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Connecting People with Technology: Issues in Professional Communication
Edited by George F. Hayhoe and Helen M. Grady.
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Baywood's Technical Communications Series, Series Editor: Charles H. Sides
You can read the
Introduction for free right now, just click here.
IN PRAISE OF
"This is an outstanding collection of papers for use in a technical communication —and for technical communication practitioners who wish to learn about crucial issues and developments in the field. The major topics are, without exception, important. Individual papers address issues through a variety of methodologies, including case study."
—Muriel Zimmerman, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara
"Editors Hayhoe and Grady have combined a wide range of topics into a single reference work that surveys the ever-growing field of technical communication. This anthology provides a clear snapshot of the space between today's technology and the people who use it."
—Brenda Huettner, President, P-N Designs, Inc.
"Too many people still see effective communication as a luxury—a useful but nonessential ingredient of products and processes. In contrast, this book nicely demonstrates the far-reaching impact that technical and professional communication can have on issues of relevance in today's world. As such, it should be an eye-opener for many readers in the field, notably students at all levels."
—Jean-luc Doumont, Ph.D., Founding Partner, Principiae
"Essay authors, including academics and professionals in technical communication worldwide, cover topics ranging from the very basic to more advanced, which presume familiarity with the field. The research-oriented papers report on where the field is progressing, with less emphasis on past best practices. The book's strength lies in its real-world examples of the impact of technical communication. The volume would be appropriate for advanced students looking for topics to pursue further research, but it does not provide good foundation for the novice in technical communication (it is not a how-to style handbook)."
—J. N. Jeffreys, University of Minnesota, >CHOICE, May, 2009
"This book will be valuable in graduate and undergraduate courses that survey the field of technical communication, and to practitioners who want to stay abreast of emerging opportunities in the field."
—Russell Willerton, Senior Member STC, Boise State University, Technical Communication, Volume 56, Number 3, August 2009
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book explores five important areas where technology affects society, and suggests ways in which human communication can facilitate the use of that technology.
Usability has become a foundational discipline in technical and professional communication that grows out of our rhetorical roots, which emphasize purpose and audience. As our appreciation of audience has grown beyond engineers and scientists to lay users of technology, our appreciation of the diversity of those audiences in terms of age, geography, and other factors has similarly expanded.
We are also coming to grips with what Thomas Friedman calls the "flat world," a paradigm that influences how we communicate with members of other cultures and speakers of other languages. And because most of the flatteners are either technologies themselves or technology-driven, technical and professional communicators need to leverage these technologies to serve global audiences.
Similarly, we are inundated with information about world crises involving health and safety issues. These crises are driven by the effects of terrorism, the aging population, HIV/AIDS, and both human-made and natural disasters. These issues are becoming more visible because they are literally matters of life and death. Furthermore, they are of special concern to audiences that technical and professional communicators have little experience targeting—the shapers of public policy, seniors, adolescents, and those affected by disaster.
Biotechnology is another area that has provided new roles for technical and professional communicators. We are only beginning to understand how to communicate the science accurately without either deceiving or panicking our audience. We need to develop a more sophisticated understanding of how communication can shape reactions to biotechnology developments. Confronting this complex network of issues, we're challenged to fashion both our message and the audience's perceptions ethically.
Finally, today's corporate environment is being shaped by technology and the global nature of business. Technical and professional communicators can play a role in capturing and managing knowledge, in using technology effectively in the virtual workplace, and in understanding how language shapes organizational culture.
Intended Audience: This book will be of interest to practitioners in technical and professional communication and to students and academics seeking up-to-date information on current industry practices in technical communication. Colleges and universities that offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in technical communication will find this a useful addition to their libraries. The book is also suitable as a text for undergraduate seminars and some courses at the master's level.
ABOUT THE EDITORS
George F. Hayhoe is a professor of technical communication at Mercer University. He has also taught at East Carolina University, Utah State University, and Virginia Tech, and spent 18 years working as a technical communicator in industry. A fellow of the Society for Technical Communication, he edited its journal, Technical Communication, from 1996 to 2008. He is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the IEEE Professional Communication Society, is a past president of that society, and serves on its administrative committee. He holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina.
Helen M. Grady is an associate professor of technical communication at Mercer University, where she has taught since 1991. She also managed the technical publications division of a Fortune 100 corporation in Research Triangle Park, NC, for 10 years. She is an associate fellow of the Society for Technical Communication and winner of its Jay R. Gould Award for teaching excellence. Dr. Grady is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the IEEE Professional Communication Society, and serves on that society's administrative committee. She holds an Ed.D. in instructional technology from Nova Southeastern University.
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