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Updated April 13, 1999


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NEWS BRIEF





Two new courses find ready audiences 


Demand is immediate for two new document-specific courses: Taking Effective Minutes and Writing Technical and Scientific Papers





WordTask has enjoyed instant success with two newly released courses. 


Writing Technical and Scientific Papers ran in Toronto in January, 1999, conducted in-house for a high-technology consulting firm. The course offers a unique process for writing papers for publication in technical or scientific journals. 


Unlike technical writing, these papers generally reach a small readership because of the specialized content. In a distinctly academic fashion, the writer of these papers usually recounts research findings and interpretations of data. The readers of these documents often seek to validate the research against other sources and even their own data and experiences. In essence, technical and scientific papers enter the ongoing dialogue within a dynamic field of study--and confront the scrutiny of peers.


Such writing can be challenging, especially for those whose primary occupation is not that of a writer! Writing Technical and Scientific Papers has quickly proved to be the bridge between solid research and its clear communication.

The second course, Taking Effective Minutes, is really not so new. Two years ago, WordTask developed it specifically for the Montreal employees of a global telecommunications manufacturer, where it has run repeatedly. 

We made the course part of our Level One curriculum in early March, with an immediate response. Several new WordTask clients have booked this one-day workshop already. These customers want a straightforward approach to the process for minutes-taking, and are attracted to our three-part approach that addresses what to do before, during, and after the meeting. Our course will help them take the guesswork out of taking the minutes.







TIPS 'n TECHNIQUES



Email: A Mixed Blessing 





It's fast, easy...
and sometimes incomprehensible!


With the advent of the personal computer, it wasn't long in coming--a way to send our thoughts around the world from the comfort of our keyboards. But with email's arrival have also come some headaches. Here are some pointers that may avoid some of them:

    

  • Make your subject line specific; remember that when your readers scan the inbox, they're looking for words that suggest the contents of the message.
    

  • Use the top-down approach to structuring your message: state the point of the message in the opening, and provide details only after that point.
    

  • Apply the same top-down reasoning to the individual paragraphs in the middle body of the email: each paragraph needs its own topic sentence.
    

  • Break the top-down rule when you are giving negative or bad news; of course, always consider whether email is the best medium for this kind of message in the first place! Maybe a face-to-face chat over a coffee would be more appropriate.
    

  • Similarly, don't use email to vent your anger or frustration toward others: if you do spout off some steam, calm down and reread your message before you send it.






COURSE NOTES



Your computer as a writing tool




The benefits of using your computer to write are obvious--and numerous. But there are some potential pitfalls too.






All of the WordTask courses in business and technical writing help you improve not only the quality of your documents, but also the efficiency of your writing process. And at the heart of everybody's writing process these days is the computer as the tool.


With our courses, you learn to maximize the computer, reducing the chances that inherent pitfalls in the tool will come between you and your message.


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