Developing a Continuum to Describe Technical Communication  

The more integrated a discipline is, the greater the likelihood that the researchers are sharing ideas and the greater the chances are for developing theories and models to support the knowledge base. A fragmented discipline offers few connections between discussions and research. This study of technical communication literature reports and reflects upon the dialogue established among practitioners, researchers, and scholars as theories are built. A continuum--fragmented to integrated--places areas of study in technical communication and offers an interpretation of the field.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Research>Professionalism

E-Portfolios  

E-portfolios collect samples of technical communication on a CD or a website. They offer more presentation options than the traditional hardcopy portfolio. While the construction differs from the traditional portfolio, the purpose and principles of design and content remain the same.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. STC Proceedings (2003). Careers>Portfolios>Online

E-Resources for Technical Communication  

E-resources provide a range of sources for locating information about technical communication or for technical communication documents. Researchers, teachers, students, and practitioners need to locate the journals, magazines, and proceedings of technical communication organizations to better understand the field. The websites of professional organizations and databases published by EBSCO, ProQuest, and InfoTrac are the focus of this paper.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. STC Proceedings (2002). Resources>TC>Online

E-Resources for Technical Communication

A slideshow presenting various online resources useful to technical communicators.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. STC Proceedings (2002). Presentations>Slideshows>Online

Education: Issues within the STC Academic Community  

STC supports students through scholarships, the honor fraternities, and recognition of student chapter achievements. STC members provide a network for information and contacts for employment. The academic community can strengthen its ties to STC by encouraging students to apply for the awards and recognitions and to take advantage of the network of professionals.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Education>Community Building>STC

Feminist Theory in Technical Communication: Making Knowledge Claims Visible    

This study extends the corpus of an earlier qualitative content analysis about women and feminism and identifies the knowledge claims and themes in the 20 articles that discuss gender differences. Knowledge claims are reflected in expressions such as androgyny; natural collaborators; hierarchical, dialogic, and asymmetrical modes; web; connected knowers; different voice; ethic of care; ethic of objectivity; continuous with others; connected to the world; the cultural divide; visual metaphor; and gender-free science. Built from knowledge claims, the themes in the 20 articles include gender differences in language use, learning, and knowledge construction; gender differences in collaboration; and reviews of research about gender differences and political calls for action. Although the 20 articles provide little support for the existence of gender differences, by introducing, discussing, testing, and revising new ideas about women and feminism, they serve as an example of the process of knowledge accumulation and remodeling in technical communication.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy' and Isabelle Thompson. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>TC>Theory>Gender

Points of Reference in Technical Communication Scholarship      

Identified in this article are 163 texts selected from a database of over 25,000 citations collected from five technical communication journals between 1988 and 1997. The texts—points of reference—represent the research, theory, and practice of technical communication.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. Technical Communication Quarterly (2000). Resources>Bibliographies>TC

Strength in the Technical Communication Journals and Diversity in the Serials Cited    

More than 1,600 serials from across the disciplines were identified as sources for technical communication scholars. The 99 most frequently cited serials are described. This citation analysis is distinguished from others by the size of the database (25,000+ citations), the 10-year review of articles published in five technical communication journals between 1988 and 1997, the number of serials cited and reviewed, and the focus on technical communication as a discipline. The analysis yielded two observations. First, five technical communication journals have grown in strength as forums for discussions of technical communication. Second, the serials cited illustrate the diversity of resources referred to from business, education, psychology, science, and technology-related sources. As a discipline, technical communication has developed depth and rigor through building the base of its research and theory while integrating the research and theory gathered from a number of disciplines.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2000). Articles>Research>TC

Using Handhelds in the Technical Communication Classroom  

A report on the use of pocket PCs in a document design course and a graduate course researching the emerging technology of handhelds.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>TC>PDA