A. "StickyMinds Originals"
Read the "StickyMinds Original" Guidelines
listed below before you submit an article draft, abstract, or
proposal.
Send article abstracts, proposals, and drafts to Holly Bourquin,
Editor: hbourquin@sqe.com
Develop a formal original article to
publish on StickyMinds.com
Currently we are not able to compensate for publication; however, we
offer exposure by featuring articles in our "What’s New Gram" (approx.
13,000 recipients) and the appropriate Topic Area Main Page. Your
article might also be featured in the StickyLetter (21,000
recipients). All recipients (of both the "What's New Gram" and
StickyLetter) have asked to receive these publications, so they
are an interested audience. And your article would appear indefinitely
in the StickyMinds.com articles and papers list.
When we receive a draft, we pass it through a pipeline of editors
and proofreaders, then we may send back to you for final
review/approval, if there are significant substantive changes, before
publishing to the Web site.
If you have a draft, outline, or abstract, send it as a proposal
for an article to the Holly Bourquin, Editor at
hbourquin@sqe.com. The editors
at StickyMinds.com evaluate topic ideas and manuscripts/drafts and
select articles for development. The initial evaluation process may
take a few weeks.
B. Columns
Columns are also "StickyMinds Originals" but appear on the home page
in our weekly feature spot. Columns are by invitation only, and are
written by our regular columnists.
C. Published Elsewhere
Send us an article that has been "published elsewhere"
If you have an article (Word or PDF) that has been published in
another venue, you can also have it republished on StickyMinds.com.
Send the Word or PDF file to us at
hbourquin@sqe.com. We will place it on our website with all of the
appropriate attribution, where it was previously published, author
email address and website as desired.
D. User Submitted Downloads
Post an article or paper yourself, directly online at
StickyMinds.com
As an alternative to actually developing a formal article, the
best avenue is the user submit feature on the "Submit Stuff" page
(white papers are also accepted here).
These items are published ''as is'' (no editing by our staff) for
others in the industry to download. Submissions are reviewed prior to
publication and not every submission is accepted. Before you send your
paper or article, be sure to proofread and spell check your document.
The evaluation and publication process for user submissions can take a
few weeks.
submitstuff.asp
Click the first option you see at the top of the page "Article
or Paper."
You can use the above "Submit Stuff" feature at any time. Preferred
formats for this "download option" are PDF, Word, or TXT. Our Articles
& Papers section is one of the most popular/visited areas on the site,
so posting papers here is good exposure for any author. We also look
primarily at new downloads for "content pointers" from StickyLetter.
(many articles get approx. 800 to 1,000 views per month; some get more
than 700 in one week). User submitted downloads may be removed at any
time for any reason.
E. Templates
Post a Template yourself, directly online at StickyMinds.com
Do you have a useful Test Plan Template, Requirements Checklist,
Sample Document, or other templates or checklists that you use to keep
work in order? You can submit it in an MSWord, MSPowerPoint, .PDF,
.RTF, or .TXT format for others to download from the site.
You can use the user submit feature on the "Submit Stuff" page.
submitstuff.asp
Click the third option you see from the top of the page "Template"
You can use the above "Submit Stuff" feature at any time. Preferred
formats for this "download option" are PDF, Word, or TXT.
2. I am a Public Relations person. How do I place a press
release on the site?
StickyMinds offers a venue for Press Releases in the News Center. To
use the news center, press releases must be about a new product or new
version now available (not an announcement for upcoming products, and
not about mergers or other corporate events). Email your
new-product/version announcement press release to Holly Bourquin,
Editor at: hbourquin@sqe.com.
For white papers, read the next section.
3. I am a tool vendor. How do I publish a White Paper?
Post a White Paper yourself, directly online at StickyMinds.com
You can post a White Paper immediately on StickyMinds using our
User Submission, Article & Paper, form.
submitstuff.asp
Click the first option you see at the top of the page "Article or
Paper."
4. Do you accept unsolicited articles?
Yes, for original articles to be published on StickyMinds.com.
We most like authors who are both experts in a technical topic and
good writers. If we can't have both, we choose expertise over polish.
(See the earlier section on "StickyMinds Originals")
5. "StickyMinds Original" Article Guidelines
Send article abstracts, proposals, and drafts to Editor Holly Bourquin:
hbourquin@sqe.com
(Also see the earlier section on "StickyMinds
Originals")
Main Points
- Each technical article is 1200–2000 words.
- The Author must include a 40–70-word abstract that
outlines the main theme and purpose of the article. This appears in
the descriptive introduction to the article on the Web site.
- The Author must include a 40–70-word bio.
- Articles must not mention product names or promote a product or
service.
- Submit articles as Word documents, RTF, or plain text files.
- Articles will go through a three-stage editing process: 1.
Initial general editing and comments by first editor, 2. Detailed
editing by second editor, and 3. proofread by a professional
proofreader. Articles are edited primarily for organization of
ideas, clarity, style, and space.
- After being edited, if there are significant substantive
changes, articles may be returned to the author for review/approval
of final copy before publication on the StickyMinds.com site.
- Optional Items: Authors may include their email
and Web site to accompany the article. Articles may be
followed by a list of "related interest" items: e.g., bibliography,
"for further reading," updated lists of tools, lists of related
URLs, etc. These items are optional.
- Send articles and article ideas to the StickyMinds.com
Editor: hbourquin@sqe.com
(Holly Bourquin).
References and Footnotes
Avoid reference to a specific product. As long as you are not
recommending or promoting a specific product, you may list some
specific products (more than one) in order to provide examples
of the types of products pertinent to the topic of your article.
For original, featured articles on StickyMinds.com, do not
use footnotes. Information important enough to include must occur
within the main text. If it is so extraneous that it cannot be worked
into the text, omit it. Do not use footnotes for citation. Integrate
citations into the main text:
e.g., Instead of this reference style, "Testing is good" (Kaner
95),
write…
As Cem Kaner writes in Testing Computer Software, "Testing
is good."
Or, if necessary…
As Cem Kaner writes on page 95 of the long-awaited third edition
of Testing Computer Software, "Testing is good."
If a page number is really necessary and doesn’t work in the
text…
As Cem Kaner writes in Testing Computer Software, "Testing
is good" (95).
- There’s usually no need to provide detailed publication
information: People can find a journal article given "October 1995."
They don’t need "Vol. 1, No. 12."
Our Audience consists of five major groups of readers who
influence software quality. The StickyMinds.com Web site
includes content designed to appeal to every group. Understanding the
audience will help you write a piece that addresses their needs.
The groups are
Testers, who spend most of their time creating
and running tests;
Test Team Leaders, who manage small teams of
testers. They have certain managerial tasks (planning, personnel
management, and so forth), but they probably also spend a good
chunk of their time testing;
Software Managers, who manage test team leads or
test staff. They are primarily concerned with management tasks,
rather than with hands-on testing and technology. A manager may be
a QA/Testing manager. She may also be a Development manager
(Director of Engineering or the like) who has managing and
thinking about QA/Testing as one of her "hats"; and
QA Staff, who provide services to managers. They
may do process assessments, project postmortems, or run metrics
programs. They typically interact with more than one project but
may not have authority over any of them.
Other Audiences, such as programmers, may find
articles of interest; they will rarely be the primary target
audience for a StickyMinds.com article.
Articles should also target audiences by Topic Area (e.g.,
"Requirements" or "Defect Tracking").
The Topic Areas are
- Testing
- Requirements
- Project Management
- Measurement
- Reviews
- Process
- Defect Tracking
- Configuration Management
As you begin writing your draft article you should have an audience
in mind, as well as an emphasis based on these Topic Areas.
Example: Don’t write an article on planning a department-wide
testing project that includes embedded technical details about
performing some kind of testing. The Manager who is likely to read the
article can’t use the technical detail, and the Tester who needs it
probably won’t read the article.
There are some exceptions, however. Some topics may appeal to more
than one audience:
- Your intention may be to have a Manager read all or part of the
article, then hand it to a Test Team Lead or QA Staff member to
implement. You have two audiences: the audience the article must
attract, and the audience who will implement your recommendations.
If you do this, clearly indicate where one audience’s interest ends
and the other begins.
- Because Test Team Leads and Testers do much of the same work,
the same article can appeal to both. But it is still useful to think
of both roles. Some Testers may be repelled by management jargon;
can you separate it out so they can skip it or otherwise persuade
them to read on? Similarly, some Test Team Leads may read an article
targeted to Testers and yearn for a bit of context. Can you provide
it?
Think Smooth
"Smooth flow" means that your article supports the key points in a
coherent structure, words are chosen carefully for their exact
meaning, words fit together in an aesthetically pleasing manner, the
article’s development matches reader expectations, and the article
motivates the reader to action.
- Most (probably all) first drafts contain ambiguous,
awkward, and wordy phrases. For each sentence, cut words to as
few as possible, rewrite to select the best word to express the
exact meaning in the simplest way possible, juxtapose words in a
pleasing manner. These points will go a long way to motivating
more readers to begin and finish reading your article, and thereby
benefit from what you have to say.
- In the editor’s second pass over your draft, they will often
print it out with a three-inch right margin, and number all the
paragraphs. While reading each paragraph, they will make a one- or
two-word note next to it, describing its topic. When reviewing the
notes they will look for paragraphs that belong together but are
scattered. You might consider doing this yourself, to double-check
your article’s architecture. A lot of editing is about revealing
hidden structure, and finding how the article can flow more
smoothly. You may also find it helpful to prepare an outline before
you draft your article.
- Have your 30–50-word abstract in mind while writing the
article—perhaps even write the abstract first, even though it may
change by the time you are done.
Informality
Articles that address the reader directly and refer to the author as
"I" are appropriate. ("We" is not as good as "I," but okay.) "The
author" is too stilted for anything but the most academic of journals.
Once you feel free to talk to readers directly, you can avoid clumsy
circumlocutions like "The active voice is preferred" and say things
like "Write in the active voice." Nevertheless, be yourself: forced
informality is worse than natural formality. If you are a more
passive-voice kind of person, that’s okay. But many people need
permission to write like they talk; consider it granted.
Make It Personal
People like to read about other people. Readers often comment that
they find personal anecdotes and sidebars interesting, and that it’s
encouraging to see real-life stories of people with whom they can
identify.
Make It Easy for Readers to Learn More
Include a separate list of all contact information to which you have
referred in the article—products, companies, experts, email addresses,
or other resources. Keep in mind as you research and write your
articles that you can list "related interest" items at the end of your
article: e.g., bibliography for further reading, updated lists of
tools, lists of related URLs, etc.
One Reasonable Structure for an Article Is
1. Present a problem that you’ve personally faced. (specifics)
2. Describe a way of thinking about that problem. (generalities)
3. Describe how those generalities applied in your case.
(recapitulation)
4. Emphasize the circumstances in which your reader can apply your
ideas. (application)
Don’t damage your article by trying to force it into this mold; but
do think of how examples and specifics will reinforce your point for
the reader.
Ask yourself the following questions as you write
What Will the Reader Do?
When a reader finishes your article, she should know more. But that’s
not enough. Knowledge has to be put into practice. How will she do
that? Will she know the first step to take? Ask yourself what, in the
first few months after publication, you want 1000 of your readers to
have accomplished.
What’s Special about Your Article?
Pretend that half of your readers have already read articles on your
broad topic, be it "Outsourcing Testing" or "Implementing an ISO 9000
Program" or "Getting Started with Inspections." What is in your
article that they haven’t seen before?
What Could Go Wrong?
You are giving advice to readers whose situation you don’t know.
Unless your advice is hopelessly vague, it will be the wrong advice
for some of them. How will they know? When writing your article, try
to explain your assumptions. Consider describing situations in which
your ideas do not apply. Explain common misuses or situations in which
your ideas could be implemented inappropriately.
Additional Points to Consider While Writing
Keep Key Points in Mind
Be sure what you’re writing matches the key points you outlined in
your 30–50-word abstract. If not, maybe some of the points that wander
belong in a different article. Be ruthless about pruning. No one wants
to read a 3500-word article that could have been expressed in 1500
words. Unfortunately, that is usually what happens in first drafts,
and even in some final published documents.
What’s the First Impression?
After reading the first few paragraphs of a draft for the first time,
ask yourself, "If I were a reader, what would I now say this article
is about?" Does your opening grab the reader, and persuade them to
read on by showing what benefit they’ll get?
Your Reader Is Busy
Busy people tend to set aside articles that have long stretches of
unbroken text. Use subheads throughout the text to help readers
navigate quickly. Pictures, figures, sidebars, and lists tend to draw
people into the article and help them remember key points. Our art
department can usually turn your ideas for illustrations into elements
that clarify your article’s points for the reader. In your final
draft, please send any graphic elements separately, not as elements
embedded in the document.
Examples Are Good
We do value generalizations, context, and the big picture, but
articles need to be grounded in the specifics of daily work. Examples
of things you’ve done and seen help fulfill that promise.
Article Editing and Publication
Here are the steps:
- StickyMinds.com Editor accepts article
- Editor makes some rewrite suggestions
- Article is edited in detail
- Article is proofread and then edited for style
- Article is sent to Author for final copy review/approval if
necessary
- Final proofreading for mechanics and typos
- The document is published as a StickyMinds Original
Article
Publishing and Ownership
Upon acceptance of your article, you should receive an author
agreement. Please refer to it for a complete explanation of ownership
rights.
StickyMinds Original Articles are sometimes featured in the
appropriate Topic Area for approximately one to two weeks. "Original"
means the article is developed specifically for the StickyMinds.com
Web site and has not appeared previously and does not run concurrently
in any other publication or website.
Communicate With Us
Our long-term relationships with our contributors are important.
Please discuss any of your comments, concerns, or questions openly
with us. We’re looking forward to seeing your work featured on
StickyMinds.com.
6. What if I have a question this page doesn't answer? Email
your question to Holly Bourquin.
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