Participatory Team Process in Information Design  

Information Design often focuses on product over process and ignores the valuable role that technical communicators can play in facilitating a true team design activity. In this paper, authors argue for a definition of information design that focuses on process and offer a proven methodology called Participatory Team Process in recognition of its roots in Participatory Design. Authors discuss tenets of methodology; spell out the technical communicator’s role as facilitator, information manager, writer, and editor; and offer three examples of products created with the process: a computer interface, safety rule book, and curriculum guide.

Racine, Sam J., Carol S. Hoeniges and Christina R. Schulz. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Information Design>TC>Participatory Design

Patients, Medicines, and Information  

Van der Waarde summarizes the reasons why medicinal information provided to patients is often confusing and describes a method for evaluating its effectiveness.

van der Waarde, Karel. Intercom (2004). Articles>TC>Biomedical>Scientific Communication

Peek Into the Past: 90 Years of Technical Communication    

Take a look at your bookshelf: what is the copyright date of your earliest book on technical communication? I doubt whether you will find anything much earlier than 1965. I describe and comment briefly on several well-reputed technical writing books published between 1908 and 1965. Then I lead into the changes that have been occurring in the technical writing scene, and the impact these changes have had on us as professional technical communicators.

Blicq, Ronald S. IEEE PCS (2000). Articles>TC>History

A Peep into the Toolbox

What is the current scenario for applications and systems in the area of technical communication? Who is using which editor? And how many companies are using a Content-Management-System? To answer these and other questions, tekom conducted a survey from July to November 2006, which was conceived as an online questionnaire and made available via the tekom web site. 547 participants took part in the survey.

Straub, Daniela and Wolfgang Ziegler. tekom (2007). Articles>Content Management>TC>Surveys

Perceptions of Technical Communication: A New Study  

O'Briant analyzes the responses to a new survey conducted by STC on perceptions of technical communication. She includes comments by several leaders in the field.

O'Briant, Sally M. Intercom (2000). Articles>TC

The Personal Narrative of a Technical Writer

When I graduated with an Honours degree in English from St. F.X., I had no idea that I would find work as a freelance technical writer; in fact, I had next to no idea at the time what technical writing was. In short, a technical writer produces the literature of engineering, technology, software, and systems development.

Currie, John. St. Francis Xavier (1999). Careers>TC>Writing>Technical Writing

Personal Values and Professional Ethics  

We consider the effects of personal values systems on codes of ethics and how community and professional standards of behavior may reinforce professional codes. We suggest that a professional code of ethics is strengthened and reinforced as it more closely follows this rich history.

Stoner, Russell B. and Ann Marie LaBara. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Ethics>Professionalism

Personas and the Technical Communicator

What's the problem with personas? They're a new concept to many communicators, and thus sufficiently unfamiliar to make them difficult to use. To help solve this problem, I developed a couple of personas to show you how it's done, and illustrate their implications for documentation.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Usability Interface (2006). Articles>TC>User Centered Design>Personas

Perspectives

Perspectives is the monthly newsletter of the Society for Technical Communication's Central Iowa Community.

STC Central Iowa. Journals>TC>Regional>Iowa

Perspectives on Science and Technical Communication  

The purpose of presenting is to actuate. You want to persuade people. You want to persuade them to think, or get excited about something, or act in response to what you present. Otherwise there is no point in making the effort of preparing and delivering your presentation. Presentations do not necessarily need to be meaningful for you. You already know the meaning of your message. Deliver the message from the audiences' point of view. (Another way to say this: What you want to present is not as important as what the audience needs to hear in order for your message to come across clearly, simply.) Remember that an audience will judge a presentation on the basis of how meaningful is was for them.

Kane, Andrew S. University of Maryland (2002). Presentations>Advice>TC

Persuasion In Technical Communication: Applying Elaboration Likelihood Model To Marketing Brochures  

The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) is a cognitive theory offering insights into persuasion and attitude change that technical communicators can apply to persuasive documents. The two routes to persuasion that ELM postulates (central and peripheral) closely parallel and expand a concept with which many technical communicators are familiar: attention and attraction in document design. By applying ELM to writing and designing marketing brochures, writers can identify and address the many variables that influence the central and peripheral route persuasion processes and, thereby, create more persuasive, effective documents.

Shuffield, Cathy A. STC Proceedings (1994). Presentations>Rhetoric>TC>Persuasive Design

Persuasion in Technical Communication: Applying the Information-Integration Theory  

Technical communicators are skilled rhetoricians whose persuasive documents include letters, reports, and proposals, and with these documents, technical communicators persuade their audience to accept their ideas. Persuasion is the method of supplying new information about a subject to change people’s attitude about that subject. According to the Information-Integration Theory people form their initial attitude about a subject when they first learn about it. As people receive new information about that subject, they adjust their attitude in relation to the new information.

Jeansonne, Jerold. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Rhetoric

Persuasion In Technical Communication: Not Necessarily Just Another Academic Exercise  

Four graduate students' papers on communication theory can contribute to the field of technical communication, specifically in two ways: increase our understanding of message production and reception; provide a context in which to develop a theory of technical communication. Several human communication theories have practical and theoretical applications to technical communication. Applying these human communication theories can increase our understanding of how a message is produced and received. Understanding the message, its sender, and its receiver in technical communication can help us to become more effective technical communicators as well as researchers and teachers of technical communication.

Kim, H. Young, Eric J. Ray, Cathy A. Shuffield and Jing Xu. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>TC>Rhetoric

Pith and Vinegar: What Do You Do for a Living?

Rather than authoring printed manuals and on-line help panels, technical communicators should be involved in or leading projects that make them unnecessary.

Harvey, Michael. Carolina Communique (2006). Articles>TC

Planning Ahead in Technical Communication

Describes the course of study that new students in the field of technical communication should consider. Describes what high-tech companies in the Northwest are looking for in prospective employees, and provides information about how to employ particular TC skills to cope with an unsettled job market.

Jacobson, Peggy. EServer (2001). Presentations>TC>Streaming>Video

Planning Committee Emulates Conference Theme  

Forum 95 offered an ideal opportunity for technical communicators from 21 countries to exchange ideas. The concept worked admirably. Much of the conference’s success can be attributed to the willingness of the four organizing societies, although from different countries, to work companionable together to create a truly international affair. A secondary concept--to organize videoconferences with technical communicators in Beijing and Moscow--added an event greater international component to the event.

Blicq, Ronald S. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>TC>International

Plasma Screens: The Dynamic New Wave in Internal Communications  

Informing an organization's employees about key messages is essential to creating and maintaining an efficient and effective work force. To help your employees stay informed, consider broadcasting your organization’s news on plasma screens that are accessible to all employees.

Sacharen, Chani H. and Ettie Gilead. Intercom (2006). Articles>TC>Workplace>Workflow

The Plug and Play Technical Communicator  

A presentation about the history and present of technical communication.

Sakson, Donna M. and Saul Carliner. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Slideshows>TC

Podcasting and Vidcasting: The Future of Tech Comm

Advancing technology allows us to use the new technologies of podcasts (audio recordings delivered as .mp3 files) and vidcasts, or more properly, broadcast video to convey technical information. Effective audience analysis will determine whether multimedia is right for our users. We use the same correct rhetorical principles to communicate information aurally and visually as we do when creating text.

Agnew, Beth. Seneca College (2006). Articles>TC>Multimedia>Podcasting

Points of Reference in Technical Communication Scholarship      

Identified in this article are 163 texts selected from a database of over 25,000 citations collected from five technical communication journals between 1988 and 1997. The texts—points of reference—represent the research, theory, and practice of technical communication.

Smith, Elizabeth Overman 'Betsy'. Technical Communication Quarterly (2000). Resources>Bibliographies>TC

Portfolio in Technical Communication  

The Technical Communication Certificate requires you to keep portfolios of your work in TCC communication courses. When completing the TCC, you will then draw from these course portfolios to create a portfolio that represents your work throughout the curriculum.

University of Wisconsin. Careers>Portfolios>TC

Power Tools for Technical Communication

You may find this website rather different from the obligatory websites for other textbooks. I've packed in nearly 200 exercises, quizzes, projects, and other sorts of activities that will keep your students busy all semester!

McMurrey, David A. Illuminati Online (2001). Academic>Course Materials>TC

Practical Considerations When Starting Your Own Business

One of the least glamorous aspects of running your own business is accounting and taxes, but if you want to be successful it is an area of importance. Whether you want to start your own business or have been running one for years, here are practical tips to consider for the independent contractor. When you were an employee, someone else did the accounting for you (the W-2 you used to prepare your taxes) and may have provided some non-taxable benefits (retirement plan, health insurance, disability coverage, etc.) that you will now need to provide for yourself. When deciding to become an independent contractor, one of the first things to do is to go through a budgeting process to confirm going out on your own is a good idea.

Rowntree, Raymond A. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Management>TC

Practical Tips for Aspiring Authors  

Three research projects provide a foundation for ten tips for authors aspiring to publish in technical communication journals. The research indicates that cognitive dissonance stimulates successful topics. Collaboration facilitates the research and writing processes. Responses of authors published in six technical communication journals in 1990 provide a positive view of publishing opportunities for authors who polish their prose and follow up on their submissions.

MacNealy, Mary Sue. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Publishing>TC