Contents
ISTC News
ISTC Mentoring Scheme
In a competitive marketplace it is more important than ever to develop your professional skills. We support our members in professional development by providing services and resources. One such service is the ISTC Mentoring Scheme.
The ISTC offers a voluntary mentoring scheme for Entry-level Members. The scheme matches up members who are just starting out in the profession of scientific and technical communication with experienced technical communicators for advice and guidance. The scheme provides a framework for the professional development of ISTC Entry-level Members and helps them progress to the full Member grade.
Our volunteer mentors are all Fellows or Members of the ISTC who are keen to share their knowledge and experience with new entrants to the profession.
If you are an Entry-level Member of the ISTC and would like to take part in the scheme, or if you are a Member (MISTC) or Fellow (FISTC) who would like to volunteer as a Mentor, please contact the Mentoring Scheme coordinator.
Linda Robins FISTC
UK Technical Communication Awards
Entries are now open for 2024 through the ISTC website. You can find out more at the UK TC Awards web page. Then fill out the UK TC Awards entry form to nominate yourself, your team or someone else.
Go on, you and your team deserve it! If you need any help with your online submission, contact us at istc@istc.org.uk.
Please note for the UK Technical Communication Awards 2024 we are retaining the established guidelines. The awards are open to any individual or team, whether employed, self-employed, contracting, volunteering, permanent, temporary, full-time, or part-time. We continue to encourage entries of all types, from traditional documentation to those demonstrating technical innovation.
The Communicator Awards competition will be held for the fifth successive year. Details will be given in the journal with invitations for readers to vote for their favourite article and column.
ISTC Community
Become more involved in the professional community through the ISTC Area Groups, join us online at one of our monthly ISTC Meets events, and find us on social media (links at bottom of page). ISTC Members also have access to the ISTC Discussion Forums once you’ve logged in to the website.
Area Groups
If you wish to start your own Area Group, contact istc@istc.org.uk.
Online meet-up with Cambridge Area Group
Open to anyone involved in communication from any location, the Cambridge Area Group hosts a regular, free Zoom meeting. It is the second Thursday of the month at 6pm for approximately 40 minutes. Contact cambridge_areagroup@istc.org.uk
for more information.
London Area Group
Dr Vladimir Izmalkov MISTC is hoping that the 24th of April looks promising for the next London Area Group meetup. The location is, by default, The Southbank Centre – Royal Festival Hall.
However, for any last-minute updates and coordination, he has set up a WhatsApp chat for the group.
ISTC Meets
Join us online each month, as we have a speaker offering a presentation on a topic related to technical communication, along with a chance to ask questions and join in a discussion about the topic – all in just one hour!
Friday 19th April 2024 @ 15:00 – Lorcan Ryan: The impact of AI technologies on instructional design methodology in regulated industries.
Click this Zoom link to join in and watch the ISTC Meet.
Thursday 16th May 2024 @ 13:00 – Judith Fellowes – Tech writing and accessibility
For more information on all future ISTC Meets, please visit our website.
Social Media
Community Forums
The forums are available to all ISTC Members once you have logged into the ISTC website.
Industry News
It’s been a bit quiet for industry news recently, so Danny Naylor at 3Di sent the following article to give us a bit of cheer.
Technical Communication in film 2: The bad examples
Those of you who follow our social media accounts will be familiar with our #TCFilmFriday posts, where we discuss examples of technical writing and translation used in popular film and TV. We’ve been running these posts for over a year now, and even we’ve been surprised at how many examples of technical writing you can find on the silver screen.
If you read our blog, you will also be familiar with a recent article we wrote about some of the best examples of technical writing in film and TV. There we looked at really good examples of fictional manuals, and the lessons that technical writers can learn from them. However, the time has now come for the unenviable task of bringing you some of the worst examples of technical writing in film. We’ll look at what makes these examples bad, and what technical writers can learn from these fictional documents – even if it’s as basic as what to avoid when you are writing your own technical documentation.
Beetlejuice: Handbook for the recently deceased
While we really liked the handbook’s delivery method – simply appearing right when it’s needed – the handbook does commit some rather deadly technical writing sins. First, it’s written in specialist technical language. Just imagine, you’re recently deceased, trying to work out what on earth has happened to you while also trying to understand text with titles like ‘Geographical and Temporal perimeters’.
Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness
In order to return to his own time, protagonist Ash must journey to a cursed graveyard where the Army of Darkness are interred, and retrieve the ‘Necronomicon Ex Mortis’, or ‘Book of The Dead’ to you and me. All he needs to do is recite a simple three-word incantation, and then he can safely remove the book. However, this information is given to Ash verbally, days before reaches the book. With no written information available at the point of use, Ash does what Ash does best – tries to bluff his way through and blunders the incantation. This of course ends disastrously, and Ash accidentally resurrects the Army of Darkness.
Blackadder: Armstrong Whitworth 4-Pounder
Moving to the classic British period comedy ‘Blackadder’, our next protagonist finds himself involved in a deadly duel with the Duke of Wellington. Having no idea how to operate his ‘Armstrong Whitworth 4-Pounder Cannonette’, Blackadder is forced to hurriedly read the instruction manual as the Duke readies his shot. Unfortunately, thanks to the cannon’s manual being overly descriptive and full of superfluous information, Blackadder is shot before he can figure out how to use it.
The full article with more examples of bad writing can be found on their blog.
Upcoming Events
Not many UK-based ones coming up soon, but we’ve found a virtual one on UX and a few that are being held in America. Sorry for the short notices on ConVEx (Minneapolis) and Write The Docs (Portland), but the emails were buried in our inbox. They should have appeared in last month’s issue of InfoPlus.
ConVEx 2024
https://convex.infomanagementcenter.com/
April 7-10, Minneapolis.
Write The Docs (Portland)
https://www.writethedocs.org/conf/portland/2024/
April 14-16, Portland, Oregon.
UX Writer Conference (Virtual)
https://uxwriterconference.com/
May 13-14. Online only.
STC Minneapolis
https://summit.stc.org/conference/
May 17-19, Bloomington, Minneapolis.
Training Courses
This issue of InfoPlus will be the last one where we include all the information about all of the courses in full detail. From the next issue, there will be a page on the ISTC website.
This will enable us to expand and update the details for the courses (paid for and free ones) on a more regular basis instead of once a month.
Armada
April 2024 Courses
All courses have a 10% discount for ISTC members (coupon code ISTC10)
April 8th & 9th – Introduction to Adobe Photoshop
Learn how to create and edit images using the de facto standard in the graphics industry. Techniques covered include colour correction, working with layers, compositing images and preparing images for use on the Web.
- £295 + VAT. Instructor led, live online course
- £345 + VAT. In-class at our Milton Keynes training centre
April 15th & 16th – Introduction to Adobe Illustrator
Learn how to create and edit vector graphics quickly and effectively, in the leading application for vector graphics. The comprehensive toolset and features available provide everything you need to produce extraordinary graphics for print, video, the web and mobile devices.
- £295 + VAT. Instructor led, live online course
- £345 + VAT. In-class at our Bromsgrove training centre
April 24th & 25th – Introduction to Adobe After Effects
Teaches all the key skills needed to use the leading professional software for motion graphics, video compositing and visual effects. Used across all forms of video and screen-based media, After Effects offers a powerful set of tools to deliver stunning visual results.
- £345 + VAT. Instructor led, live online course
- £395 + VAT. In-class at our Milton Keynes training centre
May 2024 Courses
All courses have a 10% discount for ISTC members (coupon code ISTC10
May 9th & 10th – Introduction to Adobe InDesign
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the powerful capabilities of InDesign, including setting up new documents, shapes, frames and using InDesign’s most popular features.
- £295 + VAT. Instructor led, live online course
- £345 + VAT. In-class at our Nottingham training centre
May 13th & 14th – Introduction to Adobe Illustrator
Learn how to create and edit vector graphics quickly and effectively, in the leading application for vector graphics. The comprehensive toolset and features available provide everything you need to produce extraordinary graphics for print, video, the web and mobile devices.
- £295 + VAT. Instructor led, live online course
- £345 + VAT. In-class at our Manchester training centre
May 28th & 29th – Adobe Photoshop
Learn how to create and edit images using the de facto standard in the graphics industry. Techniques covered include colour correction, working with layers, compositing images and preparing images for use on the Web.
- £295 + VAT. Instructor led, live online course
- £345 + VAT. In-class at our Cardiff training centre
Cherryleaf
USING GENERATIVE AI IN TECHNICAL WRITING
This online course covers how technical communicators can use Generative Artificial Intelligence to help them:
- Be more efficient.
- Create better deliverables for their users.
We went through all the key stages in a technical writing project. At each step, we investigated whether AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude could make a Technical Writer’s job easier and better. After a lot of research and testing, we ended up with the content for this course.
The course provides a framework that attendees can use to identify opportunities and best practices for integrating ChatGPT, Claude, LLaMA, and similar tools into their technical authoring processes – creating, managing, and delivering technical content.
Technical author/technical writer/technical writing e-learning course
https://www.cherryleaf.com/training/technical-author-basicinduction-training-course/
Learn to write like a professional technical communicator. This course teaches you the fundamentals of technical writing, and helps you understand your role as a Technical Author (or similar position).
This technical communication course is accredited by the ISTC.
Creating Content for User Onboarding
Everything you need to know about onboarding customers onto your product.
https://cherryleaf.teachable.com/p/creating-onboarding-content
Fundamentals of Technical Writing
Learn the fundamentals of technical writing and understand the Technical Author’s role. Course accredited by the ISTC.
https://cherryleaf.teachable.com/p/technical-writer-induction-course
Intermediate/Advanced Technical Writing
You can take one or all of the 12 technical communication training courses in this bundle:
https://cherryleaf.teachable.com/p/advanced-technical-communication/
Creating Screenshots and Images for User Guides
Cherryleaf’s e-learning course on creating screenshots and images for user guides gives you the foundations for creating professional images in an efficient way. The course includes exercises and model answers for delegates to complete and review.
https://www.cherryleaf.com/training-courses/images-course/
New two-course bundles
We offer five bundle options that contain two courses at a discounted price:
- Technical Writing & Screenshots Course Bundle
- Technical Writing & UI Text Course Bundle
- Technical Writing & User Onboarding Course Bundle
- Technical Writing & Copywriting Course Bundle
- Technical Writing and API Documentation
Virtual Classroom Courses
We also offer the following courses in virtual classroom format for organisations:
- Technical writing for developers
- Technical writing for Support staff
- Technical writing fundamentals
- Writing policies and procedures
- Writing financial policies and procedures
For more information, visit Cherryleaf training.
Firehead
Structured Prompt Operations for Technical Communicators and Content Developers
Discover the art of blending AI with technical communication in this comprehensive course. Learn to structure AI-generated prompts effectively, enhance team workflows, and develop a versatile Prompt Operations Plan.
Join us to unlock the potential of AI in your writing process, whether individually or as part of a team.
https://firehead-training.net/course/structuring-chat-gpt-prompts-for-technical-communicators
The full range of training courses hosted by Firehead.
Free technical writing courses
Some free technical writing courses submitted by Mike Mee.
- https://developers.google.com/tech-writing/overview
- https://github.com/wise4rmgod/TechnicalWriterResources
- https://iimskills.com/a-guide-on-technical-writing-and-technical-writing-training/
- https://firehead.net/free-resources/ – lots of guides about various aspects of technical communication (PDF format)
- https://cakeconsultancy.com/course/content-accessibility-an-introduction/ – Lizzie Bruce (Cake Consultancy) offers a free course on content accessibility.
Note: The above will be moved to the Publication and Resources pages on the ITSC website from next month onwards.
Let’s Talk ContentOps
ISTC Honorary Fellow, Rahel Bailie, hosts some webinars talking about things that are of interest to technical communicators. Recorded webinars include:
- Spotting And Eliminating Waste In Your Content Supply Chain
- We Have AI — Can We Ditch Structured Content Now?
- Content Strategies for Sustainable ContentOps
- ContentOps in Conversational Artificial Intelligence
- ContentOps as Part of Product Lifecycle Management
- Let’s Talk Content Operations
- Growing a Customer Support Site Into a ContentOps Pipeline
- Turning Team Pains into Operational Gains
Find out more at https://www.brighttalk.com/search/?q=Rahel+Bailie.
Short-term Training in Technical Communication at Polytechnic University of Porto
You can enrol in individual modules of the Postgraduate Diploma in Technical Communication from the Porto Executive Academy (PEA – ISCAP-P.PORTO).
Most classes take place on Friday evening (18h30 to 21h30) and Saturday morning (9h00 to 13h00).
For additional information, to learn of any calendar changes, and to enrol, contact the Programme Director at alexalb@iscap.ipp.pt some weeks in advance.
Besides the course price, there is an additional enrolment fee of €30 (per academic year) that also covers insurance.
27-Apr: Technical Communication II
João Ribeiro, Synopsys.
- Apply different writing techniques in English.
- Understand the specifics of creating content in a non-maternal language.
20h (5x4h) from 27-Apr to 25-May.
€207.69, instructor led, live online course.
3-May: Editing and Proofreading
Joana Fernandes, PhD, PEA – ISCAP-P.PORTO.
- Problematize the theoretical concepts of editing and proofreading.
- Discuss issues concerning decision-making processes.
- Get familiar with English normative and reference linguistic resources.
- Experience different proofreading and editing tasks.
- Critically analyze the content of existing norms such as style guides and quality control grids.
- Test and critically analyze free and proprietary software tools to support text revision.
12h (4x3h) from 3-May to 24-May.
€124.62, instructor led, live online course.
31-May: Documentation of REST APIs
Joaquim Baptista, ex-Farfetch.
- Identify reasons and decisions that led to the widespread usage of REST APIs.
- Identify details of commands and responses of REST APIs, and how developers specify them.
- Walk in the shoes of client developers to answer their questions in references.
- Visualize large APIs using UMLish diagrams.
- Improve incomplete and ambiguous API specifications.
16h (4x3h + 4h) from 31-May to 26-Jun.
€166.15, instructor led, live online course.
1-Jun: Docs as Code
Jaime Vasconcelos, Probely.
- Use a version control repository (Git) to track and manage your documentation.
- Write documentation using simple plain text markup (Markdown).
- Collaborate with other people while writing documentation as a team with Git.
- Structure the documentation in a topic-based approach.
- Publish the documentation to a website and see your work evolve as you go.
16h (4x4h) from 1-Jun to 22-Jun.
€166.15, instructor led, live online course.
14-Jun: Introduction to Technical Writing Project Management
Bruno Santos, Synopsys.
- Manage and develop a technical communication project, taking into account the different phases that constitute it.
- Create content for a manual, translate the manual and manage its terminology, using the appropriate tools.
16h (4x4h) from 14-Jun to 29-Jun.
€166.15, instructor led, live online course.
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InfoPlus, the Monthly Newsletter from the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC), is a valuable resource for the largest UK body representing scientific and technical communicators. Whether you are involved in technical writing, technical illustration, or other forms of communicating technical information, ISTC is the professional association dedicated to supporting your career.
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