Technical communication is a creative activity that is influenced by applied research on linguistics, psychology, typography, cinematography, information design, graphic design, instructional design, ergonomics, history, and other fields. Besides supporting existing theory, such multidisciplinary range of evidence-based knowledge can also inspire new theories and principles, which will later form the basis of our practice and education. In an effort to improve and challenge our theory, research methods, education, and training, we invite innovative proposals in the following areas:

• Collaborations between academia and industry, including projects sponsored by the STC
• The effectivenes of textual, graphic and cinematographic representations of technical information
• Discussion of best practices for measurement and evaluation
• Projects about the practice and tools of professional technical communication
• Applications of existing and-or new theories
• Quantitative or qualitative exploratory investigations that clear the ground for later theoretical work
• History of innovation on technical communication
• Instructional design practices and related products
• Tools and techniques for on-line collaboration and teaching
• Descriptions and studies of innovative academic and industrial training programs, including face-to-face, distance, and media-based innovations

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

Technical communicators face many tool and technology choices. This track will help attendees understand tools and technologies that are appropriate to our profession, learn new methods for delivering and managing content, and explore how to apply tools and technologies to improve our efficiency and effectiveness. We welcome proposals addressing the following topics:

• Using Social Networking, YouTube, and Web 2.0 for User Assistance
• Selecting and Comparing Tools (Help Authoring, CMS, Graphics, Video)
• Exploring Embedded/Integrated User Assistance
• Applying DITA, XML, and XSL Techniques
• Using Scripting Techniques (Ajax, JavaScript, ASP, PHP)
• Selecting and Comparing Delivery Formats (HTML Help, Eclipse Help, Adobe AIR, ...)
• Moving Unstructured Content to Structured Content
• Evaluating Open Source Tools
• Identifying Critical Tools for Technical Communication Workflows

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

Writing, editing, and visual communication are the technical communicator's core competences. This track will help attendees keep updated on best practices in communicating content, provide practical information on using different media to communicate information, investigate writing for diverse audiences, and use text and graphics to communicate effectively. We welcome proposals addressing topics such as:

• Modular writing and reuse
• Writing for internationalization and localization
• Conducting audience analysis
• Visual communication, integrating text and graphics, page layout
• Working effectively with subject matter experts
• Evaluating documentation quality
• Developing specialized contents, including, but not limited to, journalism, marketing and human relations, business, government, technology, medical, scientific, and legal fields
• Writing for the Web, small-screen devices, online help
• Creating indexes and other navigation aids
• Creating structured documentation (minimalist documentation, storyboarding)

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

Success in technical communication increasingly requires keen soft skills, like negotiations and organizational planning, and a knack for self-promotion. A broad array of communication, technology, and publishing skills is also critical. This track will help you find methods to hone your technical and soft skills, teach you how to effectively promote yourself within your company or your own business, and prepare you to represent our profession worldwide. Specifically, we seek proposals on topics such as:

• Managing time and other organizational skills
• Using creative skills to enhance and promote your skills
• Expanding or improving your soft skills (within your team and as an individual)
• Forecasting long-range career goals
• Soliciting new and exciting projects from within your organization or your local community charitable organizations
• Leveraging volunteer opportunities for career growth
• Marketing yourself, your department, or your own business

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

Proposals in this track should explore how managers can promote the business of technical communication, generate effective results for the organizations we serve, challenge staff to unleash their human potential, and grow. Specifically, we seek proposals that explore areas such as:

• Developing effective business cases for technical communication projects
• Analyzing success and lessons learned to evaluate team worth
• Linking technical communication to the strategic initiatives and missions of the organizations we serve
• Demonstrating the effectiveness and value of technical communication products and services
• Handling unique supervision challenges and effective supervision techniques for groups of technical communicators
• Providing effective leadership on technical communication
• Navigating through organizational politics

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

Technical communicators are adding value by taking a lead role in designing and assessing the experience of users with the products and services we document, often starting with the "out of the box" experience, and continuing through all phases of product use. This track explores the practical challenges associated with designing and assessing these user experiences, and welcomes proposals addressing the following topics:

• User-centered design techniques for effectively presenting information in varied formats and wide-ranging screen sizes, including mobile and online devices, and print
• Information architecture, navigation, and search for complex information products
• Conducting usability assessments
• Using technology to assess usability, such as eye-tracking software and tools for tracking and analyzing usability studies
• Visual techniques for presenting information, including transforming raw data such as large sets of numbers into information a person can digest quickly and use effectively
• Accessibility for various audiences, including the young, the elderly, those with low literacy skills, and those with other special needs
• Findings about readability and perception from usability studies
• The role of usability and user-centered design within the framework of a technical communicator's work
• Teaching usability and user-centered design in corporate and academic environments

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

The technologies we use to effectively create, manage, and deliver content are continuously evolving. One challenge when assessing new technologies is separating the "hype" from what's truly practical and useful. Presentations in this track will provide insights into how organizations are applying new and emerging technologies to solve their technical communication problems, and will also provide previews of emerging technologies that are becoming increasingly relevant to the field of technical communication.

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

Leadership Day (Sunday, May 3, 2009) will offer a number of learning opportunities for those involved in STC communities. Part of the program will be selected "Case Studies in Leadership."

You are invited to describe a specific example that details and exemplifies successful community leadership at any level in STC. The case study should be no longer than 20 minutes.

What are we looking for? First of all, what we are NOT looking for is a process. Leadership is much more than filing reports or managing volunteers. There are many levels, aspects and skills to leadership. Individual, team and organizational are levels while skills such as communication, delegation, decision-making and project management are but a few. Leaders share important attributes such as trust, respect, loyalty and confidence.

Tell us how an individual, committee or group made a difference in your community and led the way. What were the attributes that were displayed? What skills? How did leadership make a difference?

Session Format

For more information about this track, consult the track manager for your track of interest

These half-day pre-conference workshops (2-3 May 2009) are for people seeking a shorter learning experience than the 2-day certificate sessions. You are invited to submit proposals that complement the tracks offered in the conference program.

Tutorials (lecture and discussion for in-depth exploration of a topic with limited hands-on activity) or workshops (lecture and discussion with significant hands-on activities) plans may be submitted.

For more information contact Lloyd Tucker, Director of Education & Membership, STC
Lloyd.tucker@stc.org

These two-day pre-conference certificate sessions (2-3 May 2009) are for attendees seeking to explore a subject in-depth over the course of the conference. Participants who complete the program earn a certificate of attendance and are expected to attend topic-related conference sessions as selected by the speaker. This combination of seminars and sessions is intended to help develop skills and expose the attendee to the broad range of thinking in the subject area.

For more information contact Lloyd Tucker, Director of Education & Membership, STC
Lloyd.tucker@stc.org