Dr. Adkins' Guide to
Technical Communication resources on the Web

What is Technical Communication?

Technical Writing on Monster.com
An overview of the field by Saul Carliner

Resources

Technical Communications resources on Eserver
IBM library of papers and presentations  
Federal Plain Language Guidelines  

Style Guides
CSU guides to documentation systems (includes MLA, APA, CMS, CSE, ASCE)
SourceAid Citation Guide  
Chicago-style citation Quick Guide  
Diana Hacker's overivew of APA documentation style  
IEEE Standards Style Manual  
Apple Computers  

Tools
FrameMaker users support group on line
Excel Add-In for Fill Patterns in charts

Reference works
Acronym Finder guide to acronyms
Convert between English and  metric measurements
Pudue On Line Writing Lab  
Plain Language Handbook  
Writing abstracts and executive summaries


Visual design
A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods 

     Web page  
     Visualization Methods from the table 
     Lengler and Eppler, Toward a Periodic Table of Visual Methods for Management 
Analysis of visuals during Sen. McCain's acceptance speech    

Organizations and Publications

Searchable publications of the Society for Technical Communication
   Intercom Magazine (available to STC members only)
   Technical Communication
The Association of Teachers of Technical Writing 
The Localization Industry Standards Association  
 Orange: A Student Journal of Technical Communication, published by the University of Washington

Examples

Historical scientific and technical illustrations from the British Library   (Searches include "science," "machine," "diagram," and "process")  
Analysis of the Food Pyramid as a technical illustration; compare it to the new Food Pyarmid
Reports
 The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned
Executive Summary of Feasibility Study 2005: Finding the Way Back to Hetch Hetchy Valley: A Vision of Steps to Restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park and to Replace Water and Energy Supplies (September 13, 2005)
Full report:Feasibility Study 2005: Finding the Way Back to Hetch Hetchy Valley: A Vision of Steps to Restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park and to Replace Water and Energy Supplies(September 13, 2005)
Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl   Report of Smart Growth America
Space shuttle Columbia report
Report: The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity (2001)  
Report of the 9/11 Commission  
Interview with writers of the 9/11 Commission Report on  NPR's Talk of the Nation
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) report on the effectiveness and impact of timed writing tests  
Report of the Independent Review Panel: On the 60 Minutes segment concerning George Bush's National Guard service  
Report of the Working Group on Internet Governance

Proposals
Request for Proposal for Management and Operating Contract 
Model Proposal format for US Trade and Development Agency (Click on the "Quick Links" at the bottom of the page)
USDA sample proposal  
Proposal for Registration Authority for ISO 21047 on the International Standard Text Code (ISTC)

Proposal for Financial Regulatory Reform (Department of Treasury)
Verisign Root Zone Signing Proposal    

Instructions/Processes
How to eat a lobster  
How to decontaminate a private well
How to download programs to your TI graphing calculator
How hurricanes form  
How to pack for air travel
How to "SimpliFLY" your carry-ons
Lunar Roving Vehicle Operations Handbook    
Process explanation of  biomass production

Organization specific style guides
STC Usability SIG "Guidance on Style Guides"  
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guidelines
INTECOM Guidelines for Writing Technical Documentation for an International Audience (Download the Guidelines for Writing English Language Technical Documents)
European Union Interinstitutional Style Guide  
Rand Corporation  
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina
NASA
McCaskill, Mary M. Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization: A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors, NASA publication SP-7084
Van Buren, Robert and Mary Fran Buehler. The Levels of Edit, JPL guidelines
Early guide for online hypertext (1992) 
Service Alberta  Electronic Document Naming Conventions    
Macromedia  
New York Public Library OnLine Style Guide  
Hudson's Bay Company Style Guide  

Fun with Technical Communication

Create and edit instructions on WikiHow 
Hall of Technical Documentation Weirdness 
A Font Conference from CollegeHumor videos
User Friendly cartoons
Medieval Help Desk (Introducing the Book) on YouTube
Comics for Usability Experts  (OK-Cancel)  
How to Comics for Kids