By Sarah Stasiak
Online writing resources provide valuable insight and professional networking opportunities to assist every writer. Professional Writers can significantly benefit from exposure to a variety of writing organizations and societies. Writers can also gain an advantage from the utilization of online writing resources when drafting their professional documents. A small list and short description of online writing resources are listed below.
The Owl @ Purdue:
It is widely known that the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue’s resources assist writers in composing research papers. However, the OWL also provides resources designed to help writers prepare documents for the workplace. Specifically, these resources target memoranda, business letters, technical reports, scientific abstracts, white papers, and grants. If you are faced with a document preparation challenge, the OWL at Purdue provides handouts to assist clarity and sample documents are provided as examples of formatting. If you are concerned about the overall tone of your document, then consider the resource offered to assist revision and tone in business writing. For those concerned about document design, a HATS presentation introduces and assists students with: Headings, information Access, Typography, and Space in documents ensure user-centered communication. To assist a writer’s audience analysis, resources are available that help build relevant information about readers and analyze an audience’s needs, values, and attitudes. Analysis charts are provided to discuss complex audiences and provide key questions. The Purdue OWL resource page also provides links to other online writing resources for writers engaging in a job search process.
The Society for Technical Communication:
The Society for Technical Communication (STC) is an organization dedicated to advancing the field of technical communication. The Society has members from every industry of technical communication and almost 50 countries. Members can benefit from joining the Society by attending one of the many educational events offered throughout the year. The events often include educational program seminars that provide professional growth and skill development opportunities to Society members. These events improve the knowledge of members and promote technical communication globally. The educational events also foster constructive relationships between the industry and various academic communities for future technical communicators. Members can advance their career through social networking. In addition to the educational events, STC also helps to aggregate, analyze, and ultimately publish data that the members have contributed. For a recent college graduate, the Society works directly with technical communicator employers to identify related organizations, facilitate partnerships, and achieve shared goals among employers and Society members. The STC is always looking to recruit new members and serves as a great career advancement tool.
The EServer Technical Communication Library:
This site is a community-based library of technical communication. It is a nonprofit open-access directory of online resources available for anyone who wishes to produce, manage, archive, or distribute technical information. The directory contains approximately 22,000 online works consisting of various articles, publications, presentations, and other miscellaneous works. The site functions as a search engine. Simply type the information desired, hit enter, and a list of online resources will be available. Technical writers, editors, publishers, researchers, illustrators, animators, multimedia developers, instructional designers, educators, web designers, user experience designers, and those interested in learning how to improve human communications can benefit from this site’s resources. Writers, editors, and publishers can use the Communication Library to produce or manage existing works. Every writer can find assistance through the wide variety of resources the Communication Library offers. Researchers can use the library to conduct research. Web and user experience designers can find assistance in designing various works.
IEEE Professional Communication Society:
The IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS) is an online community comprised of members that access the latest research involving communication in engineering, scientific, and other technical environments (http://www.ieee.org). Members are provided with access to the IEEE Transactions on Profession Communication journal, the Society’s newsletter, training pod casts, specialized rates on the International Professional Communication Conference, and chapter workshops for networking and continuing education. Members are also provided with an opportunity to enhance their worldwide value of their profession. Joining the Communication Society would help any student jump start their career. The IEEE offers employment opportunities for recent graduates seeking a career in a professional writing field. Membership is affordable and grants access to a variety of professional writing journals and magazines. The IEEE encourages member publication in these professional writing journals and magazines.
