How to evaluate software for ASD-STE100

Refer to THE BASIC QUESTION FROM STE USERS: Do we need a software product to write in STE correctly?

Software is not necessary, but it helps you

To remember all the rules of ASD-STE100 is not easy, as shown by the examples that follow:

The STE dictionary has more than 1000 unapproved words. Each word has one or more approved possible alternatives.

Because STE is good English, to find STE errors is not easy.

How to evaluate the term checker for ASD-STE100

People ask, "What is better about the TechScribe term checker compared to other software for a controlled language?" Although the TechScribe term checker gives a better analysis than some alternative checkers, TechScribe cannot fully answer the question. To evaluate software, you must first specify your requirements. Then, compare the software with your requirements.

To help your team to choose the best software to solve your problems, refer to the Software Evaluation Guide.

To use a term checker for a controlled language, your team must add a project's technical terms to the software. For example, in ASD-STE100 issue 8, the word base is unapproved as a noun and as a verb. Possibly, documentation uses the term base deck. To give a correct evaluation of text, the software must 'know' whether the term is approved or unapproved. "To be effective, they [language checkers] also need to contain your in-house technical names and technical verbs. If your technical names and technical verbs are not in the checker, you will get constant 'unknown word' messages" (www.asd-ste100.org/software.html).

To evaluate the TechScribe term checker without adding project terms, do one of these:

A minimum of one person who evaluates the software must have a good knowledge of ASD-STE100. Without that knowledge, your team will not know whether the software finds all errors and ignores all the correct text. Most language checkers for a controlled language give some incorrect warnings. Part of your evaluation is to decide whether the frequency of incorrect warnings is sufficiently low.

"No software supporting STE is authorized, certified or endorsed by ASD" (www.asd-ste100.org/software.html).

Select the version that you want

Two versions of the term checker are available. The results that you get from the local files version and the remote files version are the same.

Buy the local files version for these conditions:

Make sure that technical writers want to use ASD-STE100

Before you buy a term checker, make sure that the technical writers in your organization want to use ASD-STE100.

Many technical writers do not want to use a controlled language, because they think that a controlled language restricts their creativity. At the Technical Communication UK Conference in 2010, 39 technical writers were asked whether they use a controlled language, for example, ASD-STE100. One person lifted his hand. Then, the technical writers were asked who wanted to use a controlled language. The person lowered his hand. Not one person wanted to use a controlled language.

The term checker is different to other software for ASD-STE100

These are the primary differences between the TechScribe term checker and other software for ASD-STE100:

Some language checkers for ASD-STE100 have the features that follow. The TechScribe term checker does not have these features:

The term checker gives a better analysis than some alternative checkers

Some language checkers for ASD-STE100 do not disambiguate parts of speech. Thus, they have one of these problems:

R4i Writer has an optional Simplified Technical English (STE) Module. The screenshot in www.pennant-ips.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BROCHURE-R4i_STE_with_Writer-SEPT-2022.pdf contains the example text that follows:
According to The International Bikers' Association (IBA) code of honor you are kindly requested to drive a properly maintained bicycle, which means the bike has to be regularly cleaned.

The screenshot shows the analysis in the TechScribe term checker:

Analysis for the text that follows:  According to the International Bikers' Association (IBA) code of honor you are kindly requested to drive a properly maintained bicycle, which means the bike has to be regularly cleaned.

The table compares the analysis from R4i Writer with the analysis from the TechScribe term checker. If the analyses agree, there is no entry in the table.

Differences in analysis between R4i Writer and the TechScribe term checker
TermR4i Writer with the STE moduleTechScribe term checker for ASD-STE100
The International Bikers' Association (IBA) No warning Warnings for the unknown words
code (n) Warning No warning. In the example sentence, the word is an approved noun, not an unapproved verb.
honor (n) No warning Warning
are (v) No warning Warning. The phrase are kindly requested is passive voice, and thus the term checker gives a warning (rule 3.6).
kindly (adv) No warning Warning. This adverb is always incorrect, because you are not permitted to add adverbs as technical terms.
requested (v) No warning Warning. The verb request is not approved. Although request is a possible technical verb (rule 1.12.4), if it is a technical verb, the analysis must include a warning to use a word with its approved meaning (rule 1.3).
maintained (v) No warning Warning. The verb maintain is an example in rule 1.12.4. Thus, the analysis must include a warning to use a word with its approved meaning (rule 1.3).
means (v) No warning Warning. The verb is unknown in ASD-STE100.
bike (n) No warning Warning. The noun is unknown in ASD-STE100. If the noun bike is a technical name, there must be a rule 1.11 warning for the synonym bicycle.
has (v) No warning Warning. The verb have is approved, but the semi-auxiliary construction 'have to + infinitive' is not approved in rule 3.2.
be (v) No warning Warning. The phrase be regularly approved is passive voice, and thus the term checker gives a warning (rule 3.6).

Possibly, STE for R4i Writer can give warnings for unknown terms, but the rule is not selected.

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