Class pages > English 5593: Seminar in Scientific and Technical Editing

English 5593: Seminar in Scientific and Technical Editing

Spring 2000
Dr. Thomas L. Warren
Office: Morrill 302B
Phone: 744-9470
Office Hours: MW 3:30-4:30, T 3:00-4:30
Email: twarren@okstate.edu

Texts

Kostelnick, Charles and David D. Roberts. Designing Visual Language: Strategies for Professional Communicators. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.

Parker, Roger C. and Patrick Berry Looking Good in Print, 4th edition. Albany, NY: Coriolis, Ventana, 1998

Hackos, JoAnn T. Managing Your Documentation Projects. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1994.

Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

Course Objectives: Acquire basic skills required of any editor who prepares scientific and technical materials for printing. Copy editing, production editing, style manuals, and authors' guides.

Fees: Textbooks; photocopying as appropriate (optional); layout supplies as appropriate.

Style/mode of teaching: Lecture, discussion, practicum, workshop, guest speakers.

Grading scale: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D

  • Paper = 20 points
  • Test I = 10 points
  • Final = 15 points
  • Flyer = 5 points
  • Brochure = 15 points
  • Newsletter = 25 points
  • Panel = 5 points
  • Notebook = 5 points
  • 100 points total

Late work: All work is due at class time (4:30pm) unless otherwise indicated on the calendar. You may hand in work until 5:00pm the following day with a penalty of one letter grade. No work will be accepted after 5:00pm the day following class.

Calendar

  • Introduction to the course; MS Project Tutorial
  • Desktop tools K/R Chs. 1-3.
  • Publishing process Parker App. A.
  • Management I. Hackos, Chs. 1, 2.
  • Management II. Hackos, Chs. 3, 7
  • Panel I; Panel II.
  • Management III. Hackos Chs 8, 12.
  • Design review. Parker Ch. 12; K/R Chs 4-9.
  • Test I. Start projects.
  • Spring Break
  • Flyers. Parker Chs. 1-6; pp. 192-193; p. 196.
  • Flyers, cont. Parker, pp. 256-259.
  • Brochures. Parker Ch. 9.
  • Brochures, cont.
  • Newsletters. Parker Ch. 7
  • Newsletters, cont..
  • FINAL EXAMINATION

Typical class period: 5:00-7:00 pm. In Electronic Classroom. Lecture, workshopAssignments

Philosopy on readings: You must read all assignments in Parker, Kostelnick and Roberts, and Hackos. Be selective in other reading, based on what you need to know to do the project. Check ITCC Proceedings. Plan your reading carefully because there is a lot of it at the beginning of the semester. Know the terms--listen in class and make notes on terms. Ask if you hear a term you do not know. Know the glossaries found in the texts.

Details of assignments

PANELS: You will select one of the following panels to be on. The panels will present to the class on February 15. The panels will provide the class with information about the topic assigned (no written paper but prepare a handout of [1] the key points/outline and [2] references). Make sure that I get a copy of the handouts. Each panel will present for 30-40 minutes with an additional time for questions.

Topics: Panel 1: Typography (include something about the history and development, the philosophy of type, the importance of type and its relation to the message, sources of type including a list of the standard faces available on Word, WordPerfect, PageMaker, and FrameMaker and samples; the anatomy; and terminology of type, etc.)

Panel 2: Paper and ink (include something about the history and development, the types of paper, how to select and buy paper, coatings and their importance; what an editor needs to know about papermaking; what the editor needs to know about the chemistry of ink; color in ink and the importance of color and paper color; anatomy and terminology of paper and ink; etc.)

QUIZ: Unannounced and based on reading assignments/lectures. Number depends on class preparation for each topic.

EXAMINATIONS: Based on readings and lectures. Midterm (March 7) and Final (May 1 at 5pm)

PRODUCTION PROJECTS: You are to develop a flyer, a brochure, and a newsletter. Locate a client (or clients--one for each project is allowed) who will provide you with the information to include in the flyer, brochure, and newsletter. You must have my approval before beginning work. Give me a memo asking for approval and detailing the project, client, financial arrangements, and how the project will demonstrate your skills as an editor. Additional material below gives more details.

PAPER: You will write one research paper of about 15 pages (including the literature cited). Topics: Use of markup languages to use documents in many formats, psychology of typography as it applies to reading, document management systems, future trends in the production editor’s job, etc. Look for "debates" on the following issues–"Line Length and Justification" issues; "Design" issues, "Reading and Production Design" issues, "Paper versus Screen" issues, "Color" issues, "Production" issues, "Workflow" issues, etc.. Memo on topic requesting approval due February 1.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT NOTEBOOK: Start a project management notebook. There will be two major sections: (1) Project management items–especially the project schedule and notes relating to that schedule (use, for example, Microsoft Project). (2) Samples section–collect at least 5 samples of each project type and critique them based on the principles of layout and design we study. Follow the example in K/R, Chapter 1. You should also have sub-sections in which you list working bibliography, reading notes, and ideas for designs for your own projects. I will ask to see them periodically.