STC's International Membership From 1979 to 1991  

This study examined changes in STC's overall and international membership between 1979 and 1991. Though the USA and Canada consistently comprised about 97% of the membership, significant changes occurred within the international membership. The Pacific Rim Countries experienced the greatest growth, with their membership increasing about twenty fold over the twelve year period, as compared to a five times increase in the overall international membership, and a three times increase in the entire membership. The disparity of the growth rates resulted in Japan replacing Israel as the residence for most international members, with Australia in second place.

Coolidge, Joy. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>International>STC

Teaching and Learning in a Global Environment  

Much research in technical communication addresses issues of writing for other cultures. Language is understood within the context of culture, so communication is a cultural activity. Therefore, to successfully communicate with international audiences, we need to learn both what formal studies can offer and what individuals from other cultures reveal about our understanding of those studies.

Coggin, William O., Yevgeniy Borodkin, Su Suocai and Karen Skelton. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>International

Teaching Intracultural and Intercultural Communication: A Critique and Suggested Method    

Within an increasingly global marketplace, discussions of intercultural communication are important in business and technical communication classrooms. Although many business and technical communication textbooks integrate discussions of intercultural communication, they do not go far enough in engaging the complicated nature of this issue. This article summarizes recent literature about the importance of paying attention to intercultural communication and analyzes the productive approaches in popular business and technical communication textbooks. It presents five challenges for business and technical communication teachers to consider and includes teaching modules that address these challenges. Although the article focuses on classroom practice, such intercultural explorations are also of value to authors of business and technical communication textbooks, who might consider integrating modules such as these into their textbooks.

DeVoss, Danielle, Julia Jaskin and Dawn Hayden. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2002). Articles>Education>International

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

Technology Transfer and the Intercultural Communicator  

For effective intercultural communication, technical writers and editors need to analyze documents for tone. Tone often reflects an ethnocentric attitude which can undermine intercultural communication. Through a reconceptualization of technology transfer, applied anthropology provides a means for eliminating an ethnocentric attitude. Technology transfer, viewed as an interactive negotiable process, suggests questions which may serve as a heuristic for evaluating tone in intercultural communication.

Perkins, Jane. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Writing>International>Technical Writing

Ten Keys to Increasing Your Web Site's International Impact

People and organizations generally understand the concept of the Internet's global reach. However, few see their Web presence as international, and even fewer have sites appropriate for audiences beyond their borders. As global competition grows and new markets emerge, building an effective international Web presence is becoming ever more critical.

Tindal, Richard. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>International

Think Globally, Write Locally

Companies operating in a global marketplace know they need to translate documents for their audiences. But some documents actually need more than translation – they need localization. Although a document’s words can be translated perfectly, the document can still be ineffective in another market, due to differences in the way local businesses operate and in the way people think.

Giovanis, Kristen. Writing Assistance (2006). Articles>Language>Localization>International

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

How important is tailoring your site for a culturally diverse audience? To some extent it depends on who your target market is; but Web users are increasingly likely to speak languages other than English. For instance, research firm Global Reach predicts that by 2004 only one-third of Web users will be native English speakers. Combine this with IDC's estimate that in three years, Internet spending outside the U.S. will top $914 billion -- two-thirds of the world's $1.64 trillion in e-commerce -- and globalization begins to look less like a nice-to-have than a mandate.

Benett, Gordon. Intranet Journal. Articles>Web Design>International

Trans-Atlantic Roundtable  

Intercultural experts offer their insights about working with colleagues from specific cultures. Included is a table presenting various cultural differences that communicators may experience.

Pejovic, Jean and Marie-Louise Desfray Beaujouan. Intercom (2006). Articles>Collaboration>International

Translation Kit

The translation kit includes articles contributed by STC members. Some contributors have worked with translators extensively. Other contributors are affiliated with translation agencies.

STC International TC SIG. Resources>Language>International

Usability Around the Globe: Resources

This page is meant to be a useful and well-rounded list of resources related to usability around the world. The topics range from appropriate design for global audiences to developing good local content to effective global usability testing. The reality is that there is not much information available. This is perhaps the most comprehensive list available on this topic.

Rhodes, John S. WebWord (2001). Articles>Usability>International

Usability for the Masses    

The biggest problem facing the usability field is how to scale up massively so that we can impact all the user interface designs in the world. How big is this challenge? As of November 2005, there are about 75 million websites on the Internet. There are also about 30 million intranets inside corporate firewalls. Thus, there are more than 100 million user interface designs, just in the online space.

Nielsen, Jakob. Journal of Usability Studies (2005). Articles>Usability>International

UsabilityNet: International Standards

Standards related to usability can be categorised as primarily concerned with: the use of the product (effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a particular context of use); the user interface and interaction; the process used to develop the product; the capability of an organisation to apply user centred design

UsabilityNet. Resources>Usability>International>Specifications

User Research Abroad: Handle Logistics in Four Easy Steps

In our industry, we are often asked to conduct non-directed interviews by telephone with audiences around the globe. This presents several logistical challenges.

Young, Indi. Adaptive Path (2004). Articles>Usability>Audience Analysis>International

Virtual Classroom Project Report

The aim of the Virtual Classroom project is to create an environment that will help stimulate purposeful communication between English language learners across the globe.

Hudson, Roger. Usability.com.au (1998). Articles>Education>Online>International

Visualization in Technical Communication and its Cultural Differences: Building Better Communication Bridges across the Pacific Ocean  

The advent of multimedia technology has made 'visualization' a hot topic in technical communication. This paper classifies visualization into three categories, referring to differences in visualization between Western culture and Japanese culture.

Moriguchi, Minoru. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Technical Illustration>International

The Web and Material Matters

At present the Internet continues the one-way flow of information from the First to the Third World. Can the Internet be a factor in promoting a two-way flow between the margins and the center?

Faigley, Lester. University of Texas (1999). Articles>Web Design>International

What 25,000 Employees Globally Say about Communication Effectiveness

Towers Perrin has brought together a group of leading companies to establish The Communications Effectiveness Consortium and annual benchmarking study. This study assesses factors that drive employees’ perceptions of communication effectiveness. The resulting tool provides guidance on the best return on investments for an organization’s communication resources.

Woodall, Katherine and Charlie Watts. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>International

When Cultures and Computers Collide: Rethinking Computer-Mediated Communication According to International and Intercultural Communication Expectations    

Online communication technology makes intercultural communication faster and more direct than was ever before possible, but, in doing so, it may also amplify cultural rhetoricaldifferences. Communication scholars, therefore, need to begin examining potentialareas of conflict in international cyberspace to anticipate and to resolve potential cross-culturalmisunderstandings related to online exchanges. This commentary proposesthat researchers need to compare the communication patterns noted in the computer-mediatedcommunication (CMC) literature and in the intercultural communication literatureto see where these communication patterns collide.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2002). Articles>Communication>International

When the Field is Far Afield: Multiple-Country Observations of Complex System Use  

Describes the challenges of usability studies of complex systems that are used internationally, based on a case study of a multinational company's enterprise-wide call management system.

Anscheutz, Lori, Deborah Hinderer and Janice Anne Rohn. Tec-Ed, Inc. (1998). Articles>Usability>Methods>International

Why are Figures Made All-Inclusive in a Computer Manual? The Elimination of Cultural Preference  

Computer manuals are produced by documentation engineering or some methodology. The organization, contents, and sequence of a manual developed in this way are usually universal. However, figures included in a computer manual tend to be all-inclusive, namely very comprehensive or complicated. It is probably due to the cultural preference, or one characteristic of the Japanese way of communication. The inductive thinking method may have caused the habit of presenting all related information on just one page at the time of information transmission.

Nakajima, Yasushi. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>International

Winning the Cross-Cultural Marathon    

Differences in value systems often impact how effectively individuals collaborate. In today's growing markets, where boundaries have, literally and metaphorically, blurred to the point of disappearing, developing a better understanding of the factors that influence successful cross-cultural communication and international team-work remains a challenge. But with a little thought, cultural awareness and planning, this can be done successfully.

International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>Collaboration>International

Working in Global Teams  

Virtual, global teams require us to use our communication skills in ways that were unimaginable twenty years ago. Learn about ways to build successful working relationships in virtual environments.

Doulton, Melanie. Intercom (2007). Articles>Collaboration>International

Working Together: Developing a Joint Documentation Project in Two Countries  

As companies become more internationally orientated, joint projects among groups in different countries are becoming more common. These projects offer unique opportunities, including learning about another culture and the chance to travel. They also present obstacles, including difficulties in communication. Time differences allow a small window for phone calls. Periodic face-to-face meetings are essential, since they build under- standing and tolerance that carry over into communication by phone or electronic mail. Cultural and national differences in business practice further complicate the picture. It is important to work out all procedures, standards, and objectives in writing for the project to succeed.

King, Nancy. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Collaboration>International

World Economic Forum Survey Projects Mainstreaming of Corporate Citizenship

A new report credits socially responsible investing, among other trends, for influencing mainstream investors to take corporate citizenship more seriously. Is corporate citizenship entering mainstream investors' consciousness? No and yes, according to a new World Economic Forum report that surveys CEO's and IRO's (investor relations officers) at 26 companies from 14 countries. Forty-two percent of the respondents felt there has been a major increase in the level of activism, engagement and sophistication from the SRI community regarding CSR. Over 70 percent of the respondents who hail from large international corporations believe that mainstream investors will have an increased interest in CSR issues.

Baue, William. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>International