Category: Conversation Starter

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Conversation Starter: What Are Your Thoughts About “Male” and “Female” Connecter Ends?

Editor’s Note: As part of our Conversation Starter feature, we present what we hope will be an ongoing discussion about the evolution of the English language, especially the use of gendered descriptive adjectives. For a related topic, see Conversation Starter: How Do You Feel About the Singular “They”?

Want to join the conversation? Email your thoughts to editor@stc-techedit.org, or write them in the Comments section at the end of this article. We’ll publish them in future issues.

Professor Jo Mackiewicz of Iowa State University is studying how editors make editorial decisions about issues related to gender, and has put together a short survey about the about the use of “male” and “female” to describe connector ends (for example, the end of a cable or a pipe fitting). The survey should take just 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the detail you provide in your responses

The findings of this study can help editors better understand how other editors make editorial decisions related to gendered descriptive adjectives.

To participate in this study, go to: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4TpOSYCPEARiJMy

If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Mackiewicz (jomack@iastate.edu).

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Eye for Editing: Beyond Typos

by Paula Robertson

Editor’s Note: A version of this article was originally published in the STC Notebook in October 2013 as the second in a series. Over the course of 2022, we hope to publish more of these articles. To make it easier for you to find these articles again in the future, they will be tagged with the Eye for Editing tag, and the titles prefaced with the same phrase.

Continue reading “Eye for Editing: Beyond Typos”
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Eye for Editing: Learned or Innate?

by Paula Robertson

Editor’s Note: A version of this article was originally published in the STC Notebook in September 2013 as the first in a series. Over the course of 2022, we hope to publish more of these articles. To make it easier for you to find these articles again in the future, they will be tagged with the Eye for Editing tag, and the titles prefaced with the same phrase.

The Eye for Editing column explores the topic of editing—technical editing, editing as a skill, practical tips, personal stories, and whatever tangents that might lead us to. I hope to engage you in reflection to answer the question, “Do you have an Eye for Editing?”

Continue reading “Eye for Editing: Learned or Innate?”
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Conversation Starter: How Do You Feel About the Singular “They”?

Editor’s Note: As part of our Conversation Starter feature, we present what we hope is the first part of an ongoing discussion about the evolution of the English language, especially the use of gender-neutral pronouns.

Want to join the conversation? Email your thoughts to editor@stc-techedit.org, or write them in the Comments section at the end of this article. We’ll publish them in future issues.

Professor Jo Mackiewicz and Allison Durazzi of Iowa State University are studying how editors make editorial decisions about issues related to gender, and have put together a short survey about the use of the singular pronoun “they.” The findings of this study can help editors better understand how other editors make editorial decisions related to gender and pronouns.

This survey is a much shorter and easier-to-use version than one they distributed previously, and they think (or, at least, hope) that it will be thought provoking. It should take approximately 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the detail you provide in your responses.

To participate in this study, go to: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2gdfd9eFWxBayb4

If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Mackiewicz (jomack@iastate.edu).

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Call for Submissions to Corrigo!

Do you have something to say that you think technical editing practitioners will find interesting? Then consider submitting it for publication on Corrigo!

You don’t need to be a member of the STC Technical Editing SIG – regardless of your official job title, we welcome and encourage everyone to read and submit to Corrigo.

Corrigo has lots of different feature categories:

You can submit short (1000 words or less), original content about subjects you think technical editing practitioners might find interesting, for example:

  • Stories about how applying technical editing skills increases reader satisfaction
  • Information about tools you find helpful
  • Hacks that you use to make your job easier
  • Tips about how to balance quality and deadlines
  • Vignettes about a day in your life as a technical editing practitioner
  • Links to sites you find helpful in your job, with explanations about how they help you
  • Reviews of articles, books, or events you’ve read or been to that relate to technical editing

We’re also looking for longer, more detailed original articles about topics that pertain to technical editing, both its theory and its practice.

Send your submissions to the Corrigo editor, Yoel Strimling, at editor@stc-techedit.org.
We’ll try to get back to you within three weeks with our decision. If we think changes need to be made to the submission before it is accepted, we’ll make suggestions.

If you want to discuss possible ideas for submission to Corrigo, send an email to Yoel, and he’ll be happy to listen.