Presents technical communication as both discipline and profession. Explores the nature of research, discusses linking theory with practice, examines the gap between theory and practice, challenges conventional wisdom about the applicability of research, and offers suggestions for bridging the gap. (SR)

Examines the attitudes toward, and uses of, published research of a large random sample of technical communication practitioners. Shows that they value and use research but do not read academic research studies. Analyzes differences among various subgroups of practitioners. (SR)

Explains the use of true experimental designs in technical communication research, lists the eight steps in the research process, and concludes with the hope that practitioners should now be able to read research studies critically and perhaps design empirical studies of their own after further reading. (SR)