ACM’s Computing Professionals Face New Challenges  

The ACM community is in a position to take a leadership role in responding to the challenges brought by last fall’s terror attacks. Some of us have already been contacted to contribute to designs for improving security at airports, verifying identity at check-in, or redesigning cockpits to give more options to pilots and ground controllers. Others will be asked to redesign systems that trace financial transactions across international borders or examine email patterns among loosely affiliated groups. These efforts win the broadest support when our decisions about how to pursue safety and security are coupled with a strong defense of civil liberties and privacy.

Shneiderman, Ben. University of Maryland (2001). Articles>TC>Professionalism

AIGA Design Forum: Professional Practices

As a champion of creativity, quality and a strong sense of community, AIGA is a valuable resource for designers seeking support for the work we do. Professional Practices focuses on important issues designers face daily, from the pragmatic matters of management to the pursuit of design excellence and integrity. Sometimes our work can be magical, other times our work can be mundane, and on any given day we believe this forum is the place to seek best practices, share success stories, and address the challenges of our profession.

Shelton, Sam. AIGA. Design>Graphic Design>Professionalism>Community

Approaches to Professionalism—A Codified Body of Knowledge    

Professionalism is a recurrent topic of discussion—formally and informally—among technical communication scholars and practitioners. In the diversity among our programs and approaches to technical communication, the difficult issues surrounding certification in technical communication is a professional goal that major stakeholders have typically considered too complex to be addressed. Increasingly, however, many of these stakeholders agree that we can no longer continue to ignore these complex issues. In an earlier article, I have described twelve issues that must be addressed and tasks that must be undertaken to move the profession towards meaningful certification. In that discussion, I also suggest approaches to begin the work on each of these steps. In this present discussion, I address the first of these steps—codification of the bodies of knowledge through the development of an encyclopedia of technical and professional communication. In order to accomplish this, I describe the categories of knowledge in the field and the editorial and organizational structure of the project.

Rainey, Kenneth T. IEEE PCS (2005). Articles>TC>Professionalism>Body of Knowledge

Attending an STC Conference on a Shoestring Budget

Companies are reducing their training budgets. During these austere times, the technical writer must get more creative than ever to participate in the annual conference. An informal survey of attendees at the 50th Annual Conference in Dallas showed that many people paid their own way to the conference. There are numerous ways to reduce the cost to attend the conference.

Bine, Katharyn. Usability Interface (2003). Articles>TC>Professionalism>STC

Being Shallow

Information Architects are often put on the defensive by spears flung by brethren in related disciplines. In taking the accusations seriously and accepting truths within them, Grant Campbell reveals greatest strengths in shallowness, insularity, and being 'relegated' to history.

Campbell, Grant. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Articles>Information Design>Professionalism

Benefits of Using a Professional to Write User Documentation

Studies have shown organisations value the following benefits: overall organisation, the sales team, and documentation meets the customer's requirements.

Cherryleaf (2003). Articles>Writing>Professionalism>Documentation

Can This Marriage Be Saved: IS an English Department a Good Home for Technical Communication?    

In partial answer to the many questions that have been raised about the definition and location of technical writing programs, a random sample of full-time teachers of professional writing was conducted. The results indicate that those located in English departments do not receive the respect and support they need. Those located in other departments are significantly more satisfied. Some strategies for improving the situation are suggested.

MacNealy, Mary Sue and Leon B. Heaton. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (1999). Academic>Education>TC>Professionalism

The Chicago Chapter STC Institute for Professional Development: A Model for Developing Partnerships Between STC and Universities/Colleges  

The Chicago Chapter STC Institute for Professional Development (IPD) is a good example of how STC chapters can help bridge the gap between theory and practice by partnering with colleges and universities to offer credit courses for those with little or no experience or prior course work in technical communication. Such partnerships help the local STC chapters by enhancing awareness of our profession in their geographic areas (and building STC membership and involvement), by serving the educational needs of its newer members, and by providing teaching and mentoring opportunities for its more experienced members. Above all, by bringing together teachers, researchers, and practitioners of technical communication to design, plan, and implement courses, the Chicago IPD models the very type of teamwork that has become essential for success in today’s world.

Abbott, Christine. STC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Education>Professionalism

Code for Communicators

As a technical communicator, I am the bridge between those who create ideas and those who use them. Because I recognize that the quality of my services directly affects how well ideas are understood, I am committed to excellence in performance and the highest standards of ethical behavior.

STC Rocky Mountain Chapter (2004). Articles>TC>Professionalism

Conduct an Analysis of Your Professional Language and Culture

Take any combination of the projects below and use them to generate data for a comprehensive report on the Language and Culture of your field. You will find one sample of such a document in the Models and Templates section of the web site. Study it closely, as it is a strong example of how such a report can be written.

Lannon, John M. Pearson Education. Academic>Course Materials>Professionalism

Core Competencies for Technical Communicators

There are core competencies and enabling competencies. The competency areas are Core Competencies, which distinguish a particular field from other fields. Enabling Competencies do not distinguish the field but are still required for its success.

Rainey, Kenneth T. TC-FORUM (2001). Articles>TC>Professionalism

Criticizing Our Colleagues: Tough, But Kind  

I’m not used to writing editorials, but lately I’ve heard complaints from more than a few usability professionals about reviews of their work that were snide, hostile, and lacking in reasonable suggestions and this has moved me to speak out. These complaints deal with a primary activity of our profession: constructive criticism. We are often asked to uncover potential problems with products and processes and recommend design changes that could improve usability – using a tone that is firm and constructive. We are also asked to provide feedback to our usability colleagues in book, proposal, and presentation reviews. I have become concerned that feedback among usability professionals is not always as constructive as the feedback we routinely present to our clients. With the recent introduction of the UPA Code of Conduct, hostile reviews of the work of colleagues could be considered an ethical violation. More about that later.

Wilson, Chauncey E. Usability Professionals Association (2004). Articles>Usability>Professionalism

The Death of the Technical Author?

Technical Authors do not have high prominence in the workplace, and they don't have the best of images (as can be seen by the movie 'The Technical Writer'). Today, there are a number of Technical Authors struggling to find new employment in the current IT sector, and one can find messages on Internet newsgroups questioning the future employment prospects for Technical Authors in North America and Europe. Some wonder whether the role of the Technical Author will disappear, like other careers have in the past. In this article we look at the problems faced by Technical Authors in defining their role, and make some recommendations for the future.

Birn, William. Cherryleaf (2003). Articles>Writing>Professionalism>Technical Writing

Defining Technical Communication: Management  

Management of technical communication is a very broad field, consisting of everything from self-management to managing an entire department or cross-functional team. Though the field of management is generally the same in all occupations, managers in technical communication deal with slightly more technical material than those in business. My research has led me to view management of technical communication in terms of small, medium, and large-scale managerial job functions.

McRae, Chris. Mercer University (2002). Careers>TC>Professionalism

Defining the Damn Thing

Defining information architecture is a reccuring theme in all IA forums, and frequently leads to re-naming efforts as well, from information therapist to experience designer. This page is dedicated to that ongoing struggle.

Lombardi, Victor, Tal Herman, Eric Scheid, Sunir Shah, Christina Wodtke, John Paul Fullerton, Keith Tatum, Karyn Young and Rob Manso. IAwiki (2004). Articles>Information Design>Professionalism

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

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

Does UPA Need a Code of Conduct?

Many professional societies have developed their own Code of Conduct. Given the high profile lapses in professional conduct and the evolving of the usability profession is it time for us to adopt a code?

Usability Professionals Association (2004). Articles>Usability>Professionalism

Education, Training, and Professional Development Stem Overview  

Education, training, and professional development remain central interests of the Society. In this program stem, more than thirty high-quality sessions emphasize four areas of continuing interest to educators, trainers, students, and other professionals.

Rainey, Kenneth T. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Education>Professionalism

Education, Training, and Professional Development Stem Overview  

Responding to the concerns and issues we face, the workshops, panels, papers, discussions, and demonstrations in the Education, Training, and Professional Development Stem share common experiences, uncommon insights, and bold forecasts for the future to enlighten our community of technical communicators.

Hawkes, Lory. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Education>Professionalism

Enemies of Usability

I know lots of usability advocates who speak the language of business quite fluently. Could we get better? Sure. But on the whole, we are the solution, not the problem. Let's not weaken our ranks with friendly fire. We have plenty of real enemies to keep us busy.

Morville, Peter. Semantic Studios (2002). Articles>Usability>Professionalism

The Expanding Dimensions of Technical Writing    

Scientific and technical writing as a profession has much greater dimensions than many people realize.

Souther, James W. CCC (1971). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Professionalism

A Failure to Communicate

It's ironic that, as professionals dedicated to clear communication, information architects and user interface designers are having such trouble communicating with each other. Information designer George Olsen digs up the roots of communication breakdown and explores the three aspects of web design.

Olsen, George. List Apart, A (2001). Articles>Communication>Professionalism

The Great Instauration: Restoring Professional and Technical Writing to the Humanities    

If you wish to start an undergraduate professional and technical writing program at a small liberal arts college, you will find good arguments for your project in the educational writings of Sir Francis Bacon. Unlike other Renaissance Humanists, Bacon located the New Learning (what we now call the humanities) within the related contexts of scientific discovery and invention and professional training and development. His treatise, The Advancement of Learning, proposes to draw knowledge from and apply knowledge to the natural and social world. Bacon's curricular ideas can benefit emerging PTW programs in the humanities in three ways: They make a convincing apologia for most English departments and writing programs, wed humanistic education to public service, and provide a rich but practical theoretical framework for program development and administration.

Di Renzo, Anthony. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2002). Articles>Education>Professionalism>Technical Writing

How to Write for an Overwritten World

Have you noticed that everyone is a writer these days? Besides all the people who want to publish books, from heads of corporations to bloggers to people who've had tough lives, the digital revolution gives us professionals of every kind issuing their own e-newsletters, vendors deluging us with e-mail messages, and virtually everyone creating web sites and blogs.

Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Articles>Writing>Professionalism