术语管理在技术文档写作中的重要性

Graphic - Shepherding Your Content for Operational Efficiency

今天看了Content Rules上的一篇whitepaper,标题是"Shepherding Your Content for Operational Efficiency"。这篇文章详细阐述了术语管理(Terminology Management)对于提高文档写作效率和提高内容效用的重要性,并给出了应该如何进行术语管理的建议。

的确,从我个人的经验来看,许多公司在文档写作中对于术语或者说是用词用语的管理,真的就像文中所说一样,通过Word或者Excel来维护一个词汇列表,又或者是把它加入到公司所谓的style guide中并加上使用说明。

问题出现了,大家真的会经常查看这样术语列表吗?我其实还挺赞同文中下面的观点的:

Here's the dirty little secret about Word and Excel term lists and style guides: No one uses them. That's right. No one.  Maybe a new content developer refers to a list for the first deliverable. But after that, no one has the time to keep looking things up. In the quest to do more with the same resources, most writers and editors simply don't have the luxury of time to use an inefficient, time-consuming, manual process. It just doesn't happen.

是的,不会!因为这样的做法效率很低。

那么,术语管理的理想方法是什么呢?答案是用工具实现自动化,将查询和选择用语的过程嵌入写作环境中。文章给出了一个理想的术语管理工具应该具备的功能:

The ideal tool should do these things: 

  • Store all the managed terms in a database. 
  • Link the approved term to all the disallowed terms. 
  • Automatically, at the touch of a button, check the content and compare every word to the terminology database. 
  • Flag every term that is incorrectly used. 
  • Suggest the term that should be used in its place. 
  • Keep the entire process within the authoring environment, without having to launch any other application or search anywhere else.

好消息是,据我所知,现在确实已经有这方面的工具插件了。比如在最近发布的 Flare 9.1 中,就有这样的介绍:

Controlled Language/Simplified Technical English Integration

Through the integration of our API and HyperSTE, authors can use a standardized vocabulary and style to improve consistency, eliminate ambiguity and reduce complexity. Furthermore, authors can ensure compliance with corporate terminology and style guide rules using advanced interactive checker and quality measurement features.

最后附上这篇whitepaper的下载地址:

http://www.contentrules.com/landing/operational-efficiency/

 

对了,今天还要祝所有小朋友大朋友儿童节快乐!:P

 

3 条评论 次浏览

  1. Grace 的头像 Grace 说:
    之前用过Excel来维护过一个术语表。后来发现真是费力。更新的人费力。用的人也费力。不知Flare 9.1 是可以直接将相关术语输入这个插件的UI,还是可以用 excel表导入插件后使用?
    Dan 于 2013-7-31 10:28:51 回复
    我也还没有机会实际实践一下,不过看上去应该可以,在 HyperSTE ribbon 上有一个 Add Word 图标:
    http://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/2013/05/16/controlled-language-with-simplified-technical-english-how-to-integrate-the-hyperste-plug-in-in-flare/
  2. Rola 的头像 Rola 说:
    恩,赞同。这样的插件很有必要,我们已经有了。但不知道是否牵涉公司机密,所以恕不能说出名字。但满足你列出的所有idea tool的要求
  3. doria 的头像 doria 说:
    提到这个我想到我们公司集团网站一个维护的share website,里面从A-Z对应的short material description,是一个检索表,每个描述对应5个常用国家语言,第一次用觉得还挺好,起码有个维护的,可是现在看来,不知道如何才能将这个数据库链接到文档形成自动检索和报错?
    Dan 于 2015/7/17 11:35:16 回复
    你是说 broken links 还是内容的错误?

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