Global Issues, Local Concerns "Technical communication" Issues Call for Proposals Nancy Hoft, Nancy Hoft Consulting and Michigan Technological University "Technical communication", the journal of the Society for Technical Communication, is pleased to announce a special issue entitled "Global Issues, Local Concerns", to be published in May 1999. Guest editor Nancy L. Hoft is inviting LISA members to submit articles. Description Today, when we create information products for the world, we can't help but ask questions like these: * Do my information products make sense and are they helpful-even after they're translated-to users around the world? How different are writing styles worldwide? Do writing styles make a difference in reading comprehension? * What do I lose and gain when I restrict my writing to a controlled language like AECMA Technical English or Caterpillar Technical English? * How can I use global communication technologies like the Web, to manage the development of global information products? * If I want to export my information products to Europe, what languages do I translate into? What if my audience members work in Europe but can't read any of the major European languages? What if my audience can't read? * What tools can help me manage multiple versions in multiple languages of online and printed information products? What about multimedia? * Do I need to "translate" American English into British, Australian, and New Zealand English? Are there similar problems with Spanish and French? * What should I do if my company is pressuring me to compromise the quality of a translation? * What do I need to know about users in other countries when I create information products that explain how to use my company's technology? * Are there any international standards that can simplify all of this complexity for me? What about applied examples? In answering these questions, we need to consider not only how the answers address our business objectives, but also how they affect the world. For global business, all choices have complex and sometimes contradictory consequences we must consider. Technical communication is seeking contributions that address such questions in ways that also explore the consequences of the choices we make-consequences that echo beyond business objectives and deadlines and that affect people, processes, policies, and practices worldwide. Submissions should help practicing technical communicators understand, recognize, and respond to global issues and local concerns. Both practitioners and academics from all over the world and from all disciplines and industries are invited to participate. Types of Submissions to Consider Results of research, usability studies, and fieldwork; original contributions to international technical communication theory; case studies; tutorials; in-depth interviews; frequently asked questions (FAQs); literature or tools reviews; annotated bibliographies; tips and tricks; and syllabi and detailed course notes. Submission Deadlines All proposals and manuscripts will be peer-reviewed. 500 Word Proposal 01 June 1998 Draft Paper 15 August 1998 Final Paper 15 November 1998 Publication Date 14 April 1999 Submit your 500-word proposal by post to: Nancy Hoft Michigan Technological University P.O. Box 155 Houghton, MI 49931-0155 USA or by e-mail to: nhoft@world-ready.com