Evolving skill sets and job pathways of technical communicators

Communication Design Quarterly Jan 2019

Evolving skill sets and job pathways of technical communicators

Nadya Shalamova ; Tammy Rice-Bailey ; Katherine Wikoff

Abstract

Recent research in technical communication (TC) indicates that the field has become more varied than ever in terms of job titles, job skills, and levels of involvement in the design and production process. Here, we examine this diversity by detailing the results of a small-scale anonymous survey of individuals who are currently working as technical communicators (TCs). The purpose of our survey was to discover what job titles people who identify as TCs have held and the skills required of those positions. The study was conducted using the online survey platform Qualtrics. Survey results found that TCs occupy jobs and use skills that are often quite different from "traditional" TC careers. Results further support previous research that these roles and responsibilities continue to evolve. However, results also suggest that this evolution is more sweeping than previously realized---moving TCs away from not only the traditional technical writing role but also the "technical communicator" role as it has been understood for the past 20--25 years.

Journal: Communication Design Quarterly
Published: 2019-01-22
DOI: 10.1145/3309578.3309580
CompPile: Search in CompPile ↗
Topics: multimodality technical communication

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Miller et al. (2020)

Social media in professional, technical, and scientific communication programs

Communication Design Quarterly
Ranade et al. (2020)

Humanistic communication in information centric workplaces

Communication Design Quarterly

Cites in this index (12)

Hovde et al. (2017)

Technological Literacy: A Framework for Teaching Technical Communication Softwa…

Technical Communication Quarterly
Kimball (2017)

The Golden Age of Technical Communication

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Rice-Bailey (2016)

The Role and Value of Technical Communicators: Technical Communicators and Subj…

Technical Communication Quarterly
Henning et al. (2016)

Reconsidering Power and Legitimacy in Technical Communication

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Andersen (2014)

Rhetorical Work in the Age of Content Management

Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Show all 12 →

Andersen (2014)

Toward a more integrated view of technical communication

Communication Design Quarterly
Lauer (2014)

Technology and communication design

Communication Design Quarterly
Brady et al. (2013)

Static to Dynamic: Professional Identity as Inventory, Invention, and Performan…

Technical Communication Quarterly
Wright et al. (2011)

A History of the Future: Prognostication in Technical Communication: An Annotat…

Technical Communication Quarterly
Potts et al. (2011)

Contextualizing Experiences: Tracing the Relationships Between People and Techn…

Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Slattery (2007)

Undistributing Work Through Writing: How Technical Writers Manage Texts in Comp…

Technical Communication Quarterly
Whiteside (2003)

The Skills That Technical Communicators Need: An Investigation of Technical Com…

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Also cites 8 works outside this index ↓

10.1080/10447310903025552

↗
10.1145/2987592.2987631

↗
10.1109/TPC.2016.2537080

↗
10.1109/TPC.2012.2237255

↗
10.1145/2666216.2666234

↗
10.5555/2007456.2007457

↗
10.1109/IPCC.2016.7740493

↗
10.1109/TPC.2003.816785

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 10 View in citation network →