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Electronic Theses and Dissertations

2014

Technical communication

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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Technical Communicators In Marketing: Switching Roles And Changing Ethical Perspectives When Working With Content Marketing, Nicole Alvarez Jan 2014

Technical Communicators In Marketing: Switching Roles And Changing Ethical Perspectives When Working With Content Marketing, Nicole Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an alternate career path for technical communicators in the area of content marketing and expands on the ethical and goal-related issues associated with a career change to a marketing-focused role. Many of the skills necessary for technical communication are transferable to marketing communication roles; however, a successful career change requires that technical communicators understand how the ethical values and goals of marketing professionals can differ from those of technical communicators. Through a detailed literature review and autoethnographic study, this thesis discusses the performance goals of marketing professionals to determine how these clash with those of technical communicators. …


Creating And Examining An Online Advising Module For Graduate Students: A Usability Study, Leah Mitchell Jan 2014

Creating And Examining An Online Advising Module For Graduate Students: A Usability Study, Leah Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advisors are always examining best practices when serving students with technology. Online instruction has become a popular choice for students in higher education, and educators and other student personnel are looking to further accommodate their students by including academic services as part of a virtual environment. This study examines the usefulness of an online advising module geared at graduate students. I conducted a usability study of an online advising module created for graduate students in the College of Education and Human Performance (CEDHP) at the University of Central Florida. The online advising module was presented to current graduate students in …


Female Bias In Technical Communication And An Exploration Of Pedagogical Strategies For Reversing The Bias, Rebecca Beeson Jan 2014

Female Bias In Technical Communication And An Exploration Of Pedagogical Strategies For Reversing The Bias, Rebecca Beeson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores technical communication and seeks to establish that females outnumber males in the field while also holder more high-level positions. It further seeks to show why a field does not benefit from having one sex outnumber the other. The benefits of having an equal number of females and males contributing to the growth and expansion of the field are discussed. Finally, this thesis discusses potential pedagogical strategies which could be employed at the college level as a means of attracting more young men to the field and allowing for maximum growth of technical communication as a field of …


The Relevance Of Benjamin Franklin's And Thomas Jefferson's Technical Writing For Modern Communicators, Kristin Fecko Jan 2014

The Relevance Of Benjamin Franklin's And Thomas Jefferson's Technical Writing For Modern Communicators, Kristin Fecko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's technical communicators enjoy an increasingly broader role and influence in the workplace, and are often given latitude to use engaging rhetoric and personal touches in many kinds of communications. Historical documents, particularly those that are substantially removed from our own era, can offer fresh approaches and insight into the enduring elements of successful communication. This study explores the technical writings of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and considers their usefulness to professionals today. Although the political writing of Franklin and Jefferson is more familiar, both men frequently wrote about scientific and technical subjects and were well-known in their day …


Technical Communicators And Writing Consultants: Identity And Expertise, Nichole Cepero Jan 2014

Technical Communicators And Writing Consultants: Identity And Expertise, Nichole Cepero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the roles of technical communicators and writing center consultants in regards to their identities and the expertise that they bring to what they do. Both fields have struggled with a lack of understanding surrounding what their positions entail and more importantly how they perform in their roles. With this in mind, the goal of this paper is to analyze how the growth of each field and the variations of each position contribute to the issue of identity. Furthermore, as a result of the identity problem that faces each position, I suggest using the theory of liminality, communication …


Technical Illustration: The Changes And Challenges Presented By Advancements In Technology, Cindy Caudill Jan 2014

Technical Illustration: The Changes And Challenges Presented By Advancements In Technology, Cindy Caudill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the changes and challenges technology has created in the field of technical illustration. Technical illustration includes the fields of technical drawing as well as scientific and medical illustration. Previously, technical illustrators learned and used traditional illustration methods, without the aid of computers. However, technology has rapidly entered the field and has changed the education, work environment, skills, and role of the technical illustrator. I note both the benefits and disadvantages that current technical illustrators are facing in their work. I explore both sides of the digital media and traditional art debate while focusing on the technical illustrator's …


On Copyright Law: What Technical Communicators Need To Know, Mariana Chao Jan 2014

On Copyright Law: What Technical Communicators Need To Know, Mariana Chao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Copyright law, in general, is a multi-faceted and sometimes difficult to understand process. Although it is law, it is often not straight-forward and cannot be applied universally. While the concepts of copyright infringement and plagiarism may sometimes overlap, many confuse one for the other or think they are the same offense. This thesis is intended to serve as a primer to some basic aspects of copyright law for technical communicators, including issues surrounding public domain works, the fair use doctrine, the copyright clearance process, as well as why we should be concerned about our current copyright laws. Over the past …