Organizational communication, broadly speaking, is: people working together to achieve individual or collective goals. The field traces its lineage through business information, business communication, and early mass communication studies published in the 1930s through the 1950s.
#19381
I wanted to be a science writer for the same reason that many of you probably wanted to be scientists. For my generation, at least in our youth, truth and beauty were as one. I dabbled in poetry and paleontology, astronomy and architecture. I finally chose writing because it gave me art and science as well. I'd never heard the phrase 'science writer' but science was always my subject. When I went into daily newspapering I told my editor I wanted to be a science writer. He grunted and said the paper didn't need one of those. But history was against him, and the young kid he'd hired had a talent for finding science in any story he was assigned. Early on I turned a story about the city's rat eradication program into a piece that could have blended seamlessly with Zinsser's Rats, Lice and History. In my hands a zoning story metamorphosed into a piece on urban demographics. A school bond issue assignment came back to my editor in the form of an un-rejectable profile of a chemistry teacher. The editors grumbled but the readers loved it – and soon everyone outside the paper referred to me as a 'science writer.' I will never forget the great victory it was, the first time my boss called me that.
Franklin, Jon. NASW (1997). Articles>Scientific Communication
#13770
The Engineer as Rational Man: The Problem of Imminent Danger in a Non-Rational Environment 
Mine safety instruction manuals and training guides reflect an engineering perspective based on the concept of a Rational Man, a perspective which obsstructs effective risk management.
Sauer, Beverly A. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (1992). Articles>Documentation>Risk Communication>Rhetoric
#20964
Engineering Communication Resources
A list-in-progress assembled by Jeff Jablonski @ UNLV with help from others.
Jablonski, Jeffrey. UNLV. Resources>Directories>Communication>Engineering
#21540
This course is designed for undergraduates and graduates interested in the professional writing and publishing of both print based and electronic documents. Through a variety of projects, we will cover advanced theories of document design, web-based publishing, educational media, information delivery, and multimedia production. The course is designed so that students will have opportunities to work on both electronic and print based projects.
Bay, Jennifer. Purdue University (2003). Academic>Courses>Writing>Business Communication
#31348
Review: English for the Energy Industries: Oil, Gas, and Petrochemicals
Not only people preparing to work in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, but also students of industrial chemistry and chemical engineering can immensely benefit from the material provided in this coursebook and supplementary CDs.
Kumar Panda, Prasanta. International Journal for Technical Communication (2008). Articles>Reviews>Business Communication>Engineering
#26579
This article explains how strengthening communication skills of our diverse workers could enhance competence, cooperation, and confidence in the workplace. A study focusing on language barriers was used to emphasize how variations in communication can, if not handled properly, escalate into conflicts in the workplace. Findings from the study that negatively affect productivity: lack of adequate training, lack of awareness of the culture of diverse groups and the perception that some were being subjected to racism and stereotypes are discussed.
Nealy, Chynette and Amiso George. Association for Business Communication (2004). Careers>Business Communication>Discrimination>Education
#26737
Enterprise Agility - Is Risk Management
Plain and simple, the value proposition for enterprise agility is rooted firmly in risk management. The purpose of agility is to maintain both reactive and proactive response options in the face of uncertainty.
Dove, Rick. Paradigm Shift International (2005). Articles>Knowledge Management>Risk Communication
#13287
Each of us has some opportunity to make the environment part of our consideration when designing technical communication. The environment is not something “out there” beyond our concern or our ability to respond. Rather it is a part of our everyday life and can be a part of our everyday decision making process. This paper explores how environmental considerations can and should be a part of design matters in technical communication. The paper elaborates a set of environmental guidelines that can be used by professionals working in the field and made a part of technical communication teaching. Even small changes can make a difference. Environmental design matters!
Gordon, Myra. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Scientific Communication>Environmental
#22014
Review: Envisioning Science: The Design and Craft of the Science Image
As an accomplished photographer of science and engineering research, Felice Frankel knows how to capture her readers' attention—her exquisite images in Envisioning science communicate their amazing power, by her design, and ultimately 'teach us to see' science in a different way. We are witnesses to the excitement of discovery represented in such images as cadmium selenide nanocrystals, self-assembled polyhedra, yeast colonies, and mouse embryo lungs, thereby illustrating the book's educational value.
Winn, Wendy. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Graphic Design>Scientific Communication
#14018
Escrever Um Artigo Científico: Das Partes Para O Todo
Apresentam-se, de forma sintética, os principais cuidados a ter na escrita de um artigo científico. Para esse efeito, descrevem-se e comentam-se, sequencialmente, as sucessivas componentes de um documento desta natureza. Pensa-se que esta abordagem constituirá um bom auxiliar para os autores que pretendam reforçar a coerência e adequação dos seus artigos científicos.
Dias de Figueiredo, Antonio. Universidade de Coimbra (1998). (Portuguese) Articles>Scientific Communication>Regional>Portugal
#14007
El objetivo de una comunicación técnica no divulgativa es transmitir ideas, información o descubrimientos de carácter técnico o científico dentro de un entorno homogéneo (interacción entre miembros de una misma comunidad, por ejemplo, la comunidad académica de profesores y alumnos). Incluye elementos tales como: Preguntas o dudas sobre una materia concreta a una autoridad competente. Por ejemplo: un mensaje de correo electrónico enviado a un profesor para consultar una duda sobre la organización del laboratorio o sobre una práctica; Informes sobre el análisis, diseño, implementación o pruebas de un determinado sistema o de un módulo de un sistema. Dentro de este apartado podemos incluir la memoria final de la práctica de laboratorios como el LSED o el LCEL; Informes sobre mediciones de laboratorio incluyendo su discusión. Forman parte de la memoria de LSED o LCEL.
Martinez, Juan Manuel Montero. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (2001). (Spanish) Books>Scientific Communication>TC
#23688
Essential Pharmaceutical URLs and Organizations
Systems and network engineers, developers, project managers, and technical staff have been hit hard since the technology bubble burst. Since Y2K there has been an influx of competitive workers on H1B visas who have stayed and now have green cards. Now there is also outsourcing to India, Bulgaria, Russia, Ireland, the Philippines etc.
Marie, Cecile. MetroVoice (2003). Careers>Scientific Communication>Biomedical
#19738
The Essentials of Effective Communication 
Good writing allows writers to be taken seriously, and being taken seriously is always important in communicating ideas effectively. If a person's writing is awkward, clumsy, or questionable, readers may get the wrong impression. And, first impressions can determine what people will read and what they will not.
Dowling, Dave. Indus (2002). Articles>Communication>Writing
#24169
Are the ethical issues affected by a vendor's status as an offshore operation? By the prospect of Internet gambling becoming illegal in the U.S. (bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives)? By the presumption of shady morals in the gambling industry? Should one's choices be affected by his/her rocky employment history?
Bryan, John G. Intercom (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Ethics
#31313
Ethics and Accountability in the New Media Environment
In May, I had the pleasure of participating in the IABC Newfoundland & Labrador 20/20 Visionary Communications conference. Jo-Anne Polak of Hill & Knowlton, while presenting her thoughts about contemporary crisis communication, made a comment that I haven’t stopped thinking about since her presentation. Jo-Anne pointed out that after September 11th, journalists have had to become more competitive and aggressive because media sources have exploded in number, and technology has provided immediate electronic delivery.
Hattori, Todd. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Risk Communication>Multimedia
#28627
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
#19582
Ever wonder why your last business trip abroad was a bust? Maybe it was something you didn't say. Learn what not to do when travelling in a foreign country.
Hansson, Tomas. Writer's Block (1999). Articles>Business Communication>International
#14936
Eureka! The Importance of Good Science Writing
Today, society is large and scientific experiments across the world are carried out by people who are usually hidden from public view. So much of what scientists do affects our daily lives, yet most people remain largely unaware of how scientists use their (mostly public) funding, and how their work affects them. Good science writing helps us understand what scientists around the world are up to.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (2002). Articles>Scientific Communication
#29194
Eureka! The Relationship of Good Science Writing to Risk Communication
A look at the importance of science writing in helping the public to understand issues that affect our daily lives so that we can make informed decisions concerning risk.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (2005). Articles>Scientific Communication>Risk Communication
#24933
The European Network of Science Communication Teachers
The project brought together leading institutions and individuals involved in science communication teaching from across Europe, to exchange ideas on good practice in teaching.
#24584
Evaluating Environmental Impact Statements as Communicative Action
An environmental impact statement (EIS) is supposed to ensure that a government agency thoroughly evaluates a project's impacts, studies feasible alternatives, and gives all stakeholders an active role in project-related decisions. Previous rhetorical studies of the EIS describe a failed or subversive genre routinely used to advance the strategic aims of an agency seeking to implement a project despite significant opposition. This article contends that an EIS motivated by a genuinely persuasive purpose can serve as the discursive focus of democratic decision making about major projects and substantially achieve Habermas's norms of communicative action. This may happen, for example, when a local transportation agency develops an EIS for a federal transportation agency. To illustrate this possibility, two EISs involving distinct federal-local relationships in Puerto Rico are evaluated using criteria proposed by John Forester for investigating the degree to which public decision-making processes fulfill Habermas's norms of communicative action.
Dayton, David. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Communication>Environmental>Government
#31217
Evaluating Your Online Reputation
One of the primary concerns of public relations practitioners is reputation management. Traditionally, PR professionals measured the perception of their brand, products or services through media coverage; whatever was written or broadcast about a company was viewed as indicative of public opinion. The Internet has vastly changed the dynamics of how communicators assess and evaluate public opinion.
Murphy, Allison and Howard Kaushansky. Communication World Bulletin (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Online
#28840
Every Email You Send is a Customer Service Email
If you do business online, there are times when you send your customers, prospects and subscribers an email or two. The emails you send tend to fall within one of three categories. Each of these three types of emails requires a slightly different approach. Their purposes are different, and each should be optimized to perform their respective tasks.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Correspondence>Email
#31061
Everything Counts in Large Amounts
Finance is not a skill set that comes easily to most technical communicators. Many of us earned our college degrees in majors (journalism in my case) that were more related to our verbal SAT scores than to our math scores. Also, those of us who aren't in business for ourselves often rely on invisible corporate functionaries to handle all that tedious, confusing money stuff so we can focus on more important, or at least more familiar, matters.
Dornbrook, Dan. Tieline (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Financial
#24161
An Examination of Factors That Affect the Credibility of Online Health Information
The study reported in this article examined the effect of street address and external links on perceptions of credibility of a Web page. The study attempted to determine how readers process these cues by drawing on key theories in both technical communication and psychology, including the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The article includes a review of relevant literature on which the experiment reported here was based, hypotheses concerning the expected outcomes of the experiment, the methodology, the results, and a discussion of the results. Finally, conclusions and implications for future research are discussed.
Freeman, Krisandra S. and Jan H. Spyridakis. Technical Communication Online (2004). Design>Web Design>Scientific Communication>Biomedical
