Have you or your company produced technical communication
products that you think are worthy of awards? Would you like
your work to be recognized by your peers? This call for entries
is your invitation to participate in the following Society
for Technical Communication (STC) competitions being held
by the Northeast Ohio (NEO) chapter::
Online Communication Competition
Technical Publications
Competition
Technical Art (the International STC is not holding a
technical art competition this year. Any entries will
be judged at the chapter level only. We have reduced the
cost for submitting a Technical Art entry.)
The deadline for both competitions is postmark, Monday,
October 14, 20009.
Who is eligible?
Anyone is eligible to submit entries. You do not have to
be a member of STC. You may enter work as an individual or
on behalf of a colleague or subordinate.
What can be entered?
Entries in all categories must contain
sufficient technical, scientific, medical, or similar content
to qualify as technical communication.
Entries must have
been produced or substantially revised within 24 months
prior to September 1, 2009.
Entries must have been originally
prepared for and accepted for publication by a client,
employer, or publisher.
NEO STC's competitions recognize and encourage excellence
in online communication and technical publications. STC offers
two levels of competition:
Local and regional competitions.
Local and regional competitions
are the first level of competition. A local competition
is one held by a single chapter. A regional competition is
one held by two or more chapters, usually in the same STC
region. NEO STC is not participating in a regional competition,
so the first level will be local.
The international competitions.
The international competitions are the second and final
level of competition. Winners of the Distinguished Technical
Communication award and Excellence award in each category
of each local and regional competition qualify for submission
to the appropriate international competition. The committee
will contact you if your entry is chosen for entry in the
international competition.
What awards are given?
One Best of Show award is presented for each competition. At the local level, three levels of recognition are awarded in each competition category. These awards, in descending order, are:
Distinguished Technical Communication (DTC). Clearly superior in all areas, an outstanding entry that anticipates and fulfills the needs of its audience.
Excellence. Meets high standards in all areas, an entry that demonstrates exceptional understanding of technical communication principles.
Merit. Meets high standards in most areas, an entry that applies technical communication principles in a proficient manner.
The committee presents awards based on STC’s judging criteria. Every entry submitted may not receive an award.
Winners of the Distinguished Technical Communication, Excellence, and Best of Show awards in each category qualify for automatic submission to STC's international competitions. At the international level, the awards structure is the same as our local level awards.
Who sees my entry and what happens to it?
In addition to being reviewed by judges, your entry may be displayed to other STC members and the general public.
For example, STC, Northeast Ohio and many other chapters
display entries at their annual awards banquet.
Entries
that win an award at the international competition
level may become part of a traveling exhibit.
The STC makes the following statement regarding suitability of entry material:
“Entries must be suitable for public display and perusal. Entries that contain classified or proprietary information or that violate copyright laws are not acceptable and must not be submitted. It is the responsibility of the submitter and not STC to determine that entries do not contain classified or proprietary information and that the holder of all copyrights has granted permission for the entry's submission. Neither STC nor anyone associated with the competitions can be held responsible for loss or damage to an entry.”
Deadlines, Fees, and Where/How to Submit
The deadline for the NEO STC chapter competitions is postmark Monday,
October 14, 2009. No more than three authors/entrants
for each submission.
1. For each submission, complete the Entry and Description
form included on this Web page. .
On the Entry form's Chapter Sponsoring Competition line, enter Northeast Ohio Chapter. On both the Entry and Description forms, indicate which competition you are entering as well as the category that best fits the entry. Categories are listed and described in the instructions for the Entry form.
Submitter’s Signature on the Entry Form: This must be an actual signature. STC will accept electronic signatures. If you choose to e-mail the Entry Form, print the form, sign it and scan it as an attachment to your e-mail.
If your entry was produced under unusual conditions (such as a very tight deadline or very limited budget), note them on the Description form.
If you want to disclaim responsibility for a portion of your entry, or if you want to draw the judges' attention some aspect of it, use the Description form. (Judges are not obligated to consider any of these comments in evaluating your entry.)
On the Description form, be sure to include relevant installation instructions, purpose, audience, tools used to develop the entry, and any other information relevant to evaluating it.
If you are submitting your entry on physical media,
attach one set of the Entry form and Description to each
copy of the entry media. Media for Online Communications: All
online entries must be submitted as a URL or on a CD.
(If your entry is a web site available online, consider
entering it on physical media anyway in case the judges
experience connection problems.)
2. Send four (4) copies of each entry with the attached Entry and Description formsto:
Lori Neuman
Rockwell Automation
1 Allen Bradley Drive
Mayfield Heights, OH 44124
Telephone: 440.646.3160
E-mail:
Lori Neuman.
3. Pay online or by check. You can submit your payment separate from your entry.
Costs:
$75.00 STC members
$95.00 non-members
$60.00 students
$50.00 Technical art only
Please make checks payable to NEO STC or pay online through PayPal.
Note: If a product is entered into more than one competition, a separate entry fee must be paid for each entry.
To pay online:
To pay by check:
Make the check payable to NEO STC.
Indicate “2009-2010 Competition Entry” in
the message portion of the check.
Mailing address (if you pay by check and do not send with your entry):
NEO STC - Denise Kadilak
Attn: Competitions
4596 W 146 ST.
Cleveland, OH 44135
4. Submit in person. You may bring the entries
and your payment to our October chapter meeting.
