Gerhard Buurman pulls together 19 separate interaction design articles into a surprisingly coherent whole. The book begins with articles on the history of information and interaction design, proceeds to articles on interaction design theory, and then ambles into the bulk of its contents: current research. Finally, Caroline Schubinger provides a nice conclusion to this disparate material. Overall, the book provides an accessible starting point for those new to the field while offering challenges to current researchers and theorists. The diversity of articles is at once the book's greatest asset and its greatest failing. It demands a reader willing to allow these articles to interact on their own terms.

Almost all IT, engineering research, financial analysis, and manufacturing industries are confronted with a question: to outsource or not? The outsourcing and offshoring trend is inspired by success stories of huge cost savings, decreased time-to-market, and better quality. Simultaneously, outsourcing-gone-bad stories highlight how hidden costs exceed benefits, cross-cultural problems impact quality, and intellectual property risks shadow project lifecycles. Managers in companies are presented with a confusing picture for which there are no easy answers. Companies, vendors, and policymakers need a framework to understand the outsourcing phenomenon and plan implementation strategies for outsourced projects. At present, many companies go with the gut based on the experience of others and media reports. But very rarely are two technical documentation tasks alike and never are the concerns of two technical communication tasks the same. This tutorial presents the twelve driver framework and the driver-model percentage matrix to assess the benefits and risks of outsourcing a technical communication task. In the end, qualitative decision-making will determine an organization's decision about outsourcing, but the use of such a framework and related metrics will greatly enhance the quality of the final choice.

The paper is an account of the possibilities that expanded international offshoring could have for the Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) movement. Based on existing survey data, this paper argues that at a numeric level, the continued spread of software development jobs into new areas of the world could create the foundation from which expanded international involvement in FLOSS could evolve. By drawing a parallel between the amount of available employment and education in an area to the overall participation of developers in FLOSS activities, I argue here that expanding the number of participants in the high-tech sector could increase the number of developers in other countries who choose to participate in open source projects. This analysis posits a kind of symbiotic relationship between commercial and private sector software development, which has not previously been taken. While these modes of software production continue to expand internationally, we gain a unique opportunity for expanding our understanding of the consequences of offshoring. Furthermore, the liberatory promise of FLOSS projects can only be realized if educated and motivated individuals are present in other countries. Without this expansion, it will remain an activity dominated by America and Western Europe

Based on feedback from graduate students, from science and engineering faculty who teach graduate students, and from surveys about the skills graduate students need, the authors have designed and taught a graduate-level course in academic publishing. This article describes the need for the course and the theory behind its design, outlines the course content, and presents assessment data from the first three course iterations. The findings indicate that this course has increased students' awareness of the role of rhetorical and discourse knowledge as well as their level of confidence in their ability to write and publish professional work. Further, findings from interviews with faculty advisors yield insight into the benefits of the course for students, advisors, disciplinary programs, and cross-curricular initiatives

Technical communication textbooks tend to address visual rhetoric as two separate units, usually a chapter on document design and then a chapter on graphics. We advocate teaching a unified system of visual rhetoric that encompasses both text and graphics within a common visual-language system. Using C. S. Peirce's three-part theory of rhetoric and his ten categories of sign, we offer an integrated semiotic system, interpreting in one model the effectiveness of graphics, document design, and formatting, all considered as subtypes in this proposed visual rhetoric, organized around three primary communication goals: to decorate, to indicate, and to inform. Thus, any evaluation of visuals, either textual or graphic, must be made with reference to rhetorical contexts in which audience needs and graphic/textual media choices should align with authorial goals

This study investigated the impact of weblog use on individual learning in the context of university senior-level business education. As an emergent form of personal communication, weblogs enable people to publish their thoughts as webpages, and to share information and knowledge. Recognizing the potential impact of weblogs on knowledge expression and sharing, this research sought to empirically examine whether the continuous use of weblogs as online learning logs would affect student learning performance. The assumption was that effective use of weblogs promoted the constructivist models of learning by supporting both cognitive and social knowledge construction, and by reinforcing individual accountability in learning. Results from an Information Systems undergraduate course with 31 participants indicated that the performance of students' weblogs was a significant predictor of the learning outcome (while traditional coursework was not). Moreover, individuals' cognitive construction effort to build their own mental models and social construction effort to further enrich/expand knowledge resources appeared to be two key aspects of the constructivist learning with weblogs. Our results imply the potential benefit of using weblogs as a knowledge construction tool and a social learning medium

While a significant amount of attention and interest has been directed to investigate the communicative functions of organizational websites, little research has been done to examine how internal organizational communication shapes organizational website design. This study employs the theory of rhetorical situation to examine the impact of internal organizational communication on website design. Specifically, it has examined a few organizational website design case studies from the perspective of rhetorical situation and has analyzed a case about website design by a Chinese student organization on a US college campus. Both the examination and analysis show that organizations and designers must communicate effectively in the process of identifying and thereafter transforming organizational objectives into effective website features. Both theoretical and practical implications for organizational website design are addressed in the paper

Based on an interpretive case study in a large petrochemical company, this paper provides evidence for a theoretical framework based on the relationship of abstract and personal trust to the effectiveness of long-term virtual teams. This theory of virtual teams states that, when all other enabling factors for trust and effective virtual team working are conducive, then four elements exist: first, personal trust is most effectively established or reinvigorated through geographically collocated social interaction; second, personal trust is an antecedent to the activation and operation of effective virtual teams; third, abstract trust is an alternative to personal trust as an antecedent to the activation and operation of effective, short-term virtual teams; and finally, personal trust gradually dissipates over time without collocated social interaction. This theory leads to four propositions about the role of ubiquitous computing for virtual teams. These propositions draw from the mobility brought by ubiquitous computing to potential and active virtual teams. The mobility can be used to collocate (perhaps rhythmically or routinely) team members for the purpose of enabling or sustaining perpetual virtual teams

This book examines the place of mobile telephone technology in Japanese society. It is a compilation of chapters by various authors, most of whom work in social sciences or humanities in Japanese universities. The book is divided into five sections, representing a logical development of the methodology for investigating and presenting the issues developed by the editors: "The Social and Cultural Construction of Technological Systems"; "Cultures and Imaginaries"; "Social Networks and Relationships"; "Practice and Place"; and "Emergent Developments." The book is a very interesting exploration of the interaction between Japanese society and mobile telephony technology, discussing the kinds of uses and the impact of the changed possibilities effected by the existence and deployment of the technology.

This soft-cover text provides an interesting look at technical communication around the world on a country-by-country basis. The authors generally follow the same sequence of questions, but not always. Deviations from this sequence can cause some problems when the reader is trying to compare two or more countries' laws, educational programs, or salary structures. The volume would have been more convenient as a reference text if the editors had merged the individual reports into a sequence of chapters covering the material. There is a recurring theme of educational requirements for the technical documentation writer and the fundamental lack of formal education of this type in most of the countries discussed. Even with its noted drawbacks, the book is informative and a good read for those who have chosen technical communication as a career path.

This short paperback book is divided into 14 chapters and 2 exhibits. The book is designed to provide answers to two key questions - First, how do we reduce the number of emails we find in our mailbox each day, and ,second, how do we teach others to present information in the most effective manner? The solution, according to the authors, is simple: bottom line. In simple terms, it means bringing the subject to the front of the e-mail so that the reader finds the answer to the question "Why should I be interested? quickly. The authors develop a number of approaches that are suitable for most e-mail communication. The authors extend the concept to other business writing as well, but they admit there are circumstances that may require different approaches. The takeaway message is a good one for engineers, technical communicators, and managers alike. The book is an excellent addition to one's reading list and the local library's reference shelf.

This concise 181-page book introduces guidelines for those interested in improving their status in the hierarchy of modern, technology-driven organizations. The book is divided into five parts. Part One is an introduction to the guidelines needed to succeed in technological hierarchies. Part Two consists of 11 chapters that present the tale of I. M. Sharp, who went from being an average high school student to being a successful technocrat. Part Three consists of seven chapters that introduce a methodology that technologists can use in the management of high-technology projects. Part Four consists of six chapters that explain how to select projects, evaluate ideas, and thrive in a technological organization. Part Five consists of three chapters that summarize all the laws, corollaries, rules, and precepts presented in the book, serving as an excellent reference. The ideas in the book are presented in brief, practical, and reader-friendly format and the examples facilitate the understanding of the key points covered. The book will certainly interest readers who are looking for a career in a technology-driven organization.

This index covers all technical items - papers, correspondence, reviews, etc. - that appeared in this periodical during the year, and items from previous years that were commented upon or corrected in this year. Departments and other items may also be covered if they have been judged to have archival value. The Author Index contains the primary entry for each item, listed under the first author's name. The primary entry includes the coauthors' names, the title of the paper or other item, and its location, specified by the publication abbreviation, year, month, and inclusive pagination. The Subject Index contains entries describing the item under all appropriate subject headings, plus the first author's name, the publication abbreviation, month, and year, and inclusive pages. Note that the item title is found only under the primary entry in the Author Index.

This paper focuses on the interaction between teams of participants in the constructive interaction (CI) method. We analyzed transcripts and video recordings from five CI sessions in order to determine the types and frequencies of communicative acts performed as well as their usefulness to usability testers. In addition, we examined the contribution of the individual team members to the interaction and investigated whether the interaction took place according to a pattern of cooperation. Our analysis showed that team interaction in the CI test is highly task-oriented and hardly descriptive. For the most part, the five CI sessions contained communicative acts that are (potentially) useful to usability testers. The contribution of the team members to the interaction was largely similar in terms of types/frequencies of communicative acts, but the teams' cooperation pattern revealed that this equal contribution was no immediate guarantee for successful cooperation. To address this issue, we suggest several ways to improve the CI method.

This article uses Aristotle's concept of ethos, the audience's perception of a speaker's character, to analyze a set of documents relating to a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This analysis shows how the features of a successful persuasive ethos remain consistent through several genres, including scientific articles, reports, and press releases. Three major elements of a persuasive ethos include discussions of the practical implications of technical information, consistent efforts to make information accessible to the public, and a forthright representation of scientific uncertainties associated with complex technical information. By incorporating these elements into their texts, technical communicators can craft more persuasive documents dealing with controversial, high-stakes issues

The reviewer states that "A Concise Guide to Technical Communication" is an excellent reference text and worthy of being on the library shelf of anyone involved in technical communications - a handy guide for the quick search and easy read.

Unlike experienced collaborators, student teams often attempt to collaborate without effective documentation of meetings. This tendency may be exacerbated by professional writing textbooks, which rarely mention minutes in their chapters on collaboration and provide ineffective examples of meeting minutes that follow a parliamentary style of minutes rather than the action-oriented style that is the norm in most workplace settings. Interviews with three engineering managers are supported by published research in professional communication to show how meeting minutes are essential to projecting a team forward by solidifying consensus and holding individuals accountable for actions. A short exercise designed to teach students how effective minutes function as a management tool is presented along with observational evidence of the exercise's effect on student team practices in both professional writing and computer science team projects

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> Online learning environments in the US typically assume linear information structures, a reliable and proven approach toward e-learning. Linear information structures are ubiquitous in the US for many reasons but generally address writer-responsible authoring, low context communication styles, individualism and achievement, and monochronic or sequential temporal order. Each of these characteristics addresses the cultural requirements of the majority of e-learners in the US. However, when adapting or internationalizing e-learning environments for other cultures, many US assumptions fail to meet the unique demands of the target audience. Consequently, a streamlined and minimalist linear information structure excludes numerous cultural requirements for many international audiences. Using an example developed at a global technologies firm in California, this tutorial explains the proven effectiveness of current US e-learning prototypes and delineates the internationalization requirements for Japanese audiences. </para>

Technical drawings by the architects and engineers of the Renaissance made use of a range of new methods of graphic representation. These drawings -- among them Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawings of mechanical devices -- have long been studied for their aesthetic qualities and technological ingenuity, but their significance for the architects and engineers themselves is seldom considered. The essays in Picturing Machines 1400--1700 take this alternate perspective and look at how drawing shaped the practice of early modern engineering. They do so through detailed investigations of specific images, looking at over 100 that range from sketches to perspective views to thoroughly constructed projections. In early modern engineering practice, drawings were not merely visualizations of ideas but acted as models that shaped ideas. Picturing Machines establishes basic categories for the origins, purposes, functions, and contexts of early modern engineering illustrations, then treats a series of topics that not only focus on the way drawings became an indispensable means of engineering but also reflect the main stages in their historical development. The authors examine the social interaction conveyed by early machine images and their function as communication between practitioners; the knowledge either conveyed or presupposed by technical drawings, as seen in those of Giorgio Martini and Leonardo; drawings that required familiarity with geometry or geometric optics, including the development of architectural plans; and technical illustrations that bridged the gap between practical and theoretical mechanics.

By drawing on the in-class work of an ongoing literacy outreach project, this paper explains how well-chosen technical writing activities can earn a place in high school science courses by enabling underperforming students (including English as a second language [ESL] students) to learn science more effectively. We adapted basic research-based text-design and usability techniques into age-appropriate exercises and cases using the cognitive apprenticeship approach. This enabled high school students, aided by explicit guidelines, to build their cognitive maturity, learn how to craft good instructions and descriptions, and apply those skills to better note taking and technical talks in their science classes

Case studies are evocative narrative descriptions of a specific, real-world activity, event, or problem. Case-based learning is well established in professional education (e.g., law, business, medicine) and rapidly expanding in many other disciplines. We use cases as an instructional resource in our own teaching of usability engineering. In this paper, we analyze the proposition that cases can be a minimalist-information design technique-that is, as a design technique that (1) orients information to facilitate user action, (2) anchors information in activity, (3) prevents, mitigates, and leverages error, and (4) develops user autonomy. We discuss the next steps in a research program on case-based learning and speculate on other applications of cases as minimalist information design

Because English is the lingua franca of world trade, the language of commerce, finance, and economics is characterized by an ever-increasing use of Anglicisms. Polysemic English loan words are particularly problematic in translation, as their meanings do not always match across donor and receptor languages. An Anglicism may, for example, convey a subset of the senses expressed by the same word in English and/or it may convey meanings typically expressed by a synonymous English word. It is no wonder that translator trainees often get into difficulty when having to decide whether and how to translate an English word with an established Anglicism in Italian. This tutorial presents a corpus-based teaching methodology that draws on the data-learning approach devised by Tim Johns and aims to equip translator trainees with a kit of analytical tools for better understanding Anglicisms in cross- and inter-linguistic professional communication so that they can produce accurate and effective translations. After briefly reviewing recent studies of Anglicisms in Italian, I outline the main features of the proposed educational methodology and illustrate how it has been applied to the analysis of the lemma business in the Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) translation classroom.

This brief editorial describes the field of professional communication, comments on its evolution, and then explains how research and findings in corpus linguistics can aid in enriching the field of professional communication even further. Four articles and two tutorials, representative of studies and applications in corpus linguistics, are then presented in a brief preview.

Economics discourse is now seen as characterized by intersubjectivity and interactivity, since economists take a stance by using lexico-grammatical elements and rhetorical features to build a convincing argument from a personal perspective, to attain solidarity with readers, and to claim social participation in the economics community. Evaluation and particularly evaluative adjectives are thus a crucial feature of economics discourse. Taking a qualitative and quantitative approach, this study explores, in a small specialized corpus, the functions of evaluative adjectives, their variation across genres and registers, and whether they are constrained by the specific domain of economics. Findings show that evaluative adjectives can adopt more than one function simultaneously, they vary across genres and registers, and that they are strongly constrained by domain. Moreover, given the need to use specialized language internationally, this study wants to build, especially in NNS economists, an awareness of the features which typify economics discourse and a better understanding of the crucial role evaluative adjectives hold when economists have to communicate critical perspectives while building their professional persona.

This paper describes the development of the AntConc corpus analysis toolkit, originally designed for use in a technical writing course at Osaka University, Japan, but now adopted in institutions throughout the world as an easy-to-use, freeware, multiplatform alternative to the many commercial concordance programs. First, I will explain how the software was originally tailored to the needs of students in the Osaka writing course and later to a general audience through the requests and feedback from teachers and students around the world. Then, I will give an overview of tools in the most recent version of AntConc and explain their value using examples from the classroom. Finally, I will discuss some of the software's limitations and future developments, and suggest applications in professional communication

This genre-based study comprises a comparative content analysis of textual and pictorial themes in a corpus of Dutch-English and British managerial forewords. It indicates that there are significant thematic differences between the Dutch-English CEO's statements, the British CEO's statements, and the British Chairman's statements and that these may be attributable to communicative and historical conventions as well as to current affairs in a particular business community. The present analysis, therefore, suggests that these managerial forewords cannot be considered as identical texts, although all are part of the same comprehensive document (i.e., the annual report). As such, this study suggests that text analysts, instructors, and practitioners in intercultural communication should be sensitive to both textual and contextual features for a full understanding of professional texts in intercultural discourse situations

Relying on examples taken from the business section of the Corpus of Nineteenth-Century Scottish Correspondence (in preparation), this paper intends to discuss the linguistic means employed to express authority and convey stance in relation to different recipients (peers, superiors, or subordinates) and different subject matters (e.g., legal controversy as opposed to ordinary, routine transactions). In particular, the aim is to present a survey of the positive and negative politeness strategies adopted by encoders of varying status (e.g., bank officials, publishers, but also working-class contractors). After a general outline of the corpus currently being compiled, different cases are discussed, in which hierarchical discourse is observed. Our concluding remarks focus on the implications this type of study may have for sociohistorical linguists on the one hand, and the study of the earliest stages of professional discourse on the other; indeed, the latter aspect may be of considerable interest also for present-day practitioners who may gain insights concerning the pragmatic strategies that have proved to be most successful over time. Similar ways of encoding stance and distance, for example, are still found in present-day formal exchanges, though the focus is probably more on corporate identity, rather than on individual participants.

Corpus studies are revolutionizing the study of language practice, including professional communication, by substituting actual examples of practice for prescriptive intuition. Corpora are often put together by researchers who exert much care in what goes into a corpus. Yet professional communicators also experience corpora as commodities in the marketplace, bundles of "writing models" for sale that cross genres of professional and personal communication. When writers purchase these bundles, what are the latent rhetorical strategies they are purchasing? A corpus study of 728 canned letters across 15 genres taken from a best-selling trade book was undertaken. The texts were tagged for rhetorical features and factor analyzed for latent rhetorical dimensions of proficiency. The study concludes that the latent rhetorical proficiencies brought into evidence are heavily weighted on skills of collecting or raising money. While this study requires replication over a wider sample, it illustrates how corpus approaches can help us rigorously retrieve latent rhetorical skills across a collection of rhetorically diverse texts. It further helps us see how corpus studies allow one to maintain close ties between the avowed standards of communication practice and the close description of the practices themselves