Points of reference in technical communication scholarship

Identifying Commonalities and Divergences Between Technical Communication Scholarly and Trade Publications (1996–2017)

“…But the topics covered in TC have been less studied and have denied the field opportunities for a "more holistic understanding of where technical communication has been, where the field is now, and where the field could go" (Boettger & Friess, 2020). Some of the first examinations of the scholarly journal content of TC were Smith's citation analyses (Smith, 2000a(Smith, , 2000b. These analyses reveal that content areas in the research journals were "broadly identified as professional issues (defining technical communication, pedagogy, and research methods), rhetoric and the rhetorics of communities, document design and technology issues, and workplace communication" (Smith, 2000a, p. 427).…”

“…If they are not, then the modifier of "technical communication" for both populations is problematic and more of a hindrance than an asset in establishing field definition. Thus, in this article, we aim to extend the points of reference that Smith (2000a) provided some 20 years ago by including in our data set both professional publications written primarily for practitioners and traditional research articles. We pursue this update because documenting the maturation of TC (a common practice in other communication fields, e.g., marketing communication, business communication, and public relations) is necessary for understanding how content preferences have shifted over 22 years.…”

A Field-Wide Metasynthesis of Pedagogical Research in Technical and Professional Communication

“…We selected these journals based on past research practices involving surveying published scholarship in the field (see, e.g., Boettger & Lam, 2013; Lowry, Humpherys, Malwitz, & Nix, 2007; Melonçon & St.Amant, 2019; Smith, 2000) and the journals’ longevity and recognition within TPC. For example, JTWC is the oldest academic journal in the field (founded in 1971), while TC is the oldest continuously published journal in the field (founded in 1954 as Technical Writing Review , later to become Technical Communication in 1967).…”

Empirical Research in Technical and Professional Communication: A 5-Year Examination of Research Methods and a Call for Research Sustainability

“…In selecting these specific journals, we relied on past research practices as exemplified by academic researchers including Smith (2000) and Boettger and Lam (2013). These researchers selected this set of journals because of their longevity and recognition as core/central sources of scholarship in the field, and we believe that because of their longevity and their place within the field, they are representative of the scholarship of the field.…”