This webinar will explore fundamental principles for writing and structuring content for the enterprise. Attendees will learn how to approach information typing for structured authoring for more concise and reusable content.

1. Precision Content™ Tools,
Techniques, and
Technology
The evolution of structured authoring

2. Confidential & Proprietarywww.dclab.com 2
Valuable Content Transformed
• Document Digitization
• XML and HTML Conversion
• eBook Production
• Hosted Solutions
• Big Data Automation
• Conversion Management
• Editorial Services
• Harmonizer

3. Confidential & Proprietarywww.dclab.com 3
Experience the DCL Difference
DCL blends years of conversion experience with cutting-edge technology and the
infrastructure to make the process easy and efficient.
• World-Class Services
• Leading-Edge Technology
• Unparalleled Infrastructure
• US-Based Management
• Complex-Content Expertise
• 24/7 Online Project Tracking
• Automated Quality Control
• Global Capabilities

4. Confidential & Proprietarywww.dclab.com
We Serve a Very Broad Client Base . . .
4

5. Confidential & Proprietarywww.dclab.com 5
. . . Spanning All Industries
• Aerospace
• Associations
• Defense
• Distribution
• Education
• Financial
• Government
• Libraries
• Life Sciences
• Manufacturing
• Medical
• Museums
• Periodicals
• Professional
• Publishing
• Reference
• Research
• Societies
• Software
• STM
• Technology
• Telecommunications
• Universities
• Utilities

6. About your presenter
6
• Rob Hanna, ECMs
• President of Precision Content Authoring
Solutions Inc. and a director of AIIM First
Canadian Chapter
• Expert in structured authoring and content
management practices and technology
• Instructor at the University of Toronto School
of Continuing Studies – Metadata and
Controlled Vocabularies

7. Who is Precision Content Authoring
Solutions Inc.?
• We help organizations make their information easier to use
• Our solutions consist of
• Content strategy
• Detailed information architecture
• Content lifecycle design and development
• Turn-key content transformation
• Tools selection and development
• Multi-channel publishing
• www.precisioncontent.com
©2015 Precision Content Authoring Solutions Inc.

9. STOP THE INSANITY!
Stop
throwing
more
technology
at your
content
problems!
Content problems
require
content solutions!

10. Importance of
Content Strategy
Before any technology is
considered, organizations must first
consider their content strategy to
fully understand what they need
and how they are going to get
there.
Several factors must be examined.
@2015PrecisionContentAuthoringSolutionsInc.

11. Survey question #1
What level of structured authoring are you using in your enterprise today?

12. Finding balance
DITA/XML is…
• An agnostic structured
framework for technical
communication
• An open standard gaining rapid
adoption
• Extensible across industries
• Lacking a consistent, robust
authoring methodology
Information Mapping® is…
• An agnostic structured authoring
methodology for the enterprise
• A tested proprietary standard
with global reach
• Teachable to any audience or
practitioner
• Lacking modern technology
delivery framework

13. Enter the Precision Content™ Solution
• Precision Content is a modern adaptation of methods taught by
Information Mapping International over the past 30 years
• The Precision Content methodology leverages the strengths of
structured, topic-based authoring using XML technology for
• Broad-based content collaboration
• Robust content lifecycle management
• Content classification for rapid retrieval, and
• Multi-channel publishing.
• Precision Content is NOT affiliated with or endorsed by Information
Mapping International.

14. The Precision Content™ Framework
• While the methods can be applied to any structured authoring
toolset, it is optimally suited to DITA/XML
• The Framework consists of a series of
• DITA constraints
• domain and structural specializations
• templates, and
• stylesheets.
• Application of the methodology with the framework provides useful
guidance to authors allowing for better consistency across teams

15. Methodology Practice and
Principles

16. 2 Distinct forms of Language Arts
Language Arts for
Personal Response (LAFPR)
• To emotionally engage the reader
• Techniques:
• narrative style
• varied vocabulary & sentence
structure
• withholding information
• Writer driven
• Meant to be READ
Language Arts for
Information (LAFI)
• To convey information that readers
need to use
• Techniques:
• consistent modular structure
• concise, direct vocabulary
• use of graphics
• Reader driven
• Meant to be USED

17. Ikea Instructions: LAFI

18. Ikea Instructions: LAFPR
“The eel-shaped talisman squirms inside the raspy recycled box. A
series of quarter turns – clock hands marking time – bonds back to
base. An alphabet of connections in English and French. “A” into
groove “B”. “C” slots into “D”. Chipboard credenza communicating
Swedish hegemony.”
If novelist Michael Ondaatje wrote Ikea instructions
Author/parodist: Geoff Thomas
Globe & Mail, August 27, 2009

19. What is Content?
Data Information
ContentKnowledge

20. A New Way of
Thinking about
Content
Precision Content™ is like software for the
brain
Programmed
Learning
Instructio
nal
Systems
Design
Human Factors
Engineering Documentati
on Writing
Research
Message
Design
Cognitive
Psychology

21. Information typing and classification
• The cornerstone of the methodology is based on correctly identifying,
typing, and labelling blocks of content that comprise a topic
• Each information type has its own rules and semantics for authoring,
labelling, and presentation.
• Precision Content consists of 5 distinct information types including
• Reference
• Principle
• Concept
• Task, and
• Process.

22. Information
Types
Reference
Principle
Task
Process
Concept
“We will be flying at
an altitude of
60,000 feet.”
“Always put on your
oxygen mask before
assisting other
passengers.”
“To open the
emergency exit,
look out the
window, pull the
lever, and push out
the exit door.”
“In the event of loss
of cabin pressure,
an oxygen mask will
drop from the
overhead
compartment.”
“We are a member
of the Star Alliance
group of airlines.”
Flight safety briefing

23. analyst brake market stapler seat
traders alternator investor calculators scissors
engine pedal dashboard pen backers
marker tape profit starter ruler
prospects
Thinking about Classification
How many words can you
memorize in 20 seconds?

24. analyst brake market stapler
dashboard pen backer marker
seat trader alternator investor
pedalcalculator scissors engine
tape profit starter ruler prospect
Thinking about Classification
1. Filter out all of the noise

25. analyst brake market stapler
dashboard pen
backer
marker
seat
trader
alternator
investor
pedalcalculator scissors engine
tapeprofit
starter
ruler prospect
Thinking about Classification
2. Break into smaller groupings

26. dashboardalternator pedal
brake seatengine starter
marker
staplerscissorstape
pen calculatorruler
analyst market backer
investor
traderprofitprospect
Thinking about Classification
3. Organize words by similarities

27. dashboardalternator pedal
brake seatengine starter
marker
staplerscissorstape
pen calculatorruler
analyst market backer
investor
traderprofitprospect
Stock market Office supplies
Car parts
Thinking about Classification
4. Classify and label groups

28. Thinking about Classification
Stock market Office supplies Car parts
analyst stapler brake
market calculator seat
trader scissors dashboard
investor pen engine
backer marker alternator
profit tape starter
prospect ruler pedal
How well did you do?

29. Thinking about Classification
Vegetables Computer parts Instruments
peas hard drive violin
endive sound card harp
carrots monitor piano
spinach mouse trumpet
celery processor cello
broccoli flash drive flute
tomato keyboard guitar
Now how many words can you
memorize in 20 seconds?

30. Structured building blocks of information

31. Meeting 2 sets of fundamental needs
The Human Brain
Technology
Find
Understand
Use, and
Retain
Integrate
Search
Process, and
Reuse
Well-structured content helps

32. Excerpt from a medical journal...
• pN3 description only closely
mirrors descriptions for pN3a
+pN3b + pN3c
• Use of footnotes confusing
• “Clinically detected” and “Not
clinically detected” are not exact
opposites, and
• Inconsistent enumeration of lymph
nodes

33. Same content after Precision Content™
• 44.2% reduction in word count
• 20% reduction in passive voice
• 18.4% increase in Flesch Reading Ease
score
• 30% increase in white space
• Elimination of footnotes, and
• Addition of labels and visual elements

34. Survey Question #2
At what stage are you in with your current content project?

35. Content transformation
• Content conversion and migration to structured authoring presents a
rare opportunity to consider transformation for key, high-value
content.
• Transformation is not conversion and it is not a rewrite – it is a
teardown and rebuild of content from the ground up.
• Transformation usually comes with new and complex requirements
for content creation, management, and delivery.
• Content conversion and transformation can easily coexist when
planned appropriately.

36. Demonstration

37. Questions?
Rob Hanna, ECMs
+1 (289) 290-4337
www.linkedin.com/in/singlesourceror
rob@precisioncontent.com