Technical Communication back issues from May 2004:
"Essential works," "who speaks for our profession?" and invitation to submit to new journal.(Correspondence)
May 01, 2004 ... The editor of Technical communication invites correspondence concerning articles and reviews previously published in the journal, as well as other brief items of interest to the profession. The editor reserves the right to condense letters, to correct spelling and grammatical errors, and ...
Why we do the things we do.(Editorial)
May 01, 2004; ... Knowledgeable technical communicators are motivated by many factors in their professional lives. I'd like to consider briefly those influences on our work, both the obvious and those we probably don't consider very often. ********** THE HIERARCHY OF NEEDS ...
Index versus full-text search: a usability study of user preference and performance.(Applied Research)
May 01, 2004; ... SUMMARY * Describes some usability issues resulting from conversion of paper documents to Adobe PDF format * Reports that users preferred the full-text search tools but got more accurate results with an electronic back-of-the-book index ********** ...
Electronic editing in technical communication: a model of user-centered technology adoption.(Applied Research)
May 01, 2004; ... SUMMARY * Connects the author's research into electronic editing to a well-established theory of innovation adoption and diffusion * Explains and advocates a user-centered ethic of technology adoption that values the agency of workplace communities ...
Empirical proof for presenting screen captures in software documentation.(Applied Research)
May 01, 2004; ... SUMMARY * Presents the results of research on screen captures in software user documentation * Shows that users benefit from screen captures that support switching attention, developing a mental model, identifying and locating objects, and verifying screen states ...
An examination of factors that affect the credibility of online health information.(Applied Research)
May 01, 2004; ... SUMMARY * Provides evidence that street addresses and links to external sites affect readers' judgments of the credibility of online information * Confirms the relationship between reader characteristics and credibility judgments of online information ...
Reconsidering some prescriptive rules of grammar and composition.(Applied Theory)
May 01, 2004; ... SUMMARY * Challenges some putative rules of grammar and mechanics in an effort to improve technical texts for the people who read them * Proposes that editing decisions be based on prescriptive grammar, "organic" grammar, and relevant research ********** ...
Writing for the Web versus writing for print: are they really so different?(Applied Theory)
May 01, 2004; ... SUMMARY * Asserts that many of the guidelines proposed for the Web have a long history in print * Argues that it may be more helpful for writers to use communication purpose and form as the basis of comparison between examples of writing, regardless of medium ...
Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... The opinions expressed by reviewers are their own and do not represent the views of the editors or of the Society for Technical Communication. Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story Pamela Pfiffner. 2003. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. [ISBN 0-321-11564-3 ....
XSLT Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for XML and XSLT Developers.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... XSLT Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for XML and XSLT Developers Sal Mangano, 2003. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly. [ISBN 0-596-00372-2. 654 pages, including index. $39.95 USD (softcover).] XML (Extensible Markup Language) already plays an integral role in the work of many ...
Management Communication: A Guide.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Management Communication: A Guide Deborah C. Andrews and William D. Andrews. 2004. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. [ISBN 0-618-21415-1. 224 pages, including index. $41.56 USD (softcover).] Communication in management is key to everything that occurs within a ...
The Knowledge Medium: Designing Effective Computer-based Learning Environments.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... The Knowledge Medium: Designing Effective Computer-based Learning Environments Gary A. Berg. 2003. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing. [ISBN 1-59140-103-8. 264 pages, including index. $79.95 USD.] Gary Berg's The knowledge medium: Designing effective ...
Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research Mike Kuniavsky. 2003. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. [ISBN 1-55860-923-7. 560 pages, including index. $44.95 USD (softcover).] Mike Kuniavsky demonstrates the value of integrating user experience ...
The New Media Reader.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... The New Media Reader Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Nick Montfort, eds. 2003. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. [ISBN 0-262-23227-8. 823 pages, including index and CD-ROM. $45.00 USD.] When editors produce anthologies that demarcate a particular field of study or practice, such ...
The Cultural Imperative: Global Trends in the 21st Century.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... The Cultural Imperative: Global Trends in the 21st Century Richard D. Lewis. 2003. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. [ISBN 1-877864-98-6. 338 pages, including index. $29.95 USD.] In his most recent book, The cultural imperative, Richard Lewis proposes that history ...
Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet Anne P. Mintz, ed. 2002. Medford, NJ: CyberAge Books. [ISBN 0-910965-60-9. 275 pages, including index. $24.95 USD (softcover).] Ever feel your stomach knotting when you enter your credit card number to make an online ...
XML Schema.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... XML Schema Eric van der Vlist. 2002. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly. [ISBN 0-596-00252-1. 400 pages. $39.95 USD (softcover).] The main purpose of XML Schema is to detail the structure of XML instance documents and the datatype of each element and attribute in an XML ...
A Pattern Language for Web Usability.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... A Pattern Language for Web Usability Ian Graham. 2003. London, UK: Addison-Wesley. [ISBN: 0-201-78888-8. 283 pages, including index. $39.99 USD (softcover).] Although it is an easy read, and its concepts are clearly illustrated (each pattern is introduced with the ...
Essential Blogging.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Essential Blogging Cory Doctorow, Rael Dornfest, J. Scott Johnson, Shelley Powers, Benjamin Trott, and Mena G. Trott. 2002. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly. [ISBN 0-596-00388-9. 244 pages, including index. $29.95 USD (softcover).] A Weblog was originally a list of Web sites ...
Digital Typography Using LaTeX.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Digital Typography Using LaTeX Apostolos Syropoulos, Antonis Tsolomitis, and Nick Sofroniou. 2002. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag. [ISBN 0-387-95217-9. 510 pages, including index and CD-ROM. $44.95 USD (softcover).] Digital typography is far different from desktop ...
The New Six Sigma: A Leader's Guide to Achieving Rapid Business Improvement and Sustainable Results.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... The New Six Sigma: A Leader's Guide to Achieving Rapid Business Improvement and Sustainable Results Matt Barney and Tom McCarty. 2003. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR. [ISBN 0-13-101399-8. 105 pages, including index. $15.95 USD (softcover).] If you are ...
Learning Java.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Learning Java Patrick Niemeyer and Jonathan Knudsen. 2002. 2nd ed. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly and Associates. [ISBN: 0-596-00285-8. 807 pages, including index and CD-ROM. $44.95 USD (softcover).] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Given the number of books available on ...
Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2002. Spring-field, MA: Merriam-Webster. [ISBN 0-87779-633-5. 799 pages. $16.95 USD (softcover).] A usage dictionary can be a handy reference work to consult when you do not wish to pore over ...
The Columbia Guide to Digital Publishing.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... The Columbia Guide to Digital Publishing William E. Kasdorf, ed. 2003. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. [ISBN 0-231-12498-8. 750 pages, including index. $34.95 USD (softcover).] If only it were as simple as writing well. Today's technical communicators must ...
Web Bloopers: 60 Common Web Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Web Bloopers: 60 Common Web Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Jeff Johnson. 2003. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann. [ISBN: 1-55860-840-0. 329 pages, including index. $44.95 USD (softcover).] If you are part of a Web team, Web bloopers is a must-have book. If you know ...
Leonardo's Laptop: Human Needs and the New Computing Technologies.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Leonardo's Laptop: Human Needs and the New Computing Technologies Ben Shneiderman, 2002. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, [ISBN 0-262-19476-7, 269 pages, including index, $24.95 USD.] Ben Shneiderman sees Leonardo da Vinci's ubiquitous notebooks, full of sketches, ...
Developing an Online Curriculum: Technologies and Techniques.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Developing an Online Curriculum: Technologies and Techniques Lynnette R. Porter. 2004. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing. [ISBN 1-59140-226-3. 316 pages, including index. $59.95 USD (soft-cover).] Academicians are constantly creating curricula for the ...
www.imaging: Efficient Image Preparation for the World Wide Web.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... www.imaging: Efficient Image Preparation for the World Wide Web Robin Nichols and Philip Andrews, 2002. New York, NY: Watson-Guptill Publications. [ISBN 0-8230-5855-7. 192 pages, including index, $29.95 USD (softcover).] I must admit that I had low expectations before ...
JavaScript for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... JavaScript for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide Tom Negrino and Dori Smith. 2004. 5th ed. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. [ISBN 0-321-19439-X. 498 pages, including appendixes and index. $21.99 USD (softcover).] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The latest ...
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2003. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. [ISBN 0-87779-809-5. 1,624 pages, including index, CD-ROM, and one-year subscription to online service. $25.95 USD.] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Metaphor and Knowledge: The Challenges of Writing Science.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004; ... Metaphor and Knowledge: The Challenges of Writing Science Ken Baake. 2003. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. [ISBN 0-7914-5744-3. 245 pages, including index. $21.95 USD (softcover).] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Great attention has been paid to the ...
Books received 1 September 2003 to 30 November 2003.(Book Reviews)
May 01, 2004 ... Adobe Creative Team. 2004. Adobe Acrobat 6.0 standard classroom in a book. Berkeley, CA: Adobe Press. Armstrong, Anne-Marie. 2003. Instructional design in the real world: A view from the trenches. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing. Atkinson, Leon. 2004. Core PHP ...
Assessment of Communication Competencies in Engineering Design Projects.(Communication)
May 01, 2004; ... The following articles on technical communication have appeared recently in other journals. The abstracts are prepared by volunteer journal monitors. If you would like to serve as a monitor, please contact Sherry Southard at southards@mail.ecu.edu. "Recent and relevant" does not ...
A Case of Multiple Professionalisms: Service Learning and Control of Communication about Organ Donation.(Communication)
May 01, 2004; ... A Case of Multiple Professionalisms: Service Learning and Control of Communication about Organ Donation E. Barton and L. Evans. 2003. Journal of business and technical communication 17:413-438. "This article offers a retrospective case study of a service learning ...
Information Processing and Exchange in Mediated Groups: Interdependence and Interaction.(Communication)
May 01, 2004; ... Information Processing and Exchange in Mediated Groups: Interdependence and Interaction J. Bonito. 2003. Human communication research 29:533-559. This study "focuses on the relation between information pooling and interactions, as well as on the role of technology in ...
Ralph Lane's 1586 Discourse on the First Colony: The Renaissance Commercial Report as Apologia.(Communication)
May 01, 2004; ... Ralph Lane's 1586 Discourse on the First Colony: The Renaissance Commercial Report as Apologia M. Moran. 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:125-154. "In 1584 Sir Walter Raleigh received from Queen Elizabeth a patent to colonize any region of North America not ...
Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design [Special Issue].(Design)
May 01, 2004; ... Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design [Special Issue] Z. Maamar and W. Shen, eds. 2002. Communications of the ACM 45 (11): 25-49. "The articles in this special section are devoted to new developments occurring in the collaborative design field. Multiple ...
Information Acceleration and Visual Trends in Print, Television, and Web News Sources.(Design)
May 01, 2004; ... Information Acceleration and Visual Trends in Print, Television, and Web News Sources L. Cooke. 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:155-181. "In 2002, cable television news programs adopted modular presentation styles visually similar to the design of news ...
Assessing Technical Writing in Institutional Contexts: Using Outcomes-based Assessment for Programmatic Thinking.(Education)
May 01, 2004; ... Assessing Technical Writing in Institutional Contexts: Using Outcomes-based Assessment for Programmatic Thinking M. Carter, C. Anson, and C. Miller, 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:101-114. "Technical writing instruction often operates in isolation from ...
Assessment in Technical Communication [Special Issue].(Education)
May 01, 2004; ... Assessment in Technical Communication [Special Issue] M. Hundleby, M. R. Hovde, and J. Allen, eds. 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:1-120. This special issue focuses on assessment in technical communication. "Because technical communication is a complex and ...
The Course Isn't the Finish.(Education)
May 01, 2004; ... The Course Isn't the Finish C. Wick. 2003. Training & development (ASTD) 57 (11): 17-19. As part one of a two-part series, this article examines training follow-through. Every trainer--and every manager--has worried about "learning transfer": how much training do ...
Going Beyond the Finish Line.(Education)
May 01, 2004; ... Going Beyond the Finish Line C. Wick. 2003. Training & development (ASTD) 57 (12): 17-18. As part two of a two-part series on training follow-through, this article examines organizations that have adopted a follow-through training approach. At the Chubb Group of ...
How Much is Enough? The Assessment of Student Work in Technical Communication Courses.(Education)
May 01, 2004; ... How Much is Enough? The Assessment of Student Work in Technical Communication Courses K. Cargile Cook. 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:47-65. "This article reports the findings of a national survey of members of the Association of Teachers of Technical ...
What is "Good" Technical Communication? A Comparison of the Standards of Writing and Engineering Instructors.(Education)
May 01, 2004; ... What is "Good" Technical Communication? A Comparison of the Standards of Writing and Engineering Instructors S. Smith. 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:7-24. "This article presents the results of an empirical study comparing writing and engineering ...
How the Virtual Inspires the Real [Special Issue].(Graphics)
May 01, 2004; ... How the Virtual Inspires the Real [Special Issue] A. Rosenbloom, ed. 2002. Communications of the ACM 45 (7): 28-70. "The overall theme of this special issue on the virtual inspiring the real is how the physical is increasingly approximating the virtual world of ...
The Production of Information for Genred Activity Spaces: Informational Motives and Consequences of the Environmental Impact Statement.(Information Management)
May 01, 2004; ... The Production of Information for Genred Activity Spaces: Informational Motives and Consequences of the Environmental Impact Statement C. Bazerman, J. Little, and T. Chavkin. 2003. Written communication 20:455-477. "Genres, although aligning people to joint activity ...
Case Study on the Development of a Computer-based Support Tool for Assisting Japanese Software Engineers with Their English Writing Needs.(Language)
May 01, 2004; ... Case Study on the Development of a Computer-based Support Tool for Assisting Japanese Software Engineers with Their English Writing Needs M. Narita, K. Kurokawa, and T. Utsuro. 2003. IEEE transactions on professional communication 46:194-209. "This paper describes a ...
Communicating in the Intercultural Classroom.(Language)
May 01, 2004; ... Communicating in the Intercultural Classroom P. Golemon. 2003. IEEE transactions on professional communication 46: 231-235. "Culture is defined ... as 'the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another' ... ....
Developing Language Support for Nonnative Speakers of English in Science and Engineering [Special Issue].(Language)
May 01, 2004; ... Developing Language Support for Nonnative Speakers of English in Science and Engineering [Special Issue] T. Orr, ed. 2003. IEEE transactions on professional communication 46: 153-240. "This special issue describes research activities that have generated English ...
Mover: A Machine Learning Tool to Assist in the Reading and Writing of Technical Papers.(Language)
May 01, 2004; ... Mover: A Machine Learning Tool to Assist in the Reading and Writing of Technical Papers L. Anthony and G. V. Lashkia. 2003. IEEE transactions on professional communication 46:185-193. "When faced with the tasks of reading and writing a complex technical paper, many ...
The Science of Conversation: Training in Dialogue for NNS [Nonnative English Speakers] in Engineering.(Language)
May 01, 2004; ... The Science of Conversation: Training in Dialogue for NNS [Nonnative English Speakers] in Engineering J. Freeman. 2003. IEEE transactions on professional communication 46: 157-167. "A survey of 1000 undergraduate engineering students clearly revealed students' desire ...
Designing Performance Measurement Systems for Teams: Theory and Practice.(Management)
May 01, 2004; ... Designing Performance Measurement Systems for Teams: Theory and Practice J. MacBryde and K. Mendibil. 2003. Management decision 41:722-733. "This paper reports on an industrially led research project, supported by the UK Engineering & Physical Sciences Research ...
The Five Minds of a Manager.(Management)
May 01, 2004; ... The Five Minds of a Manager J. Gosling and H. Mintzberg. 2003. Harvard business review 81 (11): 54-63. The authors assert that "management without leadership encourages an uninspired style, which deadens activities, [and] leadership without management encourages a ...
Meaningful Work.(Management)
May 01, 2004; ... Meaningful Work N. Chalofsky. 2003. Training & development (ASTD) 57 (12): 53-57. "This is the first in a three-part series that focuses on the classic theories and new studies on why people need meaningful work and the implications for organizations. Recent studies ...
Characteristic-based, Task-based, and Results-based: Three Value Systems for Assessing Professionally Produced Technical Communication Products.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Characteristic-based, Task-based, and Results-based: Three Value Systems for Assessing Professionally Produced Technical Communication Products S. Carliner. 2003. Technical communication quarterly 12:83-100. "Technical communicators have developed different ...
Dealing with Tough Questions.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Dealing with Tough Questions D. Booher. 2003. Training & development (ASTD) 57 (10): 20-21. Well-known business communication author and consultant Diana Booher provides useful tips for every presenter's worry about how to handle tough questions: (1) Assume ...
Helping Interviewees Tell Their Stories.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Helping Interviewees Tell Their Stories S. M. Ralston, W. G. Kirkwood, and P. A. Burant. 2003. Business communication quarterly 66 (3): 8-22. "Employers' use of behavioral description interviews has increased dramatically within the past decade. Yet the pedagogical ...
The Impact of Benefits on Graduating Student Willingness to Accept Job Offers.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... The Impact of Benefits on Graduating Student Willingness to Accept Job Offers M. Jennings, J. D. Werbel, and M. L. Power. 2003. The journal of business communication 40:289-302. "The research presented in this article evaluates the influence of quality of information ...
Improving Document Review Practices in Pharmaceutical Companies.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Improving Document Review Practices in Pharmaceutical Companies S. Bernhardt. 2003. Journal of husiness and technical communication 17:439-473. "Document review practices in the research and development functions of many pharmaceutical companies can be frustrating and ...
Making Contact in International Virtual Offices: An Application of Symbolic Interactionism to Online Workplace Discourse.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Making Contact in International Virtual Offices: An Application of Symbolic Interactionism to Online Workplace Discourse K. St. Amant. 2003. IEEE transactions on professional communication 46:236-240. "At one time, the office was a physical place, and communicating ...
Reconceptualizing Politeness to Accommodate Dynamic Tensions in Subordinate-to-superior Reporting.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Reconceptualizing Politeness to Accommodate Dynamic Tensions in Subordinate-to-superior Reporting P. Rogers and S. M. Lee-Wong. 2003. Journal of business and technical communication 17:379-412. "This research provides a framework identifying dynamic tensions that ...
Resume Writing and the Minority Student.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Resume Writing and the Minority Student B. D. Davis and C. Muir. 2003. Business communication quarterly 66 (3): 39-51. Although this article primarily addresses strategies for teaching resume writing, the authors discuss the "unique challenges" that face minority ...
Trends in Transforming Scholarly Communication and Their Implications.(Professional Issues)
May 01, 2004; ... Trends in Transforming Scholarly Communication and Their Implications Z. Liu. 2003. Information processing and management 39:889-898. "Scholarly communication is undergoing transformation under the confluence of many forces. The purpose of this article is to explore ...
A Combined Corpus and Systemic-functional Analysis of the Problem-solution Pattern in a Student and Professional Corpus of Technical Writing.(Research)
May 01, 2004; ... A Combined Corpus and Systemic-functional Analysis of the Problem-solution Pattern in a Student and Professional Corpus of Technical Writing L. Flowerdew. 2003. TESOL quarterly 37:489-511. "This article reports on research describing similarities and differences ...
Creating Rhetorical Stability in Corporate University Discourse.(Research)
May 01, 2004; ... Creating Rhetorical Stability in Corporate University Discourse B. Faber. 2003. Written communication 20:391-425. "Written communication scholarship has shown that successful social change requires discursive stability. This study was designed to investigate how this ...