Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2019 Open Access

Developing Strategies for Success in a Cross-Disciplinary Global Virtual Team Project: Collaboration Among Student Writers and Translators

Yvonne Cleary University of Limerick ; Darina M. Slattery University of Limerick ; Madelyn Flammia University of Central Florida ; Patricia Minacori Université Paris Cité

Abstract

This article reports on a qualitative study of strategies and competencies used by technical communication and translation students to address challenges inherent in global virtual team collaboration. The study involved students from three universities collaborating in virtual teams to write and translate instructional documents. Qualitative content analysis of students’ reflective blogs and team transcripts was used to examine their experiences while collaborating. Students faced challenges related to communication, leadership, and technology, and developed various strategies to address those challenges. Although the students did not face cultural challenges, they reported increased awareness of cultural issues. Students also reported that the project helped them better understand the workplace and define career goals.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2019-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0047281618775908
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Topics
collaborative writing technical communication qualitative research
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

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    The Evolutionary Convergence of Technical Communication and Translation: An Int…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. López-Arroyo et al. (2024)
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  4. Slattery (2021)
    Guest Editor’s Introduction: Facilitating Interaction, Collaboration, Community…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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