Award of Excellence: Autodesk

Autodesk Visual Effects, Finishing, and Color Grading HP xw8600 Workstation Hardware Setup Guide

Robert Adam
Janet Hu
Patricia McMullen

Award of Excellence: Autodesk

Autodesk Smoke 2009 New Features Guide

Martin Chesnay
Peter Greenways
Bryan Kenny
Patricia McMullen
Greg Pastuszko
Mylene Pepin
Beverley Stevens
Tamu Townsend
Kandis Weiner
David Wood

Award of Excellence: Autodesk

Autodesk Smoke 2009 User Guide

Martin Chesnay
Peter Greenways
Bryan Kenny
Patricia McMullen
Greg Pastuszko
Mylene Pepin
Beverley Stevens
Tamu Townsend
Kandis Weiner
David Wood

Award of Merit: Autodesk

Autodesk Flame 2009 Extension 1 Online Help

Martin Chesnay
Peter Greenways
Bryan Kenny
Patricia McMullen
Greg Pastuszko
Mylene Pepin
Beverley Stevens
Tamu Townsend
Kandis Weiner

Award of Merit: Corel Corporation

Corel Designer Technical Suite X4 User Guide

Heather Button
Jody Johnstone
Ludmila Minkova

Award of Merit: LittleBrownMouse, Inc

Corporate Training – The First Steps

Kathy Legg

Award of Merit: Nuance

Nuance Voice Platform Grammar Developer’s Guide

Peter Crimmin
Charles Roburn

The three Autodesk entries that won Awards of Excellence were forwarded to the STC International Competition

STC-Montreal received a total of 13 entries for the 2008-2009 competition. This is almost twice the number received in our 2006-2007 competition. Competitions Coordinator Ahmed Ibrahim said, “The competition team worked really hard this year. We received high-quality entries, and the judges were extraordinary in their commitment. We look forward to our next competition. I would like to thank everyone who helped out in making our competition this year a great success.”

Competitions are open to all technical communication professionals; you do not have to be a member of STC to participate. Competitions have two tiers: local (chapter) and international (society-wide) level. An entry must win an award of Distinguished Technical Communication or Award of Excellence at the local level to qualify for submission to STC’s international competition.

Correction: Fixed the formatting for the Merit award for Nuance.

The chapter received a higher than average number of entries this year from a wide variety of industries. The 13 judges will complete their work by mid-December, and the winners will be notified shortly afterward. A public announcement of the awards will be made in 2009.

STC-Montreal wishes to thanks both the participants and the judges for their effort, creativity, and diligence.

As a judge, you’ll be exposed to a variety of ideas and examples that can have a great influence on the quality of your own work. Serving as a judge also allows you to be part of an international effort to encourage quality in — and set standards for — our profession.

See our judges’ information page for more details.

The judging phase of the competiitons is coming up soon, so if you’re curious about becoming a judge, contact the STC-Montreal competitions coordinator, Ahmed Ibrahim, today.

There’s still time to get your work entered, and you don’t have to be an STC member, nor a resident of Montreal. And whether your entry wins or not, participating in the competitions is a great way to get feedback and improve the quality of your work. Your entry will be recognized and critiqued by a panel of your peers. Receiving a Merit, Excellence, or Distinguished award is just icing on the cake!

Entries that receive the highest level of distinction in the STC-Montreal competitions are eligible to be forwarded (with the submitters’ consent and additional entry fees) to the international STC competitions, where they will compete with entries from around the world.

Also, judging slots are filling up, but there are still a few places left. As a judge, you will be exposed to a variety of ideas and examples that may influence your own work. Serving as a judge also allows you to be part of an international effort to encourage quality in and set standards for our profession.

Remember, the deadline for entering your work is October 17th. For more information, see the Competitions information page.

Are you developing technical communication products that are innovative and unique?

Would you like to get solid, constructive feedback from your most experienced peers about your work in technical communication?

If you answered yes to any of these three questions, then STC-Montreal is waiting to receive your entry!

This call for entries is an invitation for technical communicators in Montreal, and beyond, to participate in the following competitions:

• Online Communication Competition
• Technical Publications Competition

The STC-Montreal competitions are the first level of the STC International competitions. If your entry earns an outstanding merit in the local competition, it gets promoted to the International competition.

Who is eligible?

Any technical communicator is eligible to submit entries. You do not have to be a member of STC. You may enter work as an individual or on behalf of a colleague or subordinate.

What can be entered?

Entries in all categories must contain sufficient technical, scientific, medical, or similar content to qualify as technical communication. Entries must have been produced or substantially revised within 24 months preceding September 1 of the current year. Entries that have been originally prepared for and accepted for publication by a client, employer, or publisher can be entered. Entries must be suitable for public display. Entries have to be in English to be entered in this year’s competition.

Entries are subject to all rules and restrictions listed in the Competition Rules.

How are the international competitions structured?

STC’s competitions recognize and encourage excellence in online communication, technical art, and technical publications. STC offers two levels of competition:

• Local and regional competitions
• The international competitions

Local and regional competitions are the first level of competition. A local competition is one held by a single chapter. A regional competition is one held by two or more chapters, usually in the same STC region.

What awards are given?

At the local and regional level, three levels of recognition are awarded in each competition category. These awards, in descending order, are:

• Distinguished Technical Communication (DTC)
• Excellence
• Merit

One Best of Show award is presented for each competition. Winners of the DTC and Best of Show award in English in each category qualify for automatic submission to STC’s international competitions.

At the international level, the awards structure is the same as at the local and regional level.

Deadline

The deadline for the Montreal chapter competitions is October 17, 2008.

Fees

Fees for each entry, payable by cheque or money order, are as follows:

STC-Montreal Members $70
Non-members $85

Make cheque or money order to the Association of Technical Communication

If an item is entered into more than one competition, the fee must be paid for each entry.

Submit the entry fee and entries to:

STC-Montreal Competitions
c/o Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim
1540A Rue Saint-Antoine O.
Montreal, QC H3C 1C4

Preparing Entries for Submission

Download the entry form

Questions?

If you have any questions about the competitions, please contact Ahmed Ibrahim at competitions [at] stc-montreal [dot] org

Would you like to see outstanding work in technical communications?

Would you like to provide constructive feedback to your peers?

If your answer is yes, then becoming a judge in the STC-Montreal competition is an opportunity that you don’t want to miss.

This is your opportunity to use and strengthen your constructive criticism skills! To be a judge, you must meet at least two of the following criteria:

• A degree in technical communication or related field
• Three years in technical communication or a related field
• Senior membership in STC
• Strong publishing background
• Teaching experience in communication or a related field
• Winner of an STC or other communication competition award
• Certification by a communication-related professional organization
• Judge in a previous STC competition (not necessarily in Montreal)

If you are selected, you should be able to:

• Attend the Judges Training Meeting
• Review assigned entries
• Return completed evaluation forms of the assigned entries
• Attend the Final Judging Meeting

Judging positions are limited, so take action now.

If you’re curious about becoming a judge, please contact the STC-Montreal competitions coordinator, Ahmed Ibrahim.

Would you like to get involved in a dynamic team of technical communication professionals, learn new skills of competition management and have fun?

If the answer is yes, then volunteering for the STC-Montreal competition this year is the opportunity that you don’t want to miss.

The annual competition recognizes outstanding technical communicators who produce material in many categories of technical communication including:

• Online Communication
• Technical Publications

Most of the tasks that the volunteer will undertake are ongoing. They are required only for specific steps in the competition process, and don’t require commitment over a long period of time. These tasks include:

• Publicizing the competitions
• Recruiting judges
• Managing entries
• Planning and running judging events
• Recognizing competition winners

Volunteering positions are limited, so take action now. If you want to volunteer, please email the competition manager: Mr Ahmed Ibrahim