In my half century as a technical communicator, I have seen many changes. The profession has evolved from one that supported the work of engineers and programers to one that stands on its own, providing important tools and capabilities to audiences. I too have evolved within the profession--from someone who had little idea what technical…

This article aims to help doctoral students in technical communication prepare themselves for the academic job market and for the subsequent process of earning tenure and promotion in increasingly demanding environments. The authors propose that students do four things: (a) learn to spot and articulate research problems; (b) find their…

Graduate students are rewarded with better job opportunities if they can demonstrate a productive publishing record. In this article we report on a writing program that generated technical publications in a discipline-based graduate class. Seventeen student authors were interviewed about the influence of the experience on their professional…

Teaching technical writing without formal training can be daunting. However, there are many resources available that can provide background and materials for teaching. My approach involved reading textbooks and articles not only on approaches to technical writing but also on what students can expect once they complete their education and are…

Professionals in the workplace are rarely asked to write autobiographical essays. Such essays, however, are an excellent tool for helping students explore their growth as professionals. This article explores the use of such essays in a technical writing class.

As public relations professions advance toward new media platforms, one traditional tool--the backgrounder/position paper (more technically termed white paper) remains a compelling vehicle to impart enduring professional competencies. Moreover, the skills requisite to produce a white paper can be deployed in a variety of new and traditional media…

Use of eportfolios for business communication students in an advanced two-quarter capstone brought an unexpected networking opportunity, in addition to their conventional use as a showcase for student writing and research. This article discusses how students developed their eportfolios. Then, through use of a course website providing an optional…

Writing as a tool for thinking, learning, and communicating is crucial to academic and career success as well as to active citizenship in a democracy. This annual report of the National Writing Project features teachers of math, chemistry, art, history, and business who develop their students as writers. These educators employ writing to engage…

This study reports on the context and impact of the Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) professional development to promote teachers' and students' scientific literacy through the creation of science classroom discourse communities. The theoretical underpinnings of the professional development model are presented and key professional…

Finds that, as a task, technical communication has not changed at all in the United Kingdom and Europe, and that, as a professional occupation, it has evolved slowly. Suggests that, as a procedure, however, technical communication has changed dramatically, mostly because electrical and electronic equipment has made life easier for technical…

Examines the academic leave of absence as a way for technical writing teachers to gain significant industry experience. Provides suggestions for selecting an appropriate leave opportunity, choosing tasks to complete, negotiating contracts with the company and college, and using the leave experience to improve teaching and to advance one's career.…

Divides suggestions for professional development in teaching technical writing into the following categories: self-help (readings), professional meetings, seminars, institutes, internships, and graduate study. (RL)

Discusses unfavorable impressions of technical communicators. Describes activities that technical communicators may use to keep abreast of an increasingly complex range of subjects and skills, thus increasing job satisfaction and professional status. (SR)

The Presenters' Collaborative Network (PCN) was started in 2002 to support the creation of a corps of teacher-consultants who would lead workshops for the Rhode Island Writing Project (RIWP) at local schools and conferences. The PCN is a group of teachers, past participants from summer institutes or year-round embedded programs in schools that…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report results from an evaluation of an online abstract mentoring programme to support early career and less experienced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) researchers improve their chances of acceptance to International HIV/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Conferences. Design/methodology/approach: An…