From Technical Writing to Technical Communication: Looking to the Future

This paper focuses on the technical communicator’s role as it relates to computer technology.

Fisher, Julie L. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>TC>Technology>History

How Do You Believe You Add Value to the Development of an Information System?

In recent months, as part of my doctoral research, I have been interviewing technical communicators, users and developers of information systems to try and find out if in fact the work of a technical communicator is of value to those developing and using information systems. The interviews demonstrated clearly that technical communicators do add value. This was further confirmed in Paris where I discussed my work with technical communicators at the Comtec '97 conference. The following discussion encapsulates some of the comments from participants at Comtec '97 and the interviews I conducted.

Fisher, Julie L. TC-FORUM (2003). Articles>Collaboration>TC

Measuring How You Add Value

As a technical communicator you know that the work you do adds value to the final product, but how do you demonstrate this to management? Research that I have undertaken recently focused on how technical communicators add value to the development of software, particularly information systems. What is presented here are some examples of how I found technical communicators added value and how I measured the value.

Fisher, Julie L. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>TC>Assessment

Technical Communication in Australia: A Report of Progress Towards Professional Recognition  

In 1987 Brockman visited Australia raising a number of issues he saw as critical for the successful progression and survival of Australia’s Technical Communication society, and the profession. Those comments pertain to technical communication as a profession, lack of academic programs in technical communication and a professional journal, need for authentication of members, development of a professional infrastructure, the fragmented nature of the ASTC. This paper reports on how the profession in Australia is progressing in these issues and how we compare with the STC.

Fisher, Julie L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>TC>Regional>Australia

Technical Communication Societies in a Global Environment  

INTECOM (the International Council for Technical Communication) is an organization of technical communication organizations founded in 1969 by, among other national/international technical communication societies, STC. It meets yearly (sometimes twice yearly), and its primary goals are to improve networking between and among the member societies and their members, assisting national/ International organizations to form, sponsoring FORUM international conferences, and promoting technical communication education. The panel will present an update of the activities of the member societies to make INTECOM's activities more widely known so that STC members can take fuller advantage of them.

Beuttenmüller, Brigitte, Ronald S. Blicq, Julie L. Fisher, Gerry Gentle, Carel J. M. Jansen, and Thomas L. Warren. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>TC>International

Technical Communicators and Online Help: The Developers' and Users' Perspectives    

Who is writing online help, technical communicators or developers? This was one question explored through recent Australian research. This is an important question for technical communicators because while communication of technical information is acknowledged to be an area of expertise of technical communicators many computer systems are delivered with online help written by someone not trained or experienced in the area of writing. Recent Australian research, conducted by the author as part of a PhD thesis, examined the roles of technical communicators in the design and development of information systems, including the role of writing online help. The research sought the views of developers, users and technical communicators. One aspect of the research explored the contribution of technical communicators to the development of online help. The results strongly demonstrate that the usability of online help is affected by who writes it.

Fisher, Julie L. Technical Communication Online (1999). Design>Information Design>Online

Technical Communicators: How Do You Contribute to Interface Design? A Summary of Participant’s Idea Market Contributions

Research I recently conducted highlighted the high level of involvement technical communicators have in the design of user interfaces. Most technical communicators make some contribution, ranging from comments to developers if, from their perspective, something on the interface does not work, to actually designing the interface elements. This led me to propose a question for an idea market for IPCC 98 in Quebec. The question I asked participants was: How do you, as technical communicators, contribute to interface design? The question generated a lot of interest, with technical communicators sharing their experiences and providing many examples of what they do and how they contribute. Here is a summary of the points they raised.

Fisher, Julie L. TC-FORUM (1999). Design>User Interface