Some professions have a high profile in society, media, and popular culture. Most of us have gone to school, so we can describe at least some of the day-to-day activities of a teacher. From our transactions in shops and financial institutions, we can imagine the work of a shop assistant or bank clerk. Even those of us who have never been to hospital have seen enough television shows about physicians and surgeons to be able to name some of their activities, however sketchily. The same is true for the legal professions; although we may not have had a brush with the law, most of us have absorbed the procedures and language (āObjection!ā āOverruled!ā) from films and courtroom dramas.
This chapter explores both the variety and the common threads that make technical communication diverse but distinctive and recognizable.
We begin with a discussion of the boundaries of technical communication to arrive at a working definition.
An overview of the historical roots and theoretical and research bases of technical communication will help you to see how your profession developed and which theories and research studies are reflected in your practice.
Technical communication encompasses a broad range of possible careers and job titles. This profession has connections to a constellation of related professions. You will identify the intersections with other disciplines, including content strategy, localization and translation, instructional design, and user experience (UX). These intersections are evident throughout the book.
The chapter concludes with a description of who should read this book.
By contrast, technical communication, like many newer professions, has a lower profile in the public consciousness. Its activities are often unknown to outsiders. If you already study or work in technical communication, you probably recognize Kirk St.Amantās (p. 1)1 descrip tion of how people respond when you tell them your job title or study program:
Tell someone that you work in the area of ātechnical communication,ā and chances are youāll receive a curious, somewhat confused look in response. It doesnāt matter if youāre an academic researcher or an industry practitioner; the look is almost always the same. And weāve all seen it at some point or another in our careersāitās that expression of āI kind of know what that is/what you mean, but Iām not 100% sure.ā
Because of the variety of activities and workplaces, even those of us who study, practice, or teach technical communication are unfamiliar with some aspects of the profession and practice.
This book evolved from my teaching experiences and research interests. I have taught a course about the technical communication profession for over 15 years. During that time, I have struggled to find a book that explains what it is like to work in technical communication, that covers industry perspectives, and that discusses common activities and typical workplaces. Because I have worked in a university for most of my career, I have always relied on input from industry practitioners to help me to prepare students effectively for contemporary workplaces. I typically use three sources to develop courses that have a broader perspective and that balance practical and academic content:
Academic work about industry practice: presentations, books, projects, articles, papers, and reports.
Direct input from industry practitioners.
Websites, blogs, social media, and other online resources developed by professional associations and individual practitioners.
This book uses the same range of sources to give you insight into contemporary technical communication in industry. Throughout this book, you will find descriptions and discussions based on my interpretation of what I read about technical communication, professions and professionalization, practice, and work more generally. The primary research involved a narrative survey of practitioners and had 62 responses from individuals in 13 countries in Europe, North America, and Australia.
The survey results, which I refer to as practice narratives, are included throughout the book. You will find examples of industry practice in the f...
