A Center for Research in Technical Communication: Initial Ideas and Development for a Worldwide Network

The technical communication field lacks a place for on-line research in the historical, theoretical, and philosophical perspectives. For this reason, the idea of a Technical Communication Research Center was proposed as a way to help move the emphasis off of pedagogical and towards a more evenly balanced web site for technical communication research. Other sites are currently available for on-line research in technical communication, but not everything fits into the academic genre. We have found a market for a comprehensive research site in technical communication. The end product of TCRC will be devoted to both academics and professionals interested in both old and new research in their area of interest. Besides merely a research tool, the TCRC will also be a network for those working in the field. Through databases, email and periodical updates, the ultimate result of the end product is to connect technical communicators all over the world.

Arko, Kirsti, Leroy Steinbacher, John Velat and Dennis Walikainen. Michigan Tech University. Articles>Information Design>Web Design

Code Diagrams Enable 'Point-and-Click' Programming

Non-programmers could play a major part in developing complex computer programs, thanks to a new language developed by Sun Microsystems. Ace is based on Sun's successful Java language and provides software development tools that give a graphical representation of computer code. Manipulating the diagram on-screen automatically alters the underlying code. For example, moving a line connecting two boxes could change the point at which a piece of input data is entered into a program. 'Non-programmers can use Ace to build a skeleton of their application,' says Ali Sayed, a member of the Ace project team. 'But to make it completely working they [or a colleague] will have to write some minimal amount of code.' Ace should also let non-experts modify a program after its core components have been written.

Michigan Tech University (1998). Design>User Centered Design>Programming

A Consideration of the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident as Apologia

The Rogers report seems to be more than just a report to explain the Challenger accident and give suggestions to avoid a similar tragedy occurring in the future. In a sense, it appears to be a type of apologia. On January 28, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger, mission 51-L, launched from Florida's Kennedy Air force Base at 11:38 a.m. Eastern Stand ard Time. As the country watched in disbelief, the shuttle disintegrated 73 seconds later in an explosion of hydrogen and oxygen. All seven crew members died. On February 3, President Reagan issued an executive order to set up a commission to investigate the challenger accident. The commission was sworn in on February 6, and presented its report to the president on June 6 of the same year. This report, commonly known as the Rogers Report, after its chairman William R. Roger, had a dual mandate from the president. First to look at the probable causes of the accident, and second, to develop recommendations for corrective action. This was done through a comprehensive investigation involving all of the following: interviews with more than 160 people, more than 35 formal panel investigations, examination of more than 6,300 documents (which included hundreds of photographs and more then 122,000 pages), the generation of almost 12,000 pages of transcript and another 2,800 pages of hearing transcripts.

Holombo, Chrystal. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Technology>Risk Communication>Engineering

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

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. My interest in these diverging legitimacy claims rests in my dual existence as a professional technical writer and as a graduate student in rhetoric and technical communication. I come to technical communication theory both as a technical communicator who wants to teach technical communication and as a technical communication consultant who wonders how theory can inform her own practice. Having read Technical Communication for years as a practitioner, I was initially surprised to see the difference between technical communication practice and scholarship, as reflected in the types of research that constitute the current conversation in academic technical communication.

Anderson, Ginger. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>TC>Theory

Internship and Co-Op Database

MTU students, pursuing a degree in Scientific and Technical Communication, are encouraged to seek internship or Co-op opportunities which will provide them with professional experience prior to graduation. This page provides a listing of companies where students have worked in order to enhance their professional growth.

Michigan Tech University. Academic>Internships

Introduction to Web Design

This course is designed with several goals in mind: to analyze web sites & understand effective web design principles; to understand information architecture & its importance in relation to web sites; and to use those principles to design web sites—one of your choosing & one for a client.

Ball, Cheryl E. Michigan Tech University (2001). Academic>Courses>Web Design

Issues in Medical Writing

In this country several factors influence the medical writing of medical professionals, professionals in a field that prides itself on combining art with science. The fairly exclusive culture of the medical professional, the power and highly competitive nature of publishing within that discourse community, and the need for accurate, reliable information for immediate use in solving problems, and a strong inclination to put medical 'facts' first and communication of those facts second create interesting dynamics and rhetorical complexities in medical writing.

Taaffe, Maura. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Scientific Communication>Biomedical>Writing

Issues in Medical Writing

In this country several factors influence the medical writing of medical professionals, professionals in a field that prides itself on combining art with science. The fairly exclusive culture of the medical professional, the power and highly competitive nature of publishing within that discourse community, and the need for accurate, reliable information for immediate use in solving problems, and a strong inclination to put medical 'facts' first and communication of those facts second create interesting dynamics and rhetorical complexities in medical writing. For over a century the quality of medical writing has been a great concern to both medical professionals and lay readers. According to Dr. Lester King, physician and retired, long-time editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 'more than a century ago critics deplored the repulsive quality of medical prose' to such an extent that the AMA set up committees to evaluate the problem of medical literature as early as 1851.

Taaffe, Maura. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Scientific Communication>Biomedical

Lack of Annual Report Analysis on a Social, Political and Historical Basis

One area of rhetorical analysis of business writing that seems to be neglected is the analysis of annual reports on the social, political, and historical level. An admittedly-brief four hour review of on-line technical journals and academic articles on the subject of annual report analysis failed to produce a single article directly related to this subject. The only articles that I did find dealt with the analysis of contemporary annual reports on a financial basis. However, my research did uncover an article on the teaching of the conventions of business writing, such as annual reports, and an article on reconstructing the image and narrative in distressed organizations.

Remali, Peter. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Writing>Business Communication>Reports

The Lack of Annual Report Analysis on a Social, Political and Historical Basis

One area of rhetorical analysis of business writing that seems to be neglected is the analysis of annual reports on the social, political, and historical level. An admittedly-brief four hour review of on-line technical journals and academic articles on the subject of annual report analysis failed to produce a single article directly related to this subject. The only articles that I did find dealt with the analysis of contemporary annual reports on a financial basis. However, my research did uncover an article on the teaching of the conventions of business writing, such as annual reports, and an article on reconstructing the image and narrative in distressed organizations.

Remali, Peter. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Business Communication>History

Manual for Teaching HU333 at Michigan Tech

A manual to introduce new instructors to issues they must consider during the term prior to teaching Technical Communication.

Michigan Tech University (1998). Academic>Course Materials>TC

Reflections of a GTA on the Teaching of Technical Writing

Though I have a degree in technical communication and have worked as a technical writer for four years, I still had no idea what should be taught in a technical writing classroom, or how one should go about teaching it. Before I ventured into the arena as an instructor, I wanted to find out what goes on in a technical writing classroom. Two types of practical research that I thought would provide some insight into technical writing instruction were: an observation of different technical communication classrooms; and a survey of various textbooks available for technical communication courses.

Anderson, Ginger. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Education>TC>Technical Writing

Risk Communication  

Almost all of us are or will be involved in risk communication—as either producers or consumers—in two broad capacities: as professionals (scientists, engineers, technical communicators, business managers, foresters, etc.) and as citizens.

Waddell, Craig. Michigan Tech University (2003). Academic>Courses>Risk Communication

Scientific and Technical Communication

Effective communication skills in the workplace can prevent problems, streamline production, and determine who gets promoted and who doesn'ï¿t. This course will develop your use of several genres of scientific and technical writing, as well as teach you planning, drafting, and revision strategies that will dramatically improve the quality of your communication. A significant part of this course will be devoted to exploring new communication technologies, such as web design and presentation software and hardware. Graphics and document design have always been important elements of technical communication, but new technology has made them required features of workplace communication. In short, technical communicators are both writers and designers. As such, you must also regularly confront a range of ethical questions ï¿ from the political implications of the language you use to the decisions you make about the appropriateness or appeal of particular images. Throughout the semester, weï¿ll consider the ethical implications of what often seems to be (but isnï¿t) a straightforward, value-free form of communication.

Smith, Erin. Michigan Tech University (2002). Academic>Courses>Scientific Communication>Technical Writing

Topics in Journalism: Community and Public/Civic Journalism  

Community journalism is usually defined as journalism by papers--usually weeklies--with circulations of under 50,000 that focus on service to their particular communities. Public or civic journalism is usually defined as journalism that strives to provide readers with what they need to be responsible citizens. As Jock Lauterer makes clear in chapter 19 of Community Journalism, there is a strong overlap between these two types of journalism. In this course, we will explore and examine the relationships between these two types of journalism through reading, discussion, and practice.

Waddell, Craig. Michigan Tech University (2002). Academic>Courses>Journalism>Community

Issues in Medical Writing

There is no doubt that medical communications is a very young field. The clearest picture of the issues, problems, and needs of a discourse community with as complex a membership as that of medical communicators comes from the AMWA materials. Drawing boundaries between academic vs. medical professional vs. medical communicator seems pointless because of the nature of the medical communication. It also seems to be an area ripe for study by those interested in power issues in rhetoric and certainly in research in communication systems. Medical communication really is both the most and least specialized area of technical communication.

Taaffe, Maura. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Biomedical