‘UK Technical Communication Awards' - Call For Entries
2015 sees the launch of the 23rd UK Technical Communication Awards, part of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators' (ISTC) professional development and recognition programme. Entries are eligible from ISTC members, non-members, individuals, companies or students alike, with an entry deadline date of Tuesday 30th June via thewww.uktcawards.wordpress.comwebsite. The awards include 9 categories split between 3 classes focussing on communication effectiveness, use of technology and innovative business practices.
The purpose of the UK Technical Communication Awards is to recognise the value of clear, concise and effective information relating to scientific or technological products or services. Results will be published in ISTC publications and websites, including its Communicator journal with awards presented at its well-attended TCUK Conference dinner, held at the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, near Glasgow on 30th September. Submissions per entry cost £25 for ISTC members and £40 for non-members.
UK Technical Communication Awards manager, Galyna Key, said "The beauty of the awards programme is that it is aimed at all technical communicators who either commission or create technical information. Whether they are technical writers, scientists, specialists in localization, IT or marketing/ PR professionals, all are encouraged to enter the awards and gain recognition for excellence."
Alison Peck, ISTC President added "Our work usually forms part of a larger product or service and is rarely evaluated in isolation. The awards programme gives our profession an opportunity to shout about what we do and to obtain evidence of quality from our peers. The ISTC is proud of providing this showcase for technical communicators everywhere."
Last year's overall award winner, Ruth Howard from BIOVIA, enthused "I was really honoured to have my work considered so highly by a team of my peers. It was my first TCUK attendance and first time entering for an award, I didn't think for a minute I'd win! It was really encouraging to a new ISTC member and relatively inexperienced writer to get such recognition. It reassured me (and the development team) that we're following the right path in our help delivery mechanism and content. The whole doc team (and all our dev teams) have absorbed the recognition for the award. We've started implementing the approach of the winning help set as our corporate standard in terms of structure and style."
One of this year's UK Technical Communication Awards judges, Linda Robins, added "The judges are looking forward to this year's entries. It is encouraging to see examples of good technical communication across a range of document types and for different audiences. What better way to impress your customers, your manager and peers? Submit an entry to the UK Technical Communication Awards 2015. You have a chance of an award and the certainty of an opportunity to reflect on a piece of work and its purpose. You will also receive feedback from the judging panel."
The Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators is the largest UK body representing information development professionals. The ISTC encourages professional development and standards, research resources and networking opportunities for its members and industry affiliates, and promotes technical communication as a profession.
Technical Communication UK Conference (TCUK) is the ISTC's annual conference for everyone involved in writing, editing, illustrating, delivering and publishing technical information. With over 30 different presentations and workshops from both world renowned speakers and the ISTC's own members, it offers three days of intensive learning, with social activities for networking and a vendor exhibition. TCUK takes places on 29th September - 1st October 2015 near Glasgow, with the UK Technical Communication Awards to be presented on 30th September as part of the conference.
For further information about the UK Technical Communication Awards and its categories, visitwww.uktcawards.wordpress.com.
For further details about the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC), go towww.istc.org.uk
For further details about the Technical Communication UK Conference (TCUK), go towww.technicalcommunicationuk.com
Press Release Ends
Twitter:
please note the following twitter accounts, which are linked to the awards:
@TCUK_conf
@ISTC_org
The twitter hashtag for the awards is: #UKTCAwards
Contact details:
For
further information or images, please
contact Emma Estridge at Mushroom Marketing:
Email:emma@mushroommarketing.co.uk
Office telephone: 0845 3385138
Emma's mobile: 07801 036653
Notes to Editors:
The Award Categories
There are nine categories, which are split between three classes to focus on communication effectiveness, use of technology, and innovative business practices:
Effective communication
Best conceptual communication
Communicating scientific or technical concepts in a way that is effective, engaging and easy to understand.
Best procedural communication
Communicating scientific or technical processes in a way that is effective, appropriate and easy to use.
Best use of video, interaction and multimedia
Communicating effectively using non-standard means; whether through the use of videos, demos, interactive content or other multimedia in a way that is more effective and suitable than a more traditional method.
Leveraging technologies
Best use of single sourcing and multi-channel publishing
Using modern technology to maximise efficiency. The winning entry will display effective use of single sourcing and/or multi-channel publishing to deliver effective content in multiple forms or across multiple channels in a way that is demonstrably appropriate for the target audience(s).
Best use of digital technology
Whether through the use of mobile technology, in-app content delivery, bespoke content management systems or other means, the winning entry will display effective use of modern digital technology to communicate scientific or technical communication in a way that is more effective and suitable than a more traditional method.
Best product integration
Delivering content as closely as possible to the user. Using some form of inline communication, whether through on-screen text, embedded user assistance, in-application help menus or other means, the winning entry will display effective communication while distracting its target audience as little as possible.
Business and process integration
Best marketing and pre-sales focus
Technical communication is increasingly being seen as a vital part of an organisation's marketing and communication strategy. The winning entry will display a strong ability to connect users/customers with an organisation or encourage use of an organisation's products or services, while highlighting technical communication's strengths as a presales tool.
Best business integration
Displaying exemplary project implementation, sustainable content strategy and integration into/improvement of existing business processes, the winning entry will embody a refreshing approach to content creation and delivery.