Mil/Gov't technical communication

[Andrea Alvarado <andrea -at- WORF -dot- RATIONAL -dot- COM>]

Hello! I am the Silicon Valley (CA) Chapter Public Relations Committee
Manager.

I've noticed that this is a VERY active newsgroup! Good for us! I think
that the exchanges, ideas, information, and comments have been very useful,
and I hope that these will continue. I also hope that the level of
participation will remain high in this group! A technical writing/
publications newsgroup is an idea whose time has come!

I am interested in finding out what writers are doing in the military, DOD,
aerospace, government contracting, and related areas.

Below is a survey of 39 questions. All but 5 are multiple choice. Of
those 5 "essays" (all clearly marked), 2 or 3 are really "short answer."

If you work in one of the areas listed above, or in a related area I didn't
mention, please take a few minutes to review this survey and answer the
questions. (I'd also like comments on the survey. Did I miss questions or
areas of questioning? Are the questions vague?)

Please respond directly to me: andrea -at- rational -dot- com -dot-  I will post my findings
to the bit.listserv.techwr-l newsgroup when I have compiled all the
responses. (I'm soliciting e-mail and telephone responses, so it may be
a couple of weeks before I can compile everything.)

Please mark your answers with an "x" to the left of the appropriate choice(s).

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1. Do you create (write, edit, compile, format/produce) 2167A-compliant
   documentation?
        YES
        NO


2. Do you create documentation that must conform to any other standard (ISO,
   IEEE, CALS, etc.)?
        YES
        NO

   If so, what standard(s)?
        ISO
        IEEE
        CALS
        other(s) (please specify):


3. Do you automate any part of the documentation process? For example,
   if design work is done in Cadre's Teamwork, do you produce initial
   documents using Teamwork's document generation capabilities?
        YES
        NO


4. If you create documents automatically, what tool do you use?
        Objectory (Objective Systems)
        ObjectMaker (Solutron)
        Ojecteering (SoftTeam)
        Virtual Software Factory (VSF) (Virtual Software Factory Ltd.)
        OOATool (Object International Inc.)
        Teamwork/DocGen (Cadre)
        Document Preparation System (IDE)
        AISLE DocGen (Software Systems Design, Inc.)
        DocEXPRESS (Advanced Technologies Applications, Inc.)
        Rational Design Facility (RDF) (Rational)
        PCMS*RTM (SQL Systems International)
        Statemate Documentor (i-Logix)
        Verilog CASE Tools DocBuilder (Verilog)
        other(s) (please specify):


5. If you create documents automatically, are they generated by keying off
   annotations in the code or within graphical representations of the
   design?
        YES
        NO


6. If so, who is responsible for writing the annotations?
        engineering
        other(s) (please specify):


7. Which parts of your documents are automatically generated?
   (please check all that apply)
        headings
        autonumbering
        descriptive information
        tables
        cross-references
        other(s) (please specify):


8. Where does your source material come from? (please check all that apply)
        automatically generated using CASE tool
        read code/models
        interview engineers
        receive specifications, notes, etc. from engineers
        receive draft documents from engineers
        receive draft/final documents from engineers
        other(s) (please specify):


9. What parts of the process do you participate in? (please check all that
   apply)
        write documents from scratch
        write documents from verbal input
        write documents from written input
        edit documents written by engineers
        produce/format "final" documents written by engineers
        other(s) (please specify):


10. What word processing/publishing package(s) do you use?
        Word (Microsoft)
        WordPerfect (WordPerfect)
        PageMaker (Aldus)
        Publisher (Ventura)
        XPress (Quark)
        Interleaf (Interleaf)
        FrameMaker (Frame Technology)
        other(s) (please specify):


11. What computer platforms do you use? (please check all that apply)
        Macintosh
        IBM PC/compatible
        UNIX workstation (Sun, HP, Apollo, IBM)
        other(s) (please specify):


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Please answer the following questions to describe your publication
process. Feel free to add any information you think may be helpful
or relevant.

12. At what point in a project are you involved?
        inception
        planning

        system requirements analysis and design
        " documentation: SDP, SSDD, preliminary SRSs and IRS

        software requirements analysis
        " documentation: SRSs, IRS

        preliminary design
        " documentation: preliminary SDDs and IDD, STP, CSC test
                requirements

        detailed design
        " documentation: updated SDD and IDD, CSC test cases, CSU test
                requirements and test cases, STDs

        coding and CSU testing
        " documentation: code, CSC test procedures, CSU test
                procedures and results

        CSC integration and testing
        " documentation: test results, updated STD, updated code,
                updated design documents

        CSCI testing
        " documentation: STRs, updated code, updated design documents

        systems integration and testing
        " documentation: STR, updated code, updated design documents

        other(s) (please specify):


13. How much turnaround time--from start to finish--are you allowed
    for documents?
        1-2 weeks
        2-4 weeks
        1-2 months
        2-4 months
        3-6 months
        6 months to 1 year
        more than 1 year
        other(s) (please specify):


14. What is the average number of technical communicators on a
    project?
        1
        2-4
        4-6
        6-8
        8-10
        more than 10


15. Is there usually a documentation "lead" or project manager identified?
        YES
        NO


16. What is the average length of the documents on your project?
        under 10 pages
        10-25 pages
        25-50 pages
        50-100 pages
        100-250 pages
        250-500 pages
        500-1000 pages
        1000-2500 pages
        2500-5000 pages
        over 5000 pages


17. What is the average length of the documents created by your
    department/group?
        under 10 pages
        10-25 pages
        25-50 pages
        50-100 pages
        100-250 pages
        250-500 pages
        500-1000 pages
        1000-2500 pages
        2500-5000 pages
        over 5000 pages


18. How many reviews occur on a document of average length?
        1
        2
        3
        more than 3


19. Who reviews the document?
        editing
        writing
        engineering
        project management
        other(s) (please specify):

20. Do you have production assistance and/or graphics/creative services
    support?
        YES
        NO


21. Do individual writers create their own standards-based templates,
    setting up paragraph tags/styles, margins, etc.?
        YES
        NO


22. If not, who does?
        production/graphics/creative services
        editing
        engineering
        other(s) (please specify):


23. Do you (or your production support) insert/import or produce graphics
    in your documents?
        YES
        NO


24. What format(s) are graphics in when you insert/import them?
        postscript
        bitmap
        other(s) (please specify):


25. Do you (or engineering) generate graphics from a CASE tool?
        YES
        NO


26. Do you (or engineering) create graphics from scratch (using an
    illustration tool)?
        YES
        NO


27. Do you have illustrators who create graphics from scratch (using an
    illustration tool)?
        YES
        NO


28. With which of the following, if any, do you interact while
    creating documents?
        programmers
        architects
        analysts
        designers
        system integrators
        project managers
        toolsmiths
        CM/librarians
        SQA engineers
        system administrators
        illustrators
        graphic designers
        word processors
        other writers
        editors
        indexers
        other(s) (please specify):


*ESSAY*
29. Please describe your roles and responsibilities on a project.


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30. Do you use a configuration management (CM) system?
        YES
        NO


31. If so, which one?
        CCC (Softool)
        CaseWare/Cm (CaseWare)
        ClearCase (Atria)
        PCMS (SQL Software)
        Aide-de-Camp (SMDS)
        TeamNet (TeamOne)
        CMVC (IBM)
        TeamWorks (SunPro)
        SCLM (IBM)
        other(s) (please specify):

32. Do you use a version control system?
        YES
        NO


33. If so, which one?
        SCCS
        RCS
        PVCS (Intersolv)
        other(s) (please specify):


34. If not, do you use a CM group or is CM done individually (by you, for
    example, for your documents)?
        group
        individual


*ESSAY*
35. If you don't use a CM system or a CM group, and if your CM is not
    done individually, how is CM accomplished?


*ESSAY*
36. When do you normally baseline documents?


*ESSAY*
37. How do you manage changes to your documents?


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38. Please describe your educational background.
        Bachelor's Degree
            "soft" area (english, journalism, psychology)
            "hard" area (computer science, math, electrical engineering)

        Master's Degree
            "soft" area
            "hard" area

        PhD
            "soft" area
            "hard" area


39. Please describe your previous work experience.
        Years of full-time work:

        Years performing full-time technical communications work:

        Years in government or government contracting:

        Years with commercial/industrial firm(s):

        Years with academic institution(s):


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*ESSAY*
37. Please provide any other information you think is relevant or helpful.


THANKS for your time and input!

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Andrea Ames Alvarado    Rational                   andrea -at- rational -dot- com
Technical Writer        3320 Scott Blvd.                 (408)496-3897
Design Support Tools    Santa Clara, CA  95054       FAX:(408)496-3636
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