A field's identity and sustainability depend on its research as well as on programs, practice, and infrastructure. Research and practice have a reciprocal relationship, with practice identifying research questions and researchers answering those questions to improve practice. Technical communication research also has an exploratory purpose, using…

Outlines the process of planning and developing a multimedia documentation project. Discusses audience, task, and information analysis; selection of the most appropriate media; effective design; establishment of the development team; hardware and software requirements; costs; and project planning. (SR)

Discusses expertise, what an expert system is, what an expert system shell is, what expert systems can and cannot do, knowledge engineering and technical communicators, and planning and managing expert system projects. (SR)

Considers some foundational, historical issues that led to the formation of a technical-communication pedagogy in the first place. Evaluates shifts in an engineering curriculum from roughly 1850 to 1960 that made possible the development of a technical-communication curriculum. (SC)

Outlines five stops that can strengthen technical writing courses and programs within departments of English. (HOD)

Poses questions--and some answers--essential to the development and expansion of technical communication offerings beyond the basic course in technical writing. (RL)

Argues that the internal agency model of a marketing communications department forces the department to compete with outside sources for work, while department members sharpen their skills and improve their knowledge of their company's business. Describes the process for creating such an internal agency, including initiating, implementing, and…

Describes how and why writing program administrators should get involved in developing a technical communication program. Discusses one such program, in which students are prepared as technical writers to enter the profession of technical communication. Suggests how to begin and how to develop ties with the industrial community. (HB)

Gathers some of Sir Francis Bacon's educational ideas from his various writings and applies them to the five stages of undergraduate professional and technical writing program development: planning, implementation, mission, design and development, staffing, and administration. (SG)

Membership in a technical writing consortium is advantageous both to the local university and to the neighboring community colleges because the consortium guarantees accreditation of the community college courses while increasing enrollment in the advanced technical writing courses and internship programs of the university. An area-wide consortium…

If you wish to start an undergraduate professional and technical writing (PTW) program at a small liberal arts college, you will find good arguments for your project in the educational writings of Sir Francis Bacon. This paper gathers some of Bacon's educational ideas from various writings and applies them to the five stages of undergraduate…

Suggests guidelines for curriculum and program development in technical communication based on reviews of relevant survey literature, academic literature, and relevant demographic data on technical communicators. Discusses implications for designing technical communication curricula and programs. (RS)

Based on the notion of "reaching out," this proceedings presents papers from the annual meeting of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication. Papers in the proceedings are: "Southern Tech's Technical Writing Certificate" (William S. Pfeiffer); "Reach Out and Quack Someone" (Daniel R. Jones);…

Provides survey results indicating the relative health of undergraduate writing programs in four-year universities. Reports a significant increase in undergraduate writing programs. However, technical and professional writing programs are not increasing as rapidly as a new broad-based program encompassing creative writing, composition, journalism,…

Procedures for creating a guide to academic advising are outlined, including obtaining administrative commitment; clarifying responsibilities and chain of command; identifying general and specific objectives; developing content; organizing content; entering production; and revising. (MSE)