IISD Publishing Services University
By Stuart Slayen, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
May 2001 With the input of colleagues, IISD's Publishing Services Manager prepared a draft curriculum for an internal capacity building program called "Publishing Services University." While the initiative's future is unclear, elements of the curriculum have been incorporated into a larger internal training program currently being designed by a member of the institute's corporate management team. The Publishing Services University draft curriculum follows. It includes print topics as well. At IISD, the publishing department manages both modes of output:
1. The Way of the Web
- basic HTML and style
- why things look the way the do
- why things work the way they do
- why some things take so long
- why some things can be done quickly
- what can project people do to plan effectively for their Web presence
2. Web Standards
- what are XHTML, XML, ASP and CSS?
- how do the new standards and technologies open new doors for IISD?
- the technical differences between our newer pages and our older pages
3. E-Conferences
- how to run an effective e-conference
- how to maximize an e-conference's Web presence
- how to format a note
- how to stimulate dialogue in an e-conference
- how the technology works
4. Publishing Procedures
- how to get great products produced on time
- how to maximize the input of your editor and other teammates
- how to work with your reviewers
- how to make the style guide work for you (and a chance to offer suggestions for changing or adding to the style guide)
5. Some Day Your Prints Will Come
- how your Word file becomes a book
- the graphic design process
- the printing process (including a field trip to a printing plant)
- guaranteed answers to the question "I sent the file to you this morning... where are my books?"
6. Editing
- how to self-edit before forwarding your files
- how to work best with your editor
- understanding Microsoft Word's "track changes" and "comment" features
- what to do with your file when it comes back from the editor
7. Publication Planning
- what questions do you need to ask and answer as you plan your publication
- how to budget your publishing project
- defining and reaching your audience online and in print
- how to consider your readers' needs
8. A Writing Primer
- online writing tips
- print writing
- how to write material that gets read
- how to maximize your writing's impact
9. Information Architecture
- thinking in chunks
- helping users to find your information
- situating materials into IISD's Web space
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