note taking

[Michael Collier <michacol -at- UPGRADE -dot- COM>]

The project managers have found it to be a good thing that tech writers
sit in on software analysis and design sessions--and take notes.  While I
did graduate from high school and college, and did take notes much of the
time (when I wasn't sleeping),  I am interested in hearing others'
insights into the note taking process.

I started by audio taping and transcribing, and then video taping, in
order to accurately capture the white board stuff.  The problem, of
course, with transcribing, is that it can take two days to produce an 8
page document (text and graphics) out of a session that lasted two hours
or so.  (I'm talking about an almost verbatim transcript here.)  I'll
start bringing a laptop into the sessions to see if I can cut down on
some of the transcribing time by typing and listening at the same time.

The PMs would love to have the notes from, say, a morning session,
available in the afternoon.  I have expressed my doubts about the
possibility of this, using the methods described above.  For those of you
who take session notes,  what expectations are you confronted with re:
turnaround time, and what methods do you employ (laptops, dictaphones,
electronic whiteboards, video/audio transcription)? Does anyone have a
support staff whose function it is to do this? On one hand,  I see the
value to me and the design team of being in the sessions and taking
notes, but on the other hand the transcription process seems like such a
waste of time.

Michael Collier
michacol -at- upgrade -dot- com

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