Technical Communication Quarterly A presentation by Jillian Swisher and Eric Wardell

Technical Communication Quarterly

A presentation byJillian Swisher and Eric Wardell

A Brief Introduction

• scholarly publication• published quarterly• supported by the Association of Teachers of

Technical Writing (AATW)

Editors & Copyright

Some Familiar Names…

• Carolyn Rude (Editorial Advisory Board)• Charlotte Thralls (Editorial Advisory Board)• Stuart Selber (Past President)

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO TCQ?

globalization

visual communication

technology

digital spaces

collaboration

the classroom

public policy

multimodal composition

civil engagement

Subject Matter

Categories of articles:• Original research

• formal study with original research

• methodologies: textual analysis, archival research, usability testing, ethnographic observation, interviews, surveys

• Methodologies and Approaches• description of innovative teaching/research technique without the

structure of a formal, full-scale study

• ideas supported by current, relevant scholarship

• Perspectives• opinion-based essay about the field

• approaches: call attention to an under-examined issue of current theory, argue for extensive research on a topic, review theory and research, use other disciplines to reconceptualize technical communication practice and pedagogy, etc.

Subject Matter

Several special issues have a thematic focus:• online teaching and learning (Winter 2007)• distributed work (Summer 2007)• content management systems (Winter 2008)• online health communication (Summer 2008)• science and public policy (Jan-Mar 2009)• new technological spaces (July-Sept 2009)• professional and technical communication programs

(July-Sept 2010)• technical communication and the law (Jan-Mar 2011)• multimodal composition (Jan-Mar 2012)

Subject Matter

Content is not entirely a response to the call for papers; some articles fill a different space and add variation.

Some of the issues also contain relevant book reviews and interviews with people of interest

Subject Matter

Other topics of TCQ articles...• rhetoric in the workplace• content management• laws and issues with both plagiarism and copyright

(“Online FDA Regulations: Implications for Medical Writers”)

• the place for professional writing disciplines within the University (“Getting an Invitation to the English Table—and Whether or Not to Accept It.”)

• medical issues ("Demarcating Medicine's Boundaries: Constituting and Categorizing in the Journals of the American Medical Association”)

Subject Matter

Other topics of TCQ articles...• specific rhetorical appeals (“Communicating Values,

Valuing Community through Health-Care Websites: Midwifery's Online Ethos and Public Communication in Ontario”)

• technical communication pedagogy (“British Indian Grammar, Writing Pedagogies, and Writing for the Professions: Classical Pedagogy in British India”)

Submission Process

“Your cover letter should indicate the category [Original Research, Methogologies/Approaches, Perspective] to which you intend to submit your

manuscript” (“Journal Submission”).

More information about the submission process can be found online.

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=htcq20&page=instructions

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

TCQ Special Issue (Winter 2015):

Contemporary Research Methodologies in Technical Communication

In 1998, Patricia Goubil-Gambrell edited a special issue of Technical Communication Quarterly in which methodological approaches to the study of technical and professional communication were explored. In her introduction, Goubil-Gambrell argued that “Defining research methods is a part of disciplinary development,” and that the articles in that special issue “show where we are now” (p. 7). Since 1998, the nature of work in technical communication and the practices that mediate that work have evolved. These evolutions are due in part to shifts in technology, changes in organizational power and politics, and the dynamic nature of the very spaces in which technical and professional communication takes place.

We wonder, therefore, how do we best study, report on, and build knowledge about where we are now as technical and professional communicators? What methodological approaches best afford the rigorous and responsible collection, analysis, and reporting of data related to how technical communication happens now—in an age where knowledge work is even more explicitly mediated by and embedded within a wide range of writing technologies, social software, and seemingly ubiquitous access to information?

CALL FOR PROPOSALS



In addition to actual models of methodological approaches deployed in specific contemporary investigations of technical communication, some questions motivating manuscripts for this special issue might include the following:• How have recent changes in theory and theoretical sources led to methodological changes in technical

communication? How have they reconfigured existing methodology, and how have they led to new methodologies?

• What new methodologies are being "home-grown" to deal with the unique challenges of technical communication?

• What are the pressing methodological questions that technical communication faces over the next decade?

• What changes in communication technologies, organizations, values, and social arrangements require methodological developments?

• What strides have been taken toward the modification or development of methodological approaches that account for differences and/or inequalities related to gender, race, disability, access, expertise, and any other kind of professional, social, technological, or cultural chasm?

• What counts as an object of study, a practice, “data,” and/or a researchable question, given the ways writing technologies are so embedded in communicative practices?

• What kinds of mixed-methods and experimental approaches are appropriate for the changing landscape of technical communication?

CALL FOR PROPOSALS



Submission Procedures

Proposals should be 1-2 pages in length (500–1,000 words) and include a cover sheet with identifying information. With the exception of the cover sheet, the proposal should be free from identifying information. Proposals may be in .doc, .txt, or .rtf file formats and should be sent via email attachment to Brian McNely ([email protected]) by February 15th, 2013.For proposals that are accepted (notifications will be delivered by May 15th, 2013), first drafts of manuscripts will be due by September 15th, 2013, with finished manuscripts due by May 1st, 2014.Scheduled publication of the special issue will be January, 2015.The guest editors especially welcome inquiries and would be happy to discuss manuscript ideas with you—please email Brian McNely ([email protected]) with any questions about potential submissions.

Theoretical Focus

• both practical and theoretical perspectives of technical and professional communication

• current sources• one type of inquiry or theoretical focus is not

encouraged over another

Theoretical Focus

Specific theories of focus…• rhetorical theories• social construction theories• genre analysis• pedagogical theories• other current theories in the discipline

Theoretical Focus (Rhetoric)

Sources in these rhetorically focused articles include…• Quintilian (canon of memory)• Kenneth Burke (theory of motives)• Lloyd Bitzer (the rhetorical situation)• Toulmin (claim-evidence relationship)• Aristotle (ethics)

Theoretical Focus (Social Construction)

Theories of…• collaborative multimodal writing in the

classroom• teachers as mentors• politeness and collaboration in decision-

making meetings• technological literacy as network building• coproducing the law• power and symmetry in ethnographic research

Theoretical Focus (Genre Analysis)

Theories relating to…• grant proposals• consent forms• discourse in conservation writing• genre from a posthumanist perspective• claim-evidence structures in technical writing

genres• technical communication textbooks

Theoretical Focus (TC Pedagogy)

Theories relating to…• nontraditional students• universal design• post-techne classrooms• classical pedagogies• multimodal composition

Methodological Focus

“This category provides a forum for reporting on specific techniques or strategies without the structure of a formal,

full-scale study. The author should demonstrate familiarity with current relevant scholarship. Preference will be given to submissions that address timely topics

and suggest techniques or strategies of interest to TCQ’s diverse readership”

(“Journal Submission”).

Methodological Focus

Various methodological approaches...• quantitative data found through surveys, first hand

research, ethnographic approaches, or studying other surveys.

Examples:

Hannah Bellwoar.

David Wright.

Style

no standard structure, similar stylistic/structural approaches:• a brief abstract• introduction• literature review (or similar) for context• methodology• implications for pedagogy, the workplace, future research,

etc• acknowledgments• references• appendix

Style

all articles have several headings:• general, vague headings: “Review of Literature,” “Data

Sources and Analysis,” “Methods,” “Results”• specific headings: “Political Constraints in Advocacy

Forums,” “Facilitating Student Development of Legal Literacy”

some articles have subheadings

APA style of source documentation

Style

scholarship must have significant implications for teaching, research, or practice in technical communication

implications outlined in the “Conclusions,” “Discussion,” “Implications,” “Outlook” section

Style

images to enhance reader’s understanding of the research

“Authorized Deployment of LFA: 2002-2003.” Graph. Technical Communication Quarterly 16.2 (2007): 245. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

“Browsing in many CMSc is performed using the file folder metaphor.” Photograph. Technical Communication Quarterly 17.1 (2008): 99. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11

Sept. 2012.

"Concepts Most Closely Associated With Usability in Student Questionnaires." Chart. Technical Communication Quarterly 17.4 (2008): 394. Communication & Mass Media

Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

"A 3-D Simulation of the Object Theater." Photograph. Technical Communication Quarterly 18.1 (2009): 57. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

“Departmental Location, All Programs.” Illustration. Technical Communication Quarterly 19.3 (2010): 234. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Representative Article – Wright

Wright, David. "Redesigning Informed Consent Tools For Specific Research." Technical Communication Quarterly 21.2 (2012): 145-167. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.


What is involved in the study?

You are being asked to donate about 20 ml (approximately 2 tablespoons) of your urine for the measuring of pteridine levels in the urine by an HPCE (High performance capillary electrophoresis) instrument designed in the investigator’s laboratory (at the [researcher’s institution]).


“Hello. We understand that you are going through a difficult time right now. Fighting cancer is never easy, and we all know someone whose life has been affected by cancer. But your chances for successful treatment are better than ever because of recent medical advances. Today we are inviting you to help us continue the fight against cancer by participating in a university study designed to provide new methods for cancer screening. Our study will cost you nothing and will lead, we hope, to much earlier detection and more successful treatment for patients” (157).


“However, to accomplish these goals, we need your help. We are asking you to donate a urine sample before you begin your treatment. You will not be asked for anything else. You are welcome to donate the sample at any time before your treatment begins, including the next time you visit the cancer center” (158).

Representative Article – Harlow

Harlow, Rachel Martin. “The Province Of Sophists: An Argument For Academic Homelessness.” Technical Communication Quarterly 19.3 (2010): 318-333. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.


“Like the sophists, the community of technical and professional communication scholars is defined by our ‘shared goals, techniques, and outlooks’. We share the sophistic values of education, sensitivity to culture and audience, belief in the power of communication, and strategic thinking and communication. If we ground ourselves in this intellectual tradition rather than a physical or administrative position in academe, we can reinterpret the metaphor of homelessness and realize this opportunity for self-determination” (322).


an example of a Perspective article

structure:o abstracto introductiono literature reviewo argument with theoretical groundingo implications and discussionso references

uses classical rhetorical theory to ground an argument about the current status of the field of technical communication

Works Cited"A 3-D Simulation of the Object Theater." Photograph. Technical Communication Quarterly 18.1 (2009): 57.

Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

“Authorized Deployment of LFA: 2002-2003.” Graph. Technical Communication Quarterly 16.2 (2007): 245. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Bellwoar, Hannah. "Everyday Matters: Reception And Use As Productive Design Of Health-Related Texts." Technical Communication Quarterly 21.4 (2012): 325-345. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

“Browsing in many CMSc is performed using the file folder metaphor.” Photograph. Technical Communication Quarterly 17.1 (2008): 99. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

"Call For Proposals." Technical Communication Quarterly 16.1 (2007): 135-137. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

"CFP: Special Issues of Technical Communication Quarterly." Scribd. Scribd, 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

"Concepts Most Closely Associated With Usability in Student Questionnaires." Chart. Technical Communication Quarterly 17.4 (2008): 394. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

“Departmental Location, All Programs.” Illustration. Technical Communication Quarterly 19.3 (2010): 234. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Derkatch, Colleen. "Demarcating Medicine's Boundaries: Constituting And Categorizing In The Journals Of The American Medical Association." Technical Communication Quarterly 21.3 (2012): 210-229. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Gulbrandsen, Karen. "A New Paradigm: Authorizing A Rhetorical Ground In Technology Transfer." Technical Communication Quarterly 21.2 (2012): 87-104. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Harlow, Rachel Martin. "The Province Of Sophists: An Argument For Academic Homelessness." Technical Communication Quarterly 19.3 (2010): 318-333. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Works CitedJeyaraj, Joseph. "British Indian Grammar, Writing Pedagogies, And Writing For The Professions: Classical Pedagogy

In British India." Technical Communication Quarterly 19.4 (2010): 379-402. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Mackiewicz, Jo. "The Co-Construction Of Credibility In Online Product Reviews." Technical Communication Quarterly 19.4 (2010): 403-426. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Propen, Amy. "Visual Communication And The Map: How Maps As Visual Objects Convey Meaning In Specific Contexts." Technical Communication Quarterly 16.2 (2007): 233-254. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11Sept. 2012.

Rentz, Kathryn, Mary Beth Debs, and Lisa Meloncon. "Getting An Invitation To The English Table—And Whether Or Not To Accept It." Technical Communication Quarterly 19.3 (2010): 281-299. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Spoel, Philippa. "Communicating Values, Valuing Community Through Health-Care Websites: Midwifery's Online Ethos And Public Communication In Ontario." Technical Communication Quarterly 17.3 (2008): 264-288. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Tomlin, Rita C. "Online FDA Regulations: Implications For Medical Writers." Technical Communication Quarterly 17.3 (2008): 289-310. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Whithaus, Carl. "Claim-Evidence Structures In Environmental Science Writing: Modifying Toulmin's Model To Account For Multimodal Arguments." Technical Communication Quarterly 21.2 (2012): 105-128. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Whittemore, Stewart. "Metadata And Memory: Lessons From The Canon Of Memoria For The Design Of Content Management Systems." Technical Communication Quarterly 17.1 (2008): 88-109. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Wright, David. "Redesigning Informed Consent Tools For Specific Research." Technical Communication Quarterly 21.2 (2012): 145-167. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Documents

Technical Communication Quarterly A presentation by Jillian Swisher and Eric Wardell