TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: A Test to Select Competent technical Writers From:"George F. Taylor" <gtaylor3 -at- CALSTATELA -dot- EDU> Date:Thu, 2 Mar 1995 13:14:35 -0600
In-Reply-To: A Test to Select Competent technical W, From: Geoffrey Marnell <g
Geoffrey - There is no "perfect" test or "perfect" writer, but there is a way
to select a technical writer for a project. List the skills, values, etc.
needed for the project. Assign a numerical weight from 1-10 to each item.
Using a 4 point scale, rate each candidate's abilities in relation to each
item. Multiply the weight times the rating. Total all the ratings. Although
this process can eliminate subjective criteria, I suggest that you couple any
evaluation with "your gut instinct." - George
>Suppose that there is no accreditation process to help you select a
>technical writer for a new project. Suppose, too, that you want to >create a
simple test >to help you select the best technical writer from those who apply
to your >advertisement seeking a technical writer to, let us say, create a
paper >user guide to some new accounting software. Suppose, further, that
there >is some possibility that this writer may be asked by your client to
create >on-line >documentation for that same software. What would you include
in such a >test to help you select the perfect writer?