Category: Training

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Introduction to Technical Editing Course

Meg Vezzu

Are you looking to learn more about technical editing and the skills needed to succeed in this area? Perhaps you have recently started a job in technical editing or are considering a career in the field. Or maybe your job involves editing technical documents for colleagues or clients and you would like to expand your knowledge or brush up on your skills. If any of this sounds like you, you may be interested in signing up for the course “Introduction to Technical Editing.” The next session of this six-week course will begin on April 8, 2024.

In this course, we will dive into a variety of topics related to technical editing and cover important skills that technical editors need to effectively advocate for the audience and help technical writers to produce content that is clear, organized, and useful.

The course will begin with an overview of technical editing, including the different types and levels of technical editing and important skills needed for this type of work. We will also go over tips for managing editing projects and establishing positive working relationships with writers. Next, we will learn about the different tools technical editors use to do their job, such as tools for electronic text markup (e.g., Microsoft Word track changes and Adobe Acrobat markup) and the style manuals used by different industries (e.g., APA, Chicago). In addition to an overview of grammar and mechanics that will focus on common errors, we will discuss strategies for editing for clarity, conciseness, and style, including reducing redundancy and wordiness, using active vs. passive voice, and editing according to plain language guidelines. We will also cover topics related to editing for visual design, such as use of fonts, color, graphics, figures, and tables, in addition to issues related to accessibility. Finally, we will talk about some special considerations in technical editing, including technical editing in a global context, bias-free language, and ethical issues.

The course is presented in an asynchronous format, with lesson videos posted at the beginning of each week. There will also be at least one optional live session scheduled where students can ask questions in real time. Additionally, there will be discussion forums in Moodle where students can ask questions or share information.

Students will have the opportunity to apply the skills learned in the class through weekly assignments. Some of these will involve editing content provided by the instructor, and other assignments will allow students to find content for editing (e.g., websites). The course culminates with a final assignment where students perform a comprehensive edit of a proposal.

This course is ideal for those who are just getting started in technical editing as well as those who may have some job-related experience but are looking for more formal instruction to hone their skills.

To find out more and to sign up for the course, visit https://www.stc.org/course/tech-editing-april-2024/.

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Coming Soon: The STC TESIG Editors’ Exchange 2023 Mini-Conference!

The goal of the STC Technical Editing SIG (TESIG) is to provide its members with high quality information about editing processes and best practices, as well as resources that demonstrate the value of editing and editors in an organization.

To meet this goal, we are happy to announce EdEx23, an online mini-conference dedicated to the field of technical editing and to technical editing practitioners.

EdEx23 will be held on 14 November 2023 from 8:45 AM to 12:00 PM ET (for your local time, go to https://tinyurl.com/cw228pyx). Come hear the following fascinating speakers:

  • Chelsea Fulton will be presenting a session called “Write It Right: Implementing a Global Style Guide“.
  • Fatima Hyder will be speaking about “Technical Editors – What Are They Good For?“.
  • Leah Guren will talk about “Don’t Touch That Doc ’til You’ve Had the Talk!”.

We especially encourage students and new technical editing practitioners to join us!

To see details about the presentations and to purchase tickets for EdEx23, go to https://tinyurl.com/35w7ae8p.

The price of the tickets is for the entire mini-conference, and attendees can join at any time. All sessions will be recorded, and the recordings and slides will be made available to attendees after the mini-conference.

EdEx23 attendees who are STC members can earn up to 2 CEUs for the full half-day program. For credit, submit a request for CEUs to certification@stc.org.

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Of Interest: Swimming Upstream to Train Today’s New TechComm Professionals

On 7 September 2023 at 1200 PM MT (click here for your local time), join Kari Chalker for an interesting discussion about how technical editing practitioners can help early-career TechComm professionals with on-the-job writing training and mentoring.

For tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/swimming-upstream-to-train-todays-new-techcomm-professionals-tickets-644794095497?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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Of Interest: STC Education Online Course – Creating and Using a Department Style Guide

Wednesdays, 13 September to 1 November 2023  at 6:30 to 7:30 PM ET
(click here for your time zone)

Instructor: The TESIG’s own Kelly Schrank!

Registration closes 12 September 2023

Whether building a new department, working as a department of one, or joining a new or existing department, many technical communicators have found themselves working on documents without the benefit of a style guide.

In this course, as a group we will create a new style guide from scratch, incorporate common elements, and decide together what’s needed and what might be better relegated to other documents or resources. From grammar and punctuation to style and formatting, we’ll go through the process together. We’ll tackle this as the big project it is, by planning its scope and schedule, including tracking status, training others, and gathering feedback.

After the course, everyone will be emailed the finished document in Microsoft Word to use as is or as a template for their own style guide.

  • STC Members: $375
  • Gold Members: $300
  • Student Members: $295
  • Nonmembers: $595

To register, go to https://www.stc.org/course/creating-and-using-a-department-style-guide-september-2023/.

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Of Interest: Style Guides: Love ‘Em, Hate ‘Em, Gotta Have ‘Em! (Workshop Pt. 2)

On 20 June 2023, at 12 PM ET (click here for your local time), join the TESIG’s own style guide “agony aunt”, Marcia Shannon, as she presents part 2 of her workshop on how to deal with all sorts of style-guide-related issues.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/style-guides-love-em-hate-em-gotta-have-em-workshop-pt-2-tickets-595873251937?aff=oddtdtcreator

If you missed part 1, no worries! You can get tickets for it here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/style-guides-love-em-hate-em-gotta-have-em-pt-1-recording-tickets-569029962937

This is a joint event between the TESIG and the STC Carolina chapter. It is open to both STC members and non-members. It is free for TESIG/STC Carolina members, and available at a small charge for non-members. It will be recorded, and the recordings, slides, and handouts will be available for a year afterwards.