Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transportation

FHWA Strategic Communications Support

Complete publication-production support of FHWA’s technical and marketing documents

A recently completed contract, FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) has myriad laboratories producing an array of technical documents published to the public. Weris created a tailor-made production process—which included substantive editing, formatting, and layout design, as well as ensuring permissions, copyright, and Section 508 compliance—that supported TFHRC’s publication process.

 

“[The editors] have been outstanding on this series of reports! They were efficient, responsive, accommodating, and flexible, and their editorial comments were clear, to the point, and added clarity to the content. Couldn’t have asked for a better team of editors for a 10-volume [series] of reports that were so worrisome when we began the process—they made it as painless as possible.”

—Highway Research Engineer, TFHRC

  • Client: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/
    Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
  • Services: 
    • Copyright and permissions compliance
    • Communication management
    • Cost projections/estimates
    • Editorial support
    • Graphic design
    • Process review and streamlining
    • Publication production
    • Quality assessment and control
    • Section 508 compliance
    • Style-guide adherence
    • Style-guide review
    • Technical editing (substantive)
    • Technical writing

Solutions

Consistent Process for Consistent Publications

Weris has a publication process comprising six key areas, many of which ensure consistency at local and global levels. This six-part process ensures each publication is edited as required, thoroughly reviewed for coherence and consistency, and follows guidelines and style manuals. Weris tailored its process to fit the needs of FHWA’s publication process, which not only ensured each publication was consistent within itself but also ensured FHWA’s publications were consistent across the board.

Adherence to Guidelines and Law

Adherence to guidelines and law not only requires thorough knowledge of both, but the ability to problem solve to fix issues that may arise.

Weris’s publication process comprises six key areas, one of which ensures adherence to guidelines and law. This process ensures each publication follows guidelines and style manuals and adheres to laws and regulations, such as Section 508 and copyright laws. Weris worked with FHWA’s processes and requirements to create a procedure that handled these adherences in a timely fashion that was advantageous to authors, editors, and FHWA.

Discussing Edits and Requests with Authors

In publication processes where authors are subject-matter experts of a technical background, there is a high chance of miscommunication between editors and authors as editors are trying to clarify the content, maintain consistency, and ensure grammatical correctness, while authors are trying to ensure their meaning is maintained. To ensure a balance between making edits for grammatical correctness and maintaining language and jargon specific to the technical area, it is important to offer a platform for discussion between editors and authors. For each edit, Weris offered to hold a conference call with the authors to discuss the edits and requests of Weris editors. These conference calls were an opportunity to discuss the goals of each party, reach consensus as necessary, and ensure all involved were on the same page. Weris knows additional efforts and empathy go a long way in creating and preserving relationships between editors and authors.