Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 1999

The Process and Prospects for Professionalizing Technical Communication

Gerald J. Savage

Abstract

Despite claims for at least the past quarter century of mature professional status for the field of technical communication, studies in the history and sociology of the professions provide criteria that suggest we are not yet truly a profession. This article reviews economic, sociopolitical, and ideological factors that characterize the modern professions and argues that the technical communication field, at best, only partially meets the criteria. The prospects for professional status of technical communication might be improved by developing a critical consciousness of the processes of professionalization and concertedly acting in ways that facilitate those processes.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1999-10-01
DOI
10.2190/7gfx-a5pc-5p7r-9lhx
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (15)

  1. Friess (2025)
    “Boring People Doing Boring Jobs”: High School Educators’ Conceptions of Techni…
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  2. Gelms et al. (2024)
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  3. Hannah et al. (2024)
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  4. Hsiao (2024)
    Professional Critical Consciousness: Bridging Classroom Theory with Workplace P…
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  5. Todd (2014)
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  1. Petersen (2014)
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  2. Walsh (2010)
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  3. Savage et al. (2010)
    Technical Communication Internship Requirements in the Academic Economy: How We…
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  4. Savage et al. (2010)
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  5. Moore (2008)
    Cruel Theory? The Struggle for Prestige and its Consequences in Academic Techni…
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  6. Jablonski (2005)
    Seeing Technical Communication from a Career Perspective: The Implications of C…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  7. Latterell (2003)
    Technical and Professional Communication Programs and the Small College Setting…
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  8. Faber (2002)
    Professional Identities: What Is Professional about Professional Communication?
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  9. Battalio (2002)
    A methodology for streamlining historical research: the analysis of technical a…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  10. Johnson-Eilola et al. (2001)
    Sketching a Framework for Graduate Education in Technical Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 19 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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