Dichotomy, Consubstantiality, Technical Writing, Literary Theory: The Double Orthodox Curse  

Where are the departments that are truly strong at the extremes of literature and technical writing, yet have a Rogerian discussion of the differences going on? The sort of department I mean would offer work in technical and professional writing comparable to that at Rensselaer or Carnegie Mellon and literary theory comparable to that at Duke or Berkeley. Am I wrong in assuming that technical writers can and do move all the way from one extreme to the other, while literature professors do not see themselves either at an extreme or as part of any sort of continuum that would, if followed far enough, reach to the writing of software documentation for a process control?

Neel, Jasper. JAC (1992). Articles>Education>TC

Digital Reference: An Overview    

Digital reference refers to a network of expertise, human intermediation and resources placed at the disposal of users in an online environment. It employs automated tools wherever possible, allowing human experts to concentrate on 'hard questions'. But human expertise is expensive and hard to find. Automated tools are less expensive to incorporate into online services and sites, allowing digital libraries to use tools that were, until recently, the province of a small cadre of people.

Silverstein, Joanne. D-Lib Magazine (2003). Articles>TC>Online

Discover Buried Treasure at Your Local STC Chapter Meetings  

You don't have to be an officer to benefit professionally from your local STC chapter meetings. Start attending your local chapter meetings and discover the many forms of buried treasure. These treasures will result in a new perspective of your writing, an increased library of professional resources, professional writers being hired at your workplace, and the chance to view the 'Best of Show' writing. You can reap rewards such as these with a small investment of personal time.

Lunemann, Rhonda S. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>TC>Community Building>STC

Diverging Interests: Claims to Legitimacy in Technical Communication

As technical communication becomes more firmly established as a field, those in the discipline of technical communication and those in the profession are finding, sometimes to their surprise, that their interests differ. This difference is reflected in the varying claims to legitimacy made by those in professional practice and those in academia. These claims to legitimacy not only differ, but at times seem to be at odds with one another.

Anderson, Ginger. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>TC>Professionalism

Diverging Interests: Claims to Legitimacy in Technical Communication

As technical communication becomes more firmly established as a field, those in the discipline of technical communication and those in the profession are finding, sometimes to their surprise, that their interests differ. This difference is reflected in the varying claims to legitimacy made by those in professional practice and those in academia. These claims to legitimacy not only differ, but at times seem to be at odds with one another. My interest in these diverging legitimacy claims rests in my dual existence as a professional technical writer and as a graduate student in rhetoric and technical communication. I come to technical communication theory both as a technical communicator who wants to teach technical communication and as a technical communication consultant who wonders how theory can inform her own practice. Having read Technical Communication for years as a practitioner, I was initially surprised to see the difference between technical communication practice and scholarship, as reflected in the types of research that constitute the current conversation in academic technical communication.

Anderson, Ginger. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>TC>Theory

Diversity in Technical Communication  

Diversity is multifaceted multilayered and addresses human uniqueness in all aspects. Diversity has become legally mandated and politically correct. We bring differences in thinking styles, gender, religion, age, and job function, as well as diversity of many other aspects of being and living to the workplace each day. To remain a viable workforce component in the 21st Century, technical communicators must promote diversity by actively recruiting people of color and integrating diversity issues within the curriculum.

Montgomery, Betty M. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>TC

Do a Presentation for the 41st STC Annual Conference!  

Both old hands and newcomers can create a plan to do a presentation at the next STC Annual Conference. Simply follow this 5-step process: (1) Understand the call for papers. (2) Discover possible topics to develop. (3) Identify gifts—something of value—to give your audience in your presentation and in your paper (if you do one). (4) Think of interesting gift wraps to attract your hearers and readers. (5) Prepare a complete proposal for the Program Committee. This process works best in a workshop where the participants can form a critical muss for creative excitement, help one another generate ideas—and have fun!

Dean, Morris. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Presentations>STC

Do We Really Speak the Same Language?

At least England and America speak mostly the same language. What happens when we translate foreign languages and add what we think are correct nuances or words? Sometimes even the best intentions can go a bit stale, as witnessed by some of these translation guffaws that prove we're not alone in our confusion or mistakes. Even the big guns can misfire. I've inserted by own comments at the end of each item.

Gleason, Ruthmeri. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Articles>Language>TC

Documentation: Competitive Edge or Necessary Evil?

Given the number of Norwegian software and other high-tech companies, there should be quite a few technical writers in Norway. Why don't they cooperate and join a (professional) community?

Wigestrand, Henrik. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>TC>Regional>Scandinavia

e Pluribus Unum? Dialogism and Monologism in Organizational Web Discourse    

This article draws on the principles of linguistic theorist Mikhail Bakhtin to analyze and explain discursive diversity in organizational Web pages. Organizational Web sites must typically appeal to multiple audiences, a condition that often results in different discourses being juxtaposed within the same interface. To analyze and explain the effects of such juxtapositions, this article adapts to the Web the principles that Bakhtin developed to conceptualize discursive diversity in the novel, in particular his concept of dialogism. To illustrate their efficacy, the article applies these principles to analyze a pair of government Web sites about forests, the forest industry, and the environment. Whereas the homepages of the two sites project divergent approaches to the discourses of their diverse audiences, a dialogic analysis of the new site's deeper levels reveals how the government's discursive strategy appears to favor one audience at the expense of others. Drawing on this case study, this article discusses how an approach informed by Bakhtin's principles can illuminate our analysis of organizational Web discourse.

Killoran, John B. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2005). Articles>TC>Linguistics>Government

E-Globalization

Globalization involves the process to adapt a company's product and message to meet the varied expectations of markets around the world.

Govindarajan, Sharmila M. Carolina Communique (2006). Articles>TC>International

Earning a College Degree Online  

The number of multidisciplinary skills that technical communicators must possess increases with the rapid advance of technology. Today, a dusty college degree and vintage skills signal stagnation to employers and recruiters. Continuing education is essential to keeping your skill set competitive in today’s job market.

Korczyk, James S. Intercom (2003). Articles>Education>TC

Educating and Training Technical Communicators for the Challenges to Come?

When I started as a technical writer more than ten years ago, I wrote my first drafts with a pencil. Soon after, desktop publishing became part of my work, as did writing story boards for computer based training and managing online information projects. For several reasons the work of a technical communicator will change at an even higher rate in the future.

Schilliger, Reto. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Education>TC

Education in Scientific and Technical Communication: Types of Programs  

Currently there is no clear typology of academic programs in technical communication. Lacking this typology. discussions of quality in academic programs necessarily run the risk of overgeneralization. Thirteen authors are working to produce a book which fills this gap. This program, in a modified progression format, previews results of the authorsâï¿ï¿ work, including profiles (with examples) of eight of the ten types ofprograms that have been identified: PhD programs, MS programs, MA programs, BS programs, BA programs, minors, non-degree programs, and new and different program types.

Keene, Michael L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Education>TC

The Effect of Changes in Publishing Technologies on Labor and Documentation

Online publishing technologies is an ever-changing, morphing animal that cannot necessarily be predicted, but perhaps we can work to harness it. As publishing technologies change, so too will the style in which the readability of those documents change as they are shaped and designed to meet new formulas and needs. Likewise, as the readability and accessibility of documents change, so too must the interaction and intervention of the technical communicator change to ensure readable, articulate, navigable documentation, as well as preserve an author-reader relationship and also to preserve the role of the technical communicator.

Comstock, Jeanie. Orange Journal, The (2004). Articles>TC>Publishing>History

Eight Issues to Consider When Developing Metrics for Your Technical Communication Group

Wondering how you can assess the effectiveness and productivity of your work? Admittedly, it’s not easy and there are no simple approaches. But it can be done. As you develop a program, consider these issues, which arose from a review of literature on the metrics used to assess the productivity and effectiveness of software engineering, training, marketing communications, and technical communication.

Carliner, Saul. STC Quality SIG (2003). Articles>TC>Quality>Assessment

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: A Survey of Practices and Attitudes    

Presents results of a sample survey on why, how, and to what extent technical communicators use computers to edit. Suggests that electronic editing is becoming a common editing mode.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Editing>TC

The Engineer As Document Designer: The New World Order  

The traditional technical publications world in engineering companies has been turned upside down with the advent of personal computers on every engineer’s desk. Engineers are now their own “tech pubs” and rarely call on technical writers and editors for assistance. This new environment is described and it’s implications for both engineers and technical publications personnel are explored. Engineering writing at the University of California at Santa Barbara is described and suggestions are made for a similar education—albeit less formal—for technical writers and editors.

Marsh, C. Hugh. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Engineering

Enhancing Our Image: Creating Good Public Relations  

Effective chapter public relations results in an increase in membership, more interested and active members, and an awareness of technical communication as a valid and an important profession. This workshop teaches general public relation skills, such as how to write effective press releases, how to get your chapter events treated as news, and how to create and then maintain a press list.

Braz, Lisa M., Susan L. Fowler, Alan Korwin, and Nancy Martin. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>TC>Marketing>Press Releases

Establishing Yourself in a Writerless World  

Establishing a presence in a department that hasn’t had the benefit of technical writers can pose many challenges. As a writer newly assigned to such a department, I worked closely with my manager to develop the technical writer’s role, presented the role to key staff and teams, and created initial procedures to support writers within the department. By performing these tasks and thinking creatively about handling projects with a limited amount of writers, we’ve been able to work constructively with teams in our department and produce effective documentation.

Caliendo, Corin J. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Writing>TC

The Ethical Plight of the International Technical Communicator: A Search for Universals and Hypernorms  

Postmodernism is the recommended posture for technical writers working in international contexts. But should professional writers, adapting to local cultures, automatically adjust their most firmly held communication principles? O, are there technical or ethical criteria higher than the obligation to adapt.

Weiss, Edmond H. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Cultural Theory

Ethics and Technical Communication: The Past Quarter Century    

Ethics as a topic in technical communication has grown in interest in the past quarter century as the field itself has matured. We now understand technical communication as involved in communicating not only technical information but also values, ethics, and tacit assumptions represented in goals. It also is involved in accommodating the values and ethics of its many audiences. This understanding is linked to an awareness of the social nature of all discourse and the root interconnectedness of rhetoric and ethics. This article presents an introduction and annotated bibliography of articles from technical writing and communication journals over this period, arranged in categories of professional, academic, and systematic approaches. Ethics is broadly conceived to include not only particular theories but also systems of values and principles.

Dombrowski, Paul M. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2000). Articles>TC>Ethics>History

Ethics in Action: A "No-Talk" Workshop  

This workshop takes the study of ethics in technical communication to the next level—translating values into action. In recent years, the presenters have conducted numerous workshops focusing on the use of value analysis to clarify and resolve ethical dilemmas. Participants analyzed scenarios involving value conflicts in technical communication, formulated potential solutions, and dramatized the scenarios in role-playing. This approach remains valuable; indeed, it is one of the tools the STC Ethics Committee uses to help members bring our values into the workplace. The core values have not changed much since last year: honesty, legality, cultural sensitivity, and the like can hardly be expected to fluctuate from conference to conference. This workshop, however, starts where the others left off. Participants had better bring pencils along with philosophy—because this time they won’t just talk about solving thorny ethical dilemmas, they will actually solve them!

Allen, Lori A. and Daniel W. Voss. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>TC>Ethics

Ethics in Technical Communication  

The key to ethical action is to behave with integrity that is based on sound core of personal values.

Gokhale, Sunil. STC India (2003). Articles>TC>Ethics