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Stan Rak: Elevating the Ideas and Insights of IPC's Thought Leaders Program
April 25, 2024 | Stanton Rak, SF Rak CompanyEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
As a member of the IPC Thought Leaders Program (TLP), I am responsible for identifying knowledge-sharing opportunities that can generate ideas and insights that strengthen the IPC community as well as create a sustainable and lasting future for its members. I am delighted to highlight some of my recent contributions as a member of the TLP.
Webinar: Improving Technical Writing
In a September 2023 workshop on workforce development, I delivered a webinar titled "Technical Paper Writing: Industry Best Practices for Conference Manuscripts." The webinar was prompted by my observations as chair/co-chair of the IPC APEX EXPO Technical Program Committee (TPC) for 2022 and 2023, as well as preparations for ECWC16. TPC members believe there is a need to communicate and document information in a formal and permanent record for the advancement of science and technology. Technical papers add to the credibility of our work so others can truly understand the benefits and advance the field themselves. It is also important that any work presented at IPC APEX EXPO is described in a manner that can be reproduced by others. Additionally, many members of the IPC community are involved with standards task groups and know that high-quality technical papers are often leveraged to help create new and stronger industry standards.
In my leadership role on the TPC, I observed that technical manuscript writing was more prevalent in scientific and academic communities and less so in engineering and industrial environments (where most IPC members reside). I also noted that technical paper writing is in danger of becoming a lost art. In today’s fast-paced world, information is often communicated digitally in brief formats like text messages, posts, and video clips. PowerPoint presentations are useful for conveying information in most professional settings. All these forms of communication serve a valuable purpose: the timely and illustrative dissemination of information. But the quality and breadth of the information can have its limitations.
To read the rest of this article, which appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of IPC Community, click here.
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