Tracing Disciplinary Networks, Visualizing Futures

Abstract

In this paper, I explore the use of bibliometric data pulled from technical communication journals to visualize citation networks from 1972 to present. In turn, this process identifies key terms and trends in scholarship, illuminating how communities of knowledge and practice have been fostered in the field. This process also helps display institutional collaboration and engagement. Conversely, these visualizations also suggest how these communities of knowledge and practice have left many unaddressed gaps in 44 years of research. The findings of this study suggest that, while the field has thoroughly applied the topics of rhetoric, discourse, language, author and audience in relation to pedagogy and what those terms can offer classrooms, more classroom-based research is needed to demonstrate pedagogical practices and learning in the field of technical communication. Further, technical communication researchers have not yet outlined the efficacy of rhetorical pedagogy in relation to student learning and engagement in technical communication classrooms, despite advocating for its importance to students and future practitioners. As a result, I argue that the study of citation networks can provide technical communicators with a means to both evaluate the field's history and shape its future trajectory.