan for both regular and senior
certification. Testing was to be done by discipline (writing, editing, etc.)
and administered by permanent STC committees working with discipline sub
committees, review boards, etc. Finally, the Committee obtained quotes from
a professional testing organization on administration of the tests [Proposed:
$55,000 for analysis and test development and $60 per applicant test.]
In 1985, on the basis of the report saying not enough members [<1,000] would
apply for certification to justify costs, the Board rejected the
Certification Plan.
Bill DuBay
Technical Writer
Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
email: bill_dubay -at- phoenix -dot- com
(714)790-2049 FAX: (714)790-2001 http://www.phoenix.com
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