and this subfield of technical communications should grow rapidly. Machine translation is an exciting employment possibility for trans- lators—those people gifted in more than one language and with the ability to write well. You may be more familiar with CAT, computer-aided transla- tion. To aid in the usage of CAT, companies are approaching trans- lation in stages. First a glossary, or vocabulary, of the most common technical terms used by that company for foreign translation is drawn up for the translators as well as for other writers. This glos- sary is entered into the database, followed by, for example, a page of a manual. This is pre-edited and then applied to the glossary. Words in the original piece of work are now transformed by the glossary, or glossarized, and the piece of writing is returned to the translator for its completion and final editing. Of course, this is an oversimplification of the process, but it may provide you with some idea of what is meant by CAT and machine translation. This devel- opment is by no means foolproof, but it does show the direction translation efforts are taking. Systems of oral dictation to the computer also are being devel- oped for translation purposes. Eventually, words spoken in one lan- guage may be computer processed and translated into another. Computer Documentation Computers are certainly no longer novel, but their increased use in every area has presented a challenge for the technical writer to pro- duce clear and usable computer-related documents. Lack of ade- quate documentation, that is, the written form of all the available information about a particular computer, computer program, or set of programs, is a major problem in modern industry. Documenta- Related Fields and Growing Trends 131 tion in its many forms, such as operating instructions, trou- bleshooting and repairs, user guides, and so forth, is essential for management information on systems development and for proper coordination of subsequent phases of systems development and use. This documentation is often not thorough, nor is it done at the same time that the system is developed. Sometimes it is never done at all. The technical writer must be able to step into the complex documentation process and quickly and accurately prepare such forms as the job run manual, the job control language manual, the balancing and control manual, the key processing manual, and the job scheduling manual. Obviously, special training is necessary for the technical writer to function effectively in preparing systems documentation. Some schools offer training programs that train technical writers for the computer industry. Most such programs offer computer science courses and training in writing operating instructions and pro- gramming reference manuals. This is just the beginning of the expe- rience a technical writer must accumulate to function effectively in the area of systems documentation. Many technical writers today are deeply involved in computer programming and able to analyze databases, while they are also familiar with software psychology, human factors, and ergometrics (the study of the ability of humans to adjust to their environment). The preparation of manuals for people unfamiliar with data pro- cessing and programming is a continuation of what has long been a major role of the technical writer, bridging the information gap between the technical and the nontechnical person. Some professionals feel that technical writers are well suited for program design because they are best qualified to design the infor- mation package for the beginning user. For instance, IBM hires 132 Opportunities in Technical Writing Careers technical writers to produce user manuals for their personal com- puters. The writer must learn what kinds of documents best fit the needs of the home computer buyer and what form would be best for these documents. This may require analyzing existing docu- ments, interviewing users and designers, and generally converting technical and highly specialized language to language that the non- specialist can understand. Looking Ahead The need for technical writers should remain steady because tech- nical writing is not a routine job. As you have seen, new develop- ments in communication are continually occurring, and it is widely accepted by industry that communication is the pipeline to global business. You now know about the training and qualifications you’ll need to pursue a career in technical communications and the many areas in which you might find work. If this is the profession that inter- ests you, be confident that the opportunities are there for a serious, well-trained technical writer. Related Fields and Growing Trends 133 This page intentionally left blank Appendix Professional Associations Following is a list of associations that serve the field of technical communication. Society for Technical Communication The official society of the technical writing profession is the Soci- ety for Technical Communication (STC). Members have opportu- nities to exchange ideas, express their views, and utilize programs that benefit them in the advancement of their careers. Some regional chapters have been very active in their industrial commu- nities in bringing business and education together, presenting important speakers, and developing writing workshops. Whether you are a student or a practicing technical writer, you should plan to attend the annual conferences of the Society for Technical Communication, which is held each spring in various locations around the country. Conferences generally attract thou- sands of members and feature speakers from around the world. Pre- sentations are made on every aspect of the profession, and you will 135 Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use. have the opportunity to learn firsthand from experienced techni- cal communicators. For complete information on membership and other society information, contact: Society for Technical Communication 901 N. Stuart St., Ste. 904 Arlington, VA 22203 www.stc.org Other Professional Associations There are a number of professional societies devoted to more spe- cialized forms of technical communication, as well as others that cover more general aspects of education. Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications Stauffer-Flint Hall 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 66045-7575 www2.ku.edu/~acejmc American Advertising Federation 1101 Vermont Ave. NW, Ste. 500 Washington, DC 20005-6306 www.aaf.org American Agricultural Editors Association P.O. Box 156 New Prague, MN 56071 www.ageditors.com 136 Appendix American Association for the Advancement of Science 1200 New York Ave. NW Washington, DC 20005 www.aaas.org American Association of Advertising Agencies 405 Lexington Ave., 18th Fl. New York, NY 10174-1801 www.aaaa.org American Chemical Society 1155 16th St. NW Washington, DC 20036 www.chemistry.org American Medical Writers’ Association 40 W. Gude Dr., Ste. 101 Rockville, MD 20850-1192 www.amwa.org American Society of Indexers 10200 W. 44th Ave., Ste. 304 Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 www.asindexing.org American Society for Information Science and Technology 1320 Fenwick La., Ste. 510 Silver Spring, MD 20910 www.asis.org Professional Associations 137 American Society of Journalists and Authors Inc. 1501 Broadway, Ste. 302 New York, NY 10036 www.asjamail.org American Society for Training and Development 1640 King St., Box 1443 Alexandria, VA 22313-2043 www.astd.org American Translators Association 225 Reinekers La., Ste. 590 Alexandria, VA 22314 www.atanet.org Association of American Publishers 50 F St. NW, 4th Fl. Washington, DC 20001 www.publishers.org Association for Business Communication P.O. Box 6143 Nacogdoches, TX 75962-0001 www.businesscommunication.org Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on the Design of Communication 2 Penn Plaza, Ste. 701 New York, NY 10121-0721 acmhelp@acm.org www.sigdoc.org 138 Appendix Association for Educational Communications and Technology 1800 N. Stonelake Dr., Ste. 2 Bloomington, IN 47404 www.aect.org Association of Teachers of Technical Writing http://cms.english.ttu.edu/attw Association for Women in Communications 3337 Duke St. Alexandria, VA 22314 www.womcom.org Authors Guild Inc. 31 E. 32nd St., 7th Fl. New York, NY 10016 www.authorsguild.org Canadian Association of Journalists Algonquin College 1385 Woodroffe Ave., B224 Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8 www.caj.ca Canadian Association of Teachers of Technical Writing http://cattw-acprts.mcgill.ca Canadian Authors Association www.canauthors.org Canadian Science Writers’ Association P.O. Box 75, Station A Toronto, ON M5W 1A2 www.sciencewriters.ca Professional Associations 139 Council for the Advancement of Science Writing P.O. Box 910 Hedgesville, WV 25427 www.casw.org Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication www.cptsc.org Council of Science Editors CSE Headquarters c/o Drohan Management Group 12100 Sunset Hills Rd., Ste. 130 Reston, VA 20190 www.councilscienceeditors.org Dow Jones Newspaper Fund 4300 Route One North South Brunswick, NJ 08852 http://djnewspaperfund.dowjones.com/fund Editorial Freelancers Association 71 W. 23rd St., 4th Fl. New York, NY 10010 www.the-efa.org Health and Sciences Communications Association 39 Wedgewood Dr., Ste. 1A Jewett City, CT 06351 www.hesca.org Human Factors and Ergonomics Society P.O. Box 1369 Santa Monica, CA 90406-1369 www.hfes.org 140 Appendix . science courses and training in writing operating instructions and pro- gramming reference manuals. This is just the beginning of the expe- rience a technical writer. infor- mation package for the beginning user. For instance, IBM hires 132 Opportunities in Technical Writing Careers technical writers to produce user