Mapping the Research Questions in Technical Communication

Abstract

Agreement about research questions can strengthen disciplinary identity and give direction to a field that is still maturing. The central research question this article poses foregrounds texts, broadly defined as verbal, visual, and multimedia, and the power of texts to mediate knowledge, values, and action in a variety of contexts. Related questions concern disciplinarity, pedagogy, practice, and social change. These questions overlap and inform each other. Any single study does not necessarily fall exclusively into one area. A mapping of a field's research questions is a political act, emphasizing some questions and marginalizing or excluding others. The emphases may change over time. This mapping illustrates reasons for the tensions between the academic and practitioner areas of the field. It also points out their shared research interests and opportunities for future research.

Filter. Remix. Make.

“…The constant discussion about pedagogical approaches and the competencies we ought to teach our students (Rude, 2009) attests to our collective investment as a field in understanding the changes in the workplace and considering their impact on technical communication curricula. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), the top required skills in high-wage, high-growth positions, sampled across 14.6 million job descriptions during several months in 2013, are "cross-functional" (rather than "occupational") and include oral and written communication, detail-oriented, problem-solving, organizational, project management, analytical, bilingual/multilingual, and strong interpersonal skills (Anderson & Gantz, 2013, p. 8).…”

Where Did We Come From and Where Are We Going? Examining Authorship Characteristics in Technical Communication Research

“…Instead, Rude stressed the importance of establishing an identity in the midst of borrowing methods, theories, and content areas from other disciplines [3]. She argues that we must first establish a set of common research questions before we establish our identity.…”

“…This type of training also equips students with the ability to properly match a method to any given research question. This would, in turn, produce a more comprehensive and cohesive body of research on any given topic-a goal Rude specifically articulated [3].…”

The Province of Sophists: An Argument for Academic Homelessness

“…Scholars in our field have frequently written about the disciplinary identity of technical and professional communication and about our place in the academy (Faber, 2002;Hayhoe, 2006;Rude, 2009;Wishbow, 1999). Some have traced our history through the academic schisms that shaped the field (Faber & Johnson-Eilola, 2003;Mailloux, 2006;Russell, 2002) or have narrated the emergence of the field in response to a pedagogical need (Kynell & Tebeaux, 2009).…”