Practice What You Preach!

No matter how simple a task may first appear, you're better off to thoroughly read through the documentation, especially if the equipment you're using is borrowed. I've also learned that perhaps department stores really don't charge a fortune in comparison to my home project.

Davies, Beth. Boston Broadside (1991). Articles>Documentation>TC

Practitioners: What Research Should STC Fund to Help You at Work?  

This panel discussion is an open forum moderated by the STC Research Grants Committee; its goal is to elicit and discuss suggestions from STC members for research areas and topics the STC should sponsor. The input will help guide the members of the Research Grants Committee as they decide which research proposals to approve during the next year.

Rosenbaum, Stephanie L. and Janice C. 'Ginny' Redish. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Research>TC

Preparing for Change: A Technical Communicator's Guide to Survival  

As communicators, we call ourselves writers, authors, designers, graphic artists, multimedia developers, editors, formatters, information developers, and a number of other labels. Whatever it is we call ourselves, the most important part of our profession involves gathering and making information available to people who need it in a form they can use. This paper discusses some of the latest business buzz and strategy in a simple, straightforward way. It explains how some business trends affect technical communications in particular, and offers advice on how to survive in today's budding information economy as a technical communicator.

French, Lee. STC Proceedings (2005). Careers>TC

Preparing Students to Work with Technical Staff  

Technical communication programs should help students prepare to work with technical staff as well as develop writing, analysis, and communication skills. This presentation identifies assignments faculty can use to help students prepare to work effectively with technical staff: learning about what the writing technical staff do; learning about working in technical settings; interviewing faculty and staff; writing about science and technology for different audiences; editing a research article manuscript; learning about data networking; shadowing a technical professional; publishing a newsletter incorporating graduates’ observations and suggestions; having technical staff as well as technical communicators as guest speakers; and participating in STC.

Samson, Donald C., Jr. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Education>TC>Collaboration

Principles and Concepts of Technical Communication

This site will be the locus of your one-hour class treating the core principles and concepts you'll likely encounter in developing an understanding of the basic framework of thought in technical communication.

Herrington, TyAnna K. Georgia Institute of Technology (2003). Academic>Courses>TC

Principles of Technical Communication

This 'syllaweb' is provided for an ASU-East Online Course. As a student in this class, you'll be: exploring the wide range of professional possibilities in the world of technical communication; learning and discussing principles and techniques for a variety of technical writing and communication tasks; developing an awareness for audience and purpose; understanding how all of these impact content, logic, and organization; practicing writing and document design.

Wambeam, Cynthia A. Arizona State University (2003). Academic>Courses>TC

Printing Impressions

Printing Impressions magazine provides coverage on industry trends, emerging technologies and the news behind the news in the Graphic Arts industry.

Printing Impressions. Journals>TC>Document Design>Printing

The Process and Prospects for Professionalizing Technical Communication    

Despite claims for at least the past quarter century of mature professional status for the field of technical communication, studies in the history and sociology of the professions provide criteria that suggest we are not yet truly a profession. This article reviews economic, sociopolitical, and ideological factors that characterize the modern professions and argues that the technical communication field, at best, only partially meets the criteria. The prospects for professional status of technical communication might be improved by developing a critical consciousness of the processes of professionalization and concertedly acting in ways that facilitate those processes.

Savage, Gerald J. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (1999). Careers>TC>Professionalism

Processes, Roles, and Regulations: (Re)defining What Technical Communicators Do  

Understanding how you work (process) and understanding what you do (roles) are two important aspects of a successful documentation group that works within a regulated environment. These items will help writers produce better documentation and provide a way to better define (or redefine) their roles in the development process.

Rupel, Roberta A. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>TC

Professional Certification: Evolution, Revolution, or Status Quo?  

The issue of professional certification for technical communicators has reappeared in recent years and prompted the Society to begin another formal study of the question. Certification is a form of voluntary credentialing developed and administered by private, typically non-profit, organizations. Certification’s value to STC and the profession is the focus of the Society’s current study. Using information compiled from focus groups, surveys, and literature reviews, the Certification Issues Committee has begun an RFP for a comprehensive feasibility study of certification.

Kunz, Lawrence D. and Terrance M. Skelton. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Certification>TC

Professional Development Issues in Canada  

The Canadian Issues Committee (CIC) was created by STC in 1990 because it was becoming apparent that Canadian technical communicators sometimes had unique concerns resulting from the political, legal and geographic constraints peculiar to Canada, of which STC was unaware. Identifying these concerns and attempting to do something about them has been an ongoing commitment of the STC staff and Board of Directors and of the CIC. This panel discussion allows for direct input from members regarding such concerns, and also provides an opportunity to inform the Canadian membership what has and is being done on their behalf.

McFadden, John E. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC>Regional>Canada

Professional Development Stem Overview  

The Professional Development stem emphasizes the growth of technical communicators as individuals, leaders, and team members. This emphasis includes the skills needed to plan and achieve career objectives, aid personal growth, enhance professional development, and succeed in leadership and management roles within the chapter and Society.

Cascone, Steven M. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>TC

Professional Development Stem Overview  

The Professional Development stem provides opportunities to enhance your growth — as an individual in the technical communication profession, as a member of work teams, and as an active participant in STC. Through a variety of presentations, you’ll gain information that will assist in the evolution of your career plans, contribute to your personal enrichment, and improve your contributions as an STC leader within your chapter and the Society.

Ecker, Pamela S. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>TC>Education

Professional Identities: What Is Professional about Professional Communication?    

Professional communication is a growing component of English departments and other communication programs. Yet, in most cases, the term professional communication is used as a catchall term for various types of workplace and occupational writing. As such,professional communication, as it is currently framed, seems to have little to do with professionalsor the process of professionalization. This article calls for a more thoroughexamination of the concept of professional communication by reviewing (1) the ways inwhich researchers have used this term to describe the rhetoric of professionals who communicate,(2) the democratic and knowledge-based contradictions between rhetoricalscholarship and professional powers, and (3) the current challenges facing professionalworkers, including deprofessionalization and proletarianization. The author argues thatif professional communication research and teaching are to remain prominent parts ofacademic programs, researchers, theorists, teachers, and students must become moreaware of conceptual issues that inform and define professional work.

Faber, Brenton D. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>TC>Professionalism

Professional Portfolios: Showcasing your Technical Communications Skills  

A portfolio is a technical communicator's most important marketing tool. It showcases talents and abilities while giving prospective employers or clients an opportunity to learn about the candidate's skills and career direction. Often, communicators either do not have a portfolio or have not presented their works in the best possible manner. Professional portfolios are as indispensable as a resume. As the focus of technical communication expands, the need for multiple media to present a communicator's work is inevitable. Rather than a portfolio, multiple portfolios--in hard and electronic--formats are necessary to successfully portray your skills and career direction.

Coker, Louellen Sue. STC Proceedings (2005). Careers>Portfolios>TC

Professional versus Practitioner: Making the Case for Theory

To the ongoing question over whether the status or role of the technical communicator is to be considered as that of a 'professional' versus a 'practitioner'. If the answer to this question is an unequivocal 'yes' then how do we as aspiring technical communicators position ourselves in the field to overcome this kind of prejudice and narrow-mindedness? Are there skills and theories that are important to learn or at least be aware of that will not only help foster respect for the field of technical communication as a recognized profession but also aid in distancing ourselves from being labeled mere practitioners?

Hubbard, Susan. Orange Journal, The (2002). Articles>TC>Professionalism

Profielen en Competenties op het Vakgebied Technische Communicatie

Het vakgebied technische communicatie bestaat eigenlijk al veel langer dan vaak wordt gedacht. Al in 1974 introduceerde Jan Veering, destijds lector aan de Technische Hogeschool Delft, dit vakgebied in het weekblad Intermediair, onder de titel - Technisch schrijven: een boeiend en verantwoordelijk beroep'. Toen reeds signaleerde hij dat dit vakgebied een zelfstandige professie aan het worden was, en niet zomaar een aspect van het werk van een ingenieur, wetenschapper of technicus. In de tijd die daarop volgde heeft deze professionalisering zich sterk doorgezet, waarbij het niet alleen ging over communicatie over techniek, maar vooral ook over communicatie over het gebruik en de toepassing van technische producten of systemen, en zelfs over communicatie van organisaties die technische producten, diensten of systemen produceren.

van Bart, Peter, Anneke Klaasse, Cees Landman, Brigit van Loggem and Michael Steehouder. STIC (2007). (Dutch) Careers>TC

The Profile of Japanese Technical Communicators  

The profile of Japanese technical communicators was surveyed in December 1994. The most typical Japanese technical communicator is a 41-year-old man with an engineering degree; he works as a techncial writer/editor with management responsibility for a large-sized high-tech company and lives in Tokyo. In Japan, the profession of technical communication is very new, unknown, and low in its professional status in industry with virtually no formal education or research support from higher education.

Yotsuyanagi, Noriko and Earl E. McDowell. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>TC>Regional>Japan

Program/Professional Management/Identity    

Technical communication faces the same identity crisis in 2001 that it did in 1991, 1981, 1971,and 1901. It seems that no matter how much energy technical communicators invest in the development and promotion of their expertise in their social and economic marketplaces, there are always morepeople who do not know what they do or why than there are people who understand what technical communication is. Certainly, this forces program administrators to recycle old arguments while relivingold battles and working to maintain their own institutional and professional integrity. Here, years after the emergence of technical communication as a viable academic pursuit and career choice, people stillwonder if technical communication is a profession or not. There are two sources of identity crisis here: 1) mismatched standards for judging technical communication as a profession, and 2) ill-suited language for framing the qualities of technical communication professionals.

Williamson, William J. CPTSC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Education>TC

Project Management for the Technical Communicator

Tasks need to be managed to be completed on time, with available resources to achieve the required result.

Bhatt, Sita Chandrakant. Indus (2005). Articles>Project Management>TC

Project Management in a Home-Based Environment  

Acxiom Corporation provides a wide spectrum of data products, data integration services, and mailing list services, as well as data warehousing and decision support services to major firms in the United States and United Kingdom. Effectively supporting the company¡¯s documentation needs requires a project process that keeps work flowing. The Documentation team developed a process consisting of four phases: planning, design, validation, and delivery. This triedand- true process contributes to the success of our home-based team.

McKee, Kimberly and Deborah Lovell. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Project Management>TC

Proving Worth: What Technical Communication Managers Must Do to Prove the Value of Their Deliverables

Technical communication managers are often required to prove the worth of their deliverables over and over again. To do this, managers must execute two tasks persistently. First, they must prove the value of documentation to those interested in the bottom line and, second, they must make that value true. The trick to increasing value with internal and external users is to identify areas where documentation can save time and money, to create agreement that the documentation can save time and money, and to ensure that the documentation does save time and money. Find out how.

Kirk, Hannah. Writing Assistance (2006). Careers>Management>TC

The Pulse of the Usability Community: Transformation and UUX

When you renew your STC membership, be sure to select STC Usability and User Experience (UUX) as one of your communities.

Bachmann, Karen L. Usability Interface (2005). Articles>Usability>Community Building>STC