Problem Solving
The ability to evaluate a problem and quickly devise an elegant solution is an acquired skill set that improves with practice. This page highlights some of my problem solving abilities.
Sample Plan for Usability Test (90KB PDF): For PTC 604, I devised a usability test plan for a tutorial document. One of the major obstacles to the test plan was selecting an unbiased sample of potential tutorial users. This sample plan provides an introduction to samples, explains the various methods for determining samples (probability sampling and nonprobability sampling) and provides a brief overview of usability testing. The usability work of Janice Redish is heavily referenced.
Editing for Consistency (37KB DOC): Enforcing consistent editorial standards is a stubborn problem at most large companies. Corporate style guides often serve as reference material for technical writers and authors; however, many companies do not have company-specific style guides. Instead, writers and editors rely on industry-standard style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style. This file, which consists of several passages that I edited with MS-Word revision tracking turned on, showcases my editorial skills. Each edit is supported by a specific reference to the Chicago Manual of Style.
Statistical analyses, such as computing paired sample T-tests, independent T-tests, regression analysis and r-squared tests are a critical skill set for scientific writing. Familarity with these research methodologies can help determine the nature of a problem and determine the validity of the various hypotheses that may explain the problem.