User:Merry

I am a scientifically-educated, free-lance tech writer who has joined OWW in order to contribute to the Open Access movement in general and to this project in particular. Two threads have brought me to this point: my biology background and my writing experience. After being out of touch with biological research for >30 years, I began avidly reading biology texts and papers a couple of years ago, as time permitted. Reading for the sheer enjoyment of discovering what has been discovered during those intervening years. Reading with an eye to some future writing projects of my own.

Having no institutional affiliation, I was frequently bumping into the walls created by fee-to-read journals. But I also bumped into the open access publishers on the Internet, into PLoS in particular. Their listing of the members of their editorial boards led me to Jonathan Eisen (UC-Davis). Following that thread took me to his OWW lab page, and here I am, pleased to have found this community and motivated to contribute where I can.

Education

 * B.A. Brown University, 1965.


 * Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University, 1969, molecular and developmental biology.
 * Thesis Advisor:  Donald D. Brown, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Department of Embryology.

Writing/Editing

 * 1988-2005 telecommuting free-lance technical writer working with software developers. Projects included innumerable user's manuals for business software, technical memos, promo pieces, "black box" software testing, and user interface design.
 * Writing and editing of other educational materials
 * Prepared an audio-tutorial introductory biology course at Morgan State College, Baltimore, MD.
 * Edited text materials for a dental auxiliary education program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
 * Wrote manuals and examinations for certification of software technicians.

Less Relevant Experience
still under construction