Presented by Ann Zdunczyk at Documentation and Training Life Sciences, June 23-26, 2008 in Indianapolis, IN. English is one of the most expressive languages on Earth; with a vocabulary of over 900,000 words, no wonder there are so many ways to say the same thing! Mission critical, life saving messages must be communicated clearly in English as in target languages. Even if your content is still in “English only”, this presentation will give you insights to more effectively communicate your intent, in words and images, to a diverse audience. Find out what global forces are eroding market boundaries and helping “make the world flat,” broadening your future audience to include languages you may not have considered before. This presentation will cover many considerations, including: * Is your content written as clearly and as to the point as possible? * Does your content use consistent terminology? * Has your company acquired other subsidiary divisions that have different standards for writing and managing content and language translation? If so, how do your coordinate your efforts in this arena? * How do you optimize source, English content to leverage as much previously translated text from legacy material as possible? * How can a professional linguist be certain of your intent during translation? * How can you validate content translated for overseas markets? * When does “fancy” formatting and page layout become an impediment to language translation? No doubt you’ve already heard about Controlled English, and the many challenges to effectively translating rich, technical content from English to other languages. At first glance, the task can seem overwhelming. Believe it or not, you are already “shifting gears” and writing at different levels of English for different audiences. The same skills you use every day in editing you own email can be transposed to effectively create focused, technical content for a broad global audience. Domestically, a significant proportion of medical staff are non-native English speakers. In an emergency, all staff must instantly grasp the intent of written instructions on complex equipment. The “life-saving” ramifications of your content become even more pronounced when your words are translated from English to another language. Attend this session to learn even more ways to avoid errors and save lives. (And you thought you were just creating content!)

1. Agile Documentation Development Tim Grantham Team Leader, Documentation Standards October 30, 2008

13. Conventional Waterfall Product Development Process Software Product Development Presentation Layer (user interface, online help) Business Logic Layer (implements main functionality) Database Layer (manages persistent data) Customer Validation Requirements Approved Alpha Release Beta Release General Availability

15. Agile Software Development Process 1a. Iteration requirements approved. 1b. Tests designed. 1c. Components coded, tested, documented, and completely debugged. 1d. Customer validated! Software Product 2a. Iteration requirements approved. 2b. Tests designed. 2c. Components coded, tested, documented, and completely debugged. 2d. Customer validated! Release Plan Presentation Layer (user interface, online help) Business Logic Layer (implements main functionality) Database Layer (manages persistent data) Iteration 1 Iteration 2 Iteration 3 Iteration 4 Iteration 5 Iteration 6 Iteration 7 Iteration 8 Iteration 9 Iteration 10

18. Conventional Documentation Development Process Technical Publication Development Presentation Layer (page layout, text styles) Information Layer (text, graphics) Structural Layer (table of contents) Customer Validation Table of Contents Approved First draft Second draft General Availability

25. Agile Documentation Development Process Technical Publication 1a. Iteration DITA map approved. 1b. Topics authored, edited, and approved for publication. 1c. Customer validated! 2a. Iteration DITA map approved. 2b. Topics written, edited, and approved for publication. 2c. Customer validated! Release Plan Presentation Layer (page layout, text styles) Information Layer (text, graphics) Structural Layer (table of contents) Iteration 1 Iteration 2 Iteration 3 Iteration 4 Iteration 5 Iteration 6 Iteration 7 Iteration 8 Iteration 9 Iteration 10