A Brief History of the Role of Technical Communication in Developing Environmental Literacy  

This paper introduces a two-part grouping of papers on “Ecological Literacy and Advocacy through Technical Communication.” Both technical communication and environmental rhetoric have historical roots in the professionalization of science and government in the late 1800s. The association of technical communication with “patrons” in industry has limited the roles of technical communicators to purveying ecological literacy within the relatively tight constraints of “risk communication.” But with the blurring of contemporary communication genres and the growth of ecological consciousness, technical communicators may follow science writers into roles more closely associated with environmental advocacy.

Killingsworth, M. Jimmie and Jacqueline S. Palmer. STC Proceedings (1998). Presentations>Scientific Communication>Environmental>Civic

Review: Comments on: Selker, Rosenzweig, and Pandolfo (2006). "A Methodology for Testing Voting Systems"    

In the article, 'A Methodology for Testing Voting Systems' (JUS, November 2006, pp7-21), Selker, Rosenzweig, and Pandolfo discuss their methodology for usability testing of voting systems. With so much at stake in the usability of our ballots and voting systems, we can only applaud any research in this field. There is little history of research in this area, so discussions of test protocols are especially valuable. Unfortunately, although this article sets out to compare 'the relative merit in realistic versus lab style experiments for testing voting technology,' it falls short of this goal. If their point is that real-world testing is important because real election environments add burdens that are not present in lab settings, this conclusion is not supported by any of the work described.

Quesenbery, Whitney, John Cugini, Dana E. Chisnell, Bill Killam and Janice C. 'Ginny' Redish. Journal of Usability Studies (2007). Articles>Reviews>Usability>Civic

Communicating about Environmental Risk with Stakeholders  

To explore the barriers to successful communication about environmental risks, a research project addressed the following questions: what do people understand about the terminology and the graphics used in risk messages? what sorts of communication modes and timing do people prefer? Surveys and focus groups were conducted in two towns to explore the level and types of risk (e.g leaking gas tanks) with which people are uncomfortable. The findings extend the discoveries of other environmental communication researchers: People are confused by regulatory language, they do not trust the government, and they want 'true stories,' credible witnesses, and face-to-face interaction with other stakeholders.

Hart, Hillary. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Risk Communication>Environmental>Civic

Electronic Voting: Usability, Communication, Trust

Beyond just the undeniable importance of a usable form and voting mechanism, is the need to consider the comfort and satisfaction of voters dealing with sometimes radically changed voting systems, especially when the move is from paper-based voting systems to electronic systems.

Bachmann, Karen L. Usability Interface (2003). Articles>Usability>User Interface>Civic

Ethics in the City: How Talk about Ethics Leads to an Ethical Culture

Democracy depends upon trust in public officials; yet, trust in government has been steadily falling as instances of local, state, and federal corruption fill the pages of our newspapers.

Jovanovic, Spoma and Roy V. Wood. Communication Currents (2006). Articles>Communication>Ethics>Civic

Freedom of Information Act Fundamentals

FOIA has become an indispensable tool for probing actions of government and the companies and people that come into contact with government. Your catch is only limited by your imagination.

Wilson, Duff. Society of Environmental Journalists (2002). Resources>Legal>Government>Civic

Health Risk Communication

With government getting more involved with healthcare and organizations collecting information about the risks of some diseases, there is a plethora of information about heath risk that must be made accessible to the general public.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Risk Communication>Biomedical>Civic

Improving Risk Communication

Technological risk and the process of explaining risks to the public have become major public issues. The mention of Bhopal or Love Canal can provoke emotional arguments--not only about the hazards themselves but also about how they were explained to the public. As new laws, the threat of AIDS, and other factors make risk communication more crucial, officials in government and industry are seeking guidelines on how to communicate effectively and responsibly. This volume offers an approach to better quality in risk communication. The combined insight of experts from government, business, and universities, Improving Risk Communication draws on the most current academic and practical information and analysis. Issues addressed include why risk communication has become more difficult in recent decades, what the major problems are, and how common misconceptions often hamper communication campaigns. Aimed especially at top decisionmakers in government and industry, the book emphasizes that solving the problems of risk communication is as much about improving procedures as improving the content of risk messages. Specific recommendations for change include a Risk Message Checklist and a call for developing a consumer's guide to risk. Appendixes provide additional details.

National Research Council Committee on Risk Perception and Communication. National Academies Press (1989). Books>Risk Communication>Assessment>Civic

A Methodology for Testing Voting Systems  

This paper compares the relative merit in realistic versus lab style experiments for testing voting technology. By analyzing three voting experiments, we describe the value of realistic settings in showing the enormous challenges for voting process control and consistent voting experiences. The methodology developed for this type of experiment will help other researchers to test polling place protocols and administration. Comparing the results from laboratory experiments with voter verification and realistic voting experiments further validates the procedure of testing equipment in laboratory settings. The methodology and protocol for testing voting systems can be applied to any voting technology. This protocol matches the real-world conditions of voting by replicating them for the experiment.

Selker, Ted, Elizabeth Rozenwieg and Anna Pandolfo. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Articles>Usability>Testing>Civic

On Being Modern: New Technologies and Voting Outside the US

The argument most frequently advanced in the United Kingdom in favour of implementing electronic voting is that it will increase turnout. In the UK, the under-25s tend to avoid voting in elections of any type. Local government and European Parliament elections rank among the worst for turnout (below 40 percent) and demonstrate a continuous downward trend in recent years.

Ferguson, Louise. Usability Professionals Association (2003). Articles>Usability>User Interface>Civic

This Just In---Managing Corporate Crises in an Electronic Age  

Shortly after Martha Stewart was accused by the government of lying to cover up her sale of Imclone stocks, she set up a web site www.marthatalks.com to tell her side of the story Firestone/Bridgestone and Ford took the same step in the wake of their crisis. These corporations and many others use their web sites to tell their own side of the story in a climate where competing news outlets in their rush to be the first to break a story, may sacrifice accuracy. In this paper, we examine the Internet, both as a crisis “activator” as well as an effective tool in crisis management and communication. We use relevant case studies to support the assertion that if used properly, the Internet can be an effective and proactive crisis communication tool.

George, Amiso M. and Matthew Friedman. Association for Business Communication (2004). Articles>Web Design>Business Communication>Civic

Trends Toward Greater Usability in Voting Technology

UPA's Voting and Usability project is tracking several important trends toward greater usability in voting technology across the globe: Verified voting, The NIST Voting Symposium, FEC Brochures, Voting Developments in the UK and in the Republic of Ireland.

Scott, Josephine. Usability Professionals Association (2004). Articles>Usability>User Interface>Civic

UXnet Local Ambassadors: Building a Global Community One Locale at a Time

Over the past few decades, we have seen a steady expansion in the number of people who design or evaluate the quality of the user experience of digital products. The popularization of the personal computer in business and at home, the explosion of the Web and Internet applications, and the sudden presence of computer interfaces in everything from medical systems to voting stations to home entertainment centers has greatly accelerated the growth of the user experience (UX) movement.

Ferrara, John, Pabini Gabriel-Petit and Louis Rosenfeld. UXmatters (2006). Design>User Experience>Collaboration>Civic

Voting and Usability Project Update

It's been two-and-a-half years since we started the Voting and Usability Project. This project started as we all realized with some horror that usability problems in our voting systems could affect the results of an election--effectively disenfranching some voters through the design of the ballot, as Susan King Roth put it in the report on her research. Since then, our interest has expanded into a more general interest in the usability of voting systems and usability professionals can help make voting systems more usable for everyone.

Quesenbery, Whitney. Usability Professionals Association (2003). Articles>Usability>User Interface>Civic

Voting and Usability Projects: How You can Participate

The UPA Voting and Usability project works to create a better elections process by improving the usability of ballots and voting systems.

Scott, Josephine. Usability Professionals Association (2004). Articles>Usability>Government>Civic

With Accessibility for All

The Web is not a panacea. If businesses, governments, and other organizations that publish information on the Web don't pay attention, the Web's promise of equal access for all could be fatally undermined by the rush to make Web sites technologically slick and visually exciting.

Garfinkel, Simson L. Boston Globe (1998). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Civic

Rethinking Loci Communes and Burkean Transcendence    

In situations of potential business change, the cooperation of various direct and indirect stakeholders (i.e., employees, customers, shareholders, neighbors) is crucial. The alternative policy courses may all be reasonable, and yet none of them may be clearly best for all stakeholders; support for an option must be cultivated through public rhetoric. Loci communes and Burkean transcendence are two potent rhetorical strategies that can help business leaders publicly weigh and civilly advocate a policy position relative to competing alternatives. This article develops and illustrates that argument by analyzing the public rhetoric involved in AirTran's attempt to build support for its hostile takeover of Midwest Airlines and Midwest's successful resistance to that attempt. Midwest's deft development of the transcendent term value helped it circumvent the initial deadlock between its preferred loci communes (i.e., the existent and quality) and AirTran's (i.e., the possible and quantity). The article advances a rationale and call for rhetorical scholarship to adopt more situated, social practice views of loci communes and transcendence.

Olson, Kathryn M. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Rhetoric>Civic

Civic Engagement on the Move: How Mobile Media Can Serve the Public Good  

Many people—especially youth and the previously disempowered—are learning to use cell phone messages, snapshots and videos as a way to express their political views. Certainly that was being demonstrated by the thousands of young people and others drawn into the 2008 Presidential primary campaign.

Lasica, J.D. Aspen Institute, The (2008). Books>Communication>Wireless Web>Civic