The topic discussed was “Managing the King: Why Terminology Management is a Critical Component of Successful Content Strategies”. The entire webinar was recorded and is available on acrolinx.com.

Since we had so many great questions from the audience, we asked Scott to address those that weren’t covered during the session. His responses are below:

Where does the notion of controlled vocabularies and ontologies enter into this discussion?

According to Wikipedia: “Controlled vocabularies provide a way to organize knowledge for subsequent retrieval. They are used in subject indexing schemes, subject headings, thesauri and taxonomies. Controlled vocabulary schemes mandate the use of predefined, authorized terms that have been preselected by the designer of the vocabulary, in contrast to natural language vocabularies, where there is no restriction on the vocabulary.”

When you start to think about terminology management and you hear the words “controlled vocabularies” or “ontologies” or “taxonomies”, you know you are working with people who do (or think they do) understand these terms. This usually means that you are “in the weeds” — down at a much granular level than you need to be to start discussions about terminology management.

First, terminology management is part of governance. And governance is about control. And control is about management. In this case, the management of content — and those who produce it. In organizations that value content as a business asset worthy of being managed efficiently and effectively, terminology management is a byproduct of a content strategy.

Content strategies are designed so that organizations can explicitly state what they will do with their resources (money and people — which is really all about money) to meet their goals. If the goal is efficiently and effectively produce top quality, relevant content for those who need it, and to efficiently and effectively make it available, so those who need it can find it, then terminology management is something to be discussed.

The way you decide to manage terminology has a lot to do with the maturity of your organization at adopting new processes. New processes usually mean new tools and new ways of working. And, new methods of organizing information may also enter into discussion at this time.

While controlled vocabularies and ontologies may not be new to some people, many folks in a typical organization have different thoughts about organizing information. They come from different backgrounds and they already have a pretty good idea of how they think information should be categories for retrieval. Library science folks have been used to categorizing physical things with one location (books, magazine articles, etc.) while web content pros have been categories things for machine assisted findability — digital things that may have many places. Digital asset managers describe media in ways that are far different than a technical writer might describe the topics contained in a set of documentation. So, what is needed is not some huge, over-arching, categorization scheme for every potential use, but a strategy for categorizing things in the way people use them, so they are findable, accessible and reusable. To get started, do yourself a favor, banish words like ontology and controlled vocabularies. I’m in favor is using both when appropriate. But, the discussion takes places later in the process of deciding how best to manage content.

First, admit you have a problem.

To learn more about Taxonomies and terminology management for SEO, listen to this recorded webinar from Seth Earley of Earley & Associates: http://www.acrolinx.com/acronews_en/items/terminology-management-for-search-engine-optimization2.html

Also, check out the articles and classes offered by Earley & Associates on their corporate blog

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Any thoughts about the impact of terminology management on collaborative authoring?

Why yes, I have plenty of thoughts about that. In brief, I am waiting for authoring tool manufacturers to get smart and include terminology management as a part of collaborative and c-authoring environments, especially in browser-based solutions. Frankly, it is tiring to recommend tools that only do part of what is needed. The killer app would not only allow disparate teams of authors to collaborate from remote locations via the web to create content, but would also include a rules engine and terminology database behind it (in the cloud) that could help govern the content being created.

It won’t be long until such tools become commonly available, but I wish that day would come faster. I think it’s going to take a while for organizations to start realizing just how much money they waste creating content in sloppy, inefficient, uncontrolled environments. Once they do, they’ll demand tool vendors provide more robust solutions.

And, robust does not mean complicated to use. Software can be useful and easy to use, I believe.

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Much to today’s focus had more of commercial/marketing focus, is the issue of terminology management within the scientific arena?

Yes, and I would imagine linguistic scientists talk ad nauseum about the topic in a totally different way than I do. My viewpoint is not commercial — it’s anti-waste. I come to the terminology management table purely because I am tired of hearing how writing cannot (or should not) be controlled. As far as I am concerned, if I invest money in your company or pay taxes to your government, you should be a good steward of the money you are provided to create, manage and deliver information. You should find the most efficient and most effective ways to do what you do — without whining about it or making up excuses that aren’t based on business, science and mathematics.
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Your focus seems to be on websites. Many shops, including my current client, will continue producing traditional deliverables, but from a structured content base. Can we get some information about suggested methods for managing terminology?

I focus a lot on websites because most content doesn’t exist if it’s not on the web. That means internally, as well, on your intranet or LAN or client extranet. If you use search to find it, terminology management can help.

Structured content projects, especially those that produce complex documents assembled from content components (think XML, DITA, DocBook, S1000D, eCTD, etc) almost always include a terminology management phase. Oftentimes, it’s not thought about until the content becomes extremely expensive to translate or when content problems cause other challenges or unnecessary risks — like lawsuits — then all of a sudden terminology management is viewed as important.

Managing terminology for any type of project is the same, whether it’s a structured content base or unstructured documentation. You’ll need a base set of rules, a terminology database, and authoring tools that understand the rules. I like Acrolinx and refer my clients to the product suite called Acrolinx IQ because it does what they say it can do and it provides my clients with metrics they can use to demonstrate return on investment.

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Never thought about using Wordle for a tech doc. That’s an interesting idea. Unfortunately, we have 3500 articles per product release; this is not particularly reasonable in that scenario?

I would imagine a programmer could easily combine those documents into a single text file and you could run Wordle over it. I’m certain you’d get some interesting information about the words your writers choose to use. One of my clients discovered they used their competitor’s brand name more often than they used theirs. As you can imagine, that had to change!

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What do you recommend for managing terminology instead of Excel docs?

I recommend you use psychic power. After all, it would be better than Excel — and faster — as it would save you significant time updating your spreadsheet and manually editing content (or pretending to do so, which is how most shops do it). When content shops use manual approaches to anything that computers can do better and faster (spell check, enforce structure, automatically produce multi-channel output) they are wasteful. So-called professionals should not tolerate these amateurish approaches.

I face this challenge all the time. I get called in to help an organization become more efficient and I immediately find out who manages the style guide and who think they are they style police. These people (and most editors) are often inefficient and wasteful of corporate resources because they mistakenly believe their value is in doing a huge amount of manual tasks. They are wrong. Their value comes in adding value to the content, which they seldom have time to do, as they are so busy doing “busy work”. When I show an organization how productive they could become if they adopted a tool like Acrolinx, the old processes are vanquished to the same place where typewriters and mimeograph machines now live.

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What are some concrete examples of tools we can use to better manage our terminology?

Acrolinx IQ – as concrete as you get. Frankly, I encourage you to look around and see if you can find another tool that does the same thing as well. There are a few that claim to, and a few that sell some functionality that Acrolinx IQ has, but you have to buy into their product suite. After all, they’re trying to sell you everything — a content management system, translation management, authoring tools, you name it. Acrolinx IQ plug-in to the major authoring tools empowering them to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do. I like that model because it involves the smallest amount of change for the biggest return.

Additionally, Acrolinx now has a version available in the cloud from service provider Content Rules — http://www.contentrules.com. Paying a monthly fee for use means that smaller shops can get in on the action as well. And, the cloud is where it’s at, nowadays, anyway.

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How do you deploy or execute terminology management in the actual content process?

You find the place in your content lifecycle where terminology management should sit (likely in content production so you can control errors before they are made) and then find a vendor or consultant to walk you through the steps. It varies for every industry and organization depending on factors such as what controlled vocabulary you select (Plain English, Simplified English, etc.) whether you will incorporate your own terminology, industry vocabulary, etc. But, once it’s set up, it becomes a maintenance matter, which means you’ll need a terminology manager or team to make improvements over time.

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What’s your real-world suggestion for a techwriter in a large technology company where our terminology is driven by our products and all we have is a few Excel sheets with our terms inside? We don’t have a budget for a Term Database Tool, so we’ve decided to put this stuff into SharePoint for now as a START, but what’s your advice for how we can start managing and getting that low hanging fruit.

My ‘real-world’ suggestion is based on your comment that you work for a “large technology company” and “don’t have budget”. Personally, I think this is nonsense. It may be your reality, but that is likely done to the organization being unaware that they are paying for you to inefficiently create and mismanage content already. And, it cost more to do it that way then it does to invest in terminology management, which, more often than not, pays for itself quickly. Sometimes in just a few months time.

That said, snatching up low hanging fruit and measuring the success of your efforts could be used to make the business case for change. I’m going to reserve comment on the SharePoint and START angle. I’m not sure why anyone would do that. It’s cart before the horse. Enough said.

But, if you can find things that management really hates…the things that keep them up at night…the things they worry about, then you can design a plan that help to get you what you want and need by showing them how funding your initiative would be a wise investment. What do they fear? What are they promising shareholders? What are they telling customers? You have to know these things to get buy in from the ones with the checkbooks.

Also, dial up the folks at Content Rules and get a free Global Readiness Assessment. They may be able to help you find out what’s wrong with your content at a basic level. And, if you do a little digging, I think you might be surprised how inexpensive getting started is, if you start small, and build up over time. Ask for Val Swisher at Content Rules (+1 408-395-8178). Tell her I sent you!

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How can I get a copy of the whitepaper?

You can request a copy of “Managing the King: Why Terminology Management is a Critical Component of Successful Content Strategies” at acronlinx.com

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Additional Resources:

[Whitepaper] Preparing Your Content to Go Global by Scott Abel

[Recorded Webinar] Managing The King: Why Terminology Management is a Critical Component of Successful Content Strategies

What is controlled language and how can it help?
Controlled language is a set of restrictions put in place to limit the inherit fluidity of language. The purpose is to improve readability for readers, both native and non-native speakers, and eliminate any misunderstandings by using pre-defined limitations. Examples of such include Simplified Technical English, Corporate English, Global English and Simplified English. These limitations came into being due to the cost involved in translating robust technical manuals for airplane manufacturers. The thousands and thousands of pages proved difficult to translate so a simplified technical version was developed to ensure better readability for users. I like to think of it as the scientifically accepted use of the metric system. If uniform measurements are taken across the board, then clear communication is more likely to happen.

Using these restrictions eliminates ambiguity as well. In school, we are taught to be colorful and descriptive with our word choice and develop the ability to say the same thing in a number of different fashions. This sort of language is costly for companies looking to enhance their technical documentation. People can read a book and form a completely different understanding than someone who read the exact same thing. Language comprehension is different for people across the board. This is why using simple, clear language is so essential in something like an instruction manual. If someone is assembling a car they need simple, step-by-step instruction, not bubbly language.

How can my company ensure quality language control?
Building quality from the beginning saves on editing and translation costs in the future. Writers are very adaptable to different styles; lay out parameters they need to stick to and they will follow suit. Obviously, to ensure quality control across the board, implementation of a quality control system is essential.

We see effects of poor quality content in mistranslations around the world. Here are a few humorous examples:

• Airline ticket office, Copenhagen: “We take your bags and send them in all directions.”
  • This transparency might be welcome for some airlines, however. At least you can plan in advance for the airline to lose your bag.
• At a Budapest zoo: “Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.”
  • The zoo must not be able to afford lunch for their employees; visitors must feed them.
• Hotel elevator, Paris: “Please leave your values at the front desk.”
  • Whatever happens in Paris, Stays in Paris

Remember that costs of editing and fixing issues increase tremendously with passing time. As in, the longer you wait to fix an issue, the more expensive it becomes.

If you are creating content that’ll be translated into other languages, it is important to streamline language to limit ambiguity. For example, Simplified Technical English (STE), a restrictive subset of English, has a limited amount of usable words to enable readability and understanding, which is ideal when creating content for a global company.

For a practical example, look no further than global airline companies. These businesses prefer that their airframe manufacturers create instruction manuals in the native language of the parent company to allow for content that is easily understood by employees and translators. While a good idea in theory, this approach is resource intensive and hinders your time-to-market (TTM).

A solution to this problem is using content quality software, such as Acrolinx IQ. Acrolinx IQ helps writers create uniform product information that reduces misunderstandings about your products, while conveying a balanced corporate image and keeping translation costs to a minimum.

Inconsistent information is difficult to understand, expensive to translate, and frustrating for the reader. To be successful, it is essential to agree on writing standards, making it easier for the writers to  implement those standards with Acrolinx IQ, and continuously measure an improve the quality of your written content.

Global e-commerce business giant PayPal implemented Acrolinx IQ to reach their 98 million active accounts within 190 markets. David Hershfield, Senior Content Experience & Design, PayPal explained to me the challenges they were facing: “Our time-to-market was slow, because we were situated in a tough environment with poor source quality due to antiquated tools.” From this, team morale was low and there was a lack of hope in creating content that would be consistent across new markets. This is where we entered with Acrolinx IQ.

Acrolinx IQ revamped PayPal’s global product strategy by maintaining uniformities in content which increased PayPal’s TTM. Inconsistencies in content impact TTM, and also cost time and money. With Acrolinx’s software, PayPal was able to see exponential decreases in time and money, while increasing productivity and team morale.

Acrolinx IQ is a tool that provides meaningful impact in customer communication and creates quality content that is consistent. Using this software will increase your productivity and make your TTM faster.

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