Online Communication Call for Entries

Who is Eligible

You may submit entries if you are a technical communicator. You do not have to be a member of the STC. You may enter as an individual or on behalf of a group or subordinate. In all cases, the owner of the work must provide permission for entry and public display of the work.

Entry Criteria

Entries must be in English and must contain sufficient technical, scientific, medical, or similar content to qualify as “technical” communication. Entries must have been produced after February 1, 2002. Entries must have been originally prepared for a client, employer, or publisher and must have been accepted for publication. Entries may not have been entered in any previous STC competition.

Judging

Judges are volunteers with professional expertise in technical communication who are assigned based on their stated areas of expertise. Judges evaluate each entry according to its own merit and how well it meets its stated purpose and fulfills the needs of its audience. They may consider additional criteria (based on the category of entry) that include, but are not limited to, writing, organization, graphics, usability, aesthetics, and the integration of these elements within the overall presentation.

Judges evaluate each entry based on the stated entry objectives, project limitations, production methods, and other factors. It is important that you clearly and fully state all project information that may be pertinent to the entry. A panel of judges evaluates each entry (according to its own merit) and may designate as many or as few awards as it feels appropriate in each category. Judging will be complete by November 2, 2003.

Awards

Three levels of recognition may be awarded in each category. These awards are, in descending order, Distinguished, Excellence, and Merit. One Best of Show winner will be selected.

Winners of the Distinguished award qualify for entry in the STC’s International Online Communication Competition.

Fees

The entry fee is $70 per entry ($85 if none of the listed authors are STC members). Entry fees are not refundable. Please make checks payable to: Boston Chapter, STC.

How To Enter

On-site judging: Entries such as Electronic Documentation and Help Systems must be set up for judging all day on consensus judging day (see Dates and Locations. You must provide one computer system for each entry. The STC is not responsible for the security of the hardware or software used for your entry. Plan to set up all software and hardware required to demonstrate your entry between 7:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. and to remove your equipment between 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. Entrants are not to be present during judging (between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.) Upon receipt of your entry, we will forward you more specific information about the entry requirements and the location.

Remote judging: Entries such as Websites must be available for judges to view at any time from [dates TBD]. If your Web site is not available over the Internet or if it requires a browser other than Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, you must make it available locally on the day of the competition, as detailed above.

To submit an entry:

• To enter online, complete the entry form at http://www.stcboston.org/competitions/entry_registration.shtml. If you register online, you may pay the entry fee online by credit card or you may send a check by mail. If you choose to send a check, please do not mail your entry fee until you are notified by the Competitions Administrator that your online registration has been received.
  
  
• To enter by mail, send the entry fee and the original entry form to:
  STC Competitions
  c/o Ellen Lidington
  PMB - 123
  946 Great Plain Avenue
  Needham, MA 02492-3030

Deadline

All entries and entry fees must be submitted online or postmarked by the deadline shown in Dates and Locations.

Notification of Results

Winners are announced publicly at the Awards Banquet in February. Within six weeks of Consensus Judging, the entry’s contact person will receive award results and judges’ comment sheets.