The Online Communication Competition accepts any documentation that is delivered online. This includes Web sites, online tutorials, electronic books, wizards and support tools, online help, and HTML-based help systems. You do not need to be an STC member to submit an entry.

This competition brings the best and the most exciting projects in our area to the spotlight! Submit your entry to gain insight from Carolina's experienced online judges. You get written comments on every aspect of your entry.

What types of online projects can I submit?

Online entries include forms of communication that depend on a computer or other electronic media for delivery. The entries must be primarily intended for viewing on a computer or similar device, not on paper. Therefore, computer-based training, online documentation, help systems, online demonstration programs, simple text-retrieval systems, multimedia information systems, and WWW pages can be judged in the online competition. The competition is not limited to online documents that support computer products. Entries can include online encyclopedias, road maps, foreign language instruction, medical handbooks, and more. To categorize an entry, determine the purpose of the document and compare the purpose to the category descriptions.

The platform (such as Windows, Macintosh, WWW, UNIX, etc.) is not a consideration in determining the category. Consider the document's purpose, not the platform (such as a PC or Mac).

Categories for the 2007-8 Online Competition are:

1. Help: Online information that has a primary purpose of providing immediate assistance to individuals while they use a product. It provides information appropriate to the task on an as-needed or as-requested basis. This category includes and is not limited to general help, procedural help, cue cards, examples, performance support, and integrated user assistance.

2. Promotional: This category includes two types of entries:

• Interactive online information that has a primary purpose of demonstrating or describing the main features of a product or product line with user interaction or feedback. This type of online material motivates people to buy or use a product, or informs them of the features or benefits of products. Besides demonstrations of products, this category also includes guided tours and marketing material designed for dynamic user interaction.

• Static, non-interactive online information that has a primary purpose of describing or defining the main features of a product or product line. This type of online material motivates people to buy or use a product, or informs them of the features or benefits of products. This category includes and is not limited to online brochures, catalogs, and marketing materials that are designed to remain static. Most corporate Web pages belong in this category.

3. Tutorials/Training: Online information that has a primary purpose of teaching the techniques for using the main features and capabilities of a product, or of assisting in the process of teaching. This category includes and is not limited to computer-based training applications, tutorials, online lesson books, and training aids.

4. Reference Material: This category includes two types of online information:

• Documents that have the primary purpose of defining or explaining structure, results, words, problems, or parameters These documents are typically published in a reference work format, similar to a dictionary or encyclopedia. This category includes and is not limited to online dictionaries, glossaries, function or object descriptions, data structure definitions, encyclopedias, and directories.

• Documents that have the primary purpose of assisting the user to complete a set of tasks or solve a set of problems. This includes troubleshooting tools, wizards or wizard-like task completion tools, quick start guides, and automated support tools.

If an entry is an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file that is primarily intended to be viewed online or has interactive features, such as linked tutorials, supporting Web sites, interactive forms, etc., it may be appropriate to enter it in the Reference category. Review the description for the Reference category to determine whether the entry fits in it.

How do I submit my entry?

Go to the Submitter Corner page for more information.

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