Peter C. Johnson

1986-1991
Research Analyst, Research and Development Industry

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Key work from this period:

Project management as a lead writer
Reports, plans, analyses
Instructional design
Software development
User documentation

We used foreign scientific research to duplicate foreign industrial thinking. We then applied our conclusions to problems facing American industry in the defense sector. This was important in the 1980's as the U.S. raced against the U.S.S.R. in a showdown of technology and economics that bankrupted the Soviet system. We contributed, perhaps.

My tasks:

Writer. Working within the scope of a statement of work, I translated and analyzed foreign texts, video footage, and periodicals. This analysis then went into main narratives of reports, or into annexes and appendices. I usually did all my own technical illustrations of engineering factors. All work was subject to peer review.

Lead writer. Within a given framework, I directed the research and writing of up to five other writers. I assembled and edited the writing and illustrations via local area network. A technical editor took a second look at the work; it was then circulated for comments. I coordinated all revisions and publication.

Instructional designer and teacher. As part of a teaching team, I researched and wrote many of the classroom and support materials and evaluation strategies for a two-week course that taught our analytical methods to government and industry audiences. The course included a practical topographic exercise.

Army Reserve intelligence officer. I continued my intelligence skills as a citizen soldier, leading a section of 6 people, while providing information to 300 or more. We wrote studies of various countries that described climate, geography, ethnicity, social attributes, resources, and economics. My section also wrote target analyses that emphasized engineering and technical details.

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