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Some Helpful Resources
Two of the most useful things I have learned as a technical writing undergraduate involve 1)the vast amount of writing resources on the web and 2)the organizations available for technical writers. In the Writing Resources section of this page, you will find links to various sites addressing issues related to writing, editing, and document design, while in the Student and Professional Organizations section, you will find links to and information about some of my favorite technical writing organizations.
Writing Resources
The Chicago Manual of Style:
The Chicago Manual of Style is one of the most often used resources by writers and editors. The book is extremely detailed and covers a wide variety of issues having to do with writing, editing, and document design including everything from punctuation and spelling to sentence structure to page layout. Although I haven't been able to locate an electronic version of The Chicago Manual of Style (I don't believe one exists), you can click here to get a better description of the information contained within the most recent edition of the manual as well as some information about how to order your own copy.
The Purdue Owl:
The Purdue Owl is the most comprehensive source for on-line writing I have come across. The site covers a wide variety of writing and editing information having to do with issues such as spelling, punctuation, parts of speech, and sentence structure. If you're looking on line for some help with anything having to do with writing or editing, check here first.
Student and Professional Organizations
The Society for Technical Communication (STC):
The STC is the largest international organization dedicated to promoting technical communication. I have been a member of the STC since February, 1999 and, over that time, the information and guidance the organization has given me has really helped to shape my direction as a student. The STC promotes the advancement of technical communication through meetings (both chapter and national), competitions, publications, and its website which I encourage everyone interested in technical writing to visit because of the wealth of information it contains (including general information about STC [e.g., meetings, publications, and competitions], a job database, and information on becoming a member).
- The Society for Technical Communication-University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire (STC-UWEC):
Established in the spring of 1999, the STC-UWEC is a student chapter of the STC devoted to advancing technical communication at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. More specifically, the mission of the STC-UWEC is to bridge the gap between the student and professional environments by conducting workshops and inviting professional technical writers as guest speakers for meetings. If you are a student at a university, becoming involved in a student chapter of STC can be very helpful in getting you involved with and informed about technical writing issues. If you're attending a university without an STC chapter, contact STC or STC-UWEC about starting one.
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Jeremy Bates
E-Mail: batesjd@uwec.edu