Technical Communication Research Articles

Automating Research in Business and Technical Communication: Large Language Models as Qualitative Coders

The emergence of large language models (LLMs) has disrupted approaches to writing in academic and professional contexts. While much interest has revolved around the ability of LLMs to generate coherent and generically responsible texts with minimal effort and the impact that this will have on writing careers and pedagogy, less attention has been paid to how LLMs can aid writing research. Building from previous research, this study explores the utility of AI text generators to facilitate the qualitative coding research of linguistic data. This study benchmarks five LLM prompting strategies to determine the viability of using LLMs as qualitative coding, not writing, assistants, demonstrating that LLMs can be an effective tool for classifying complex rhetorical expressions and can help business and technical communication researchers quickly produce and test their research designs, enabling them to return insights more quickly and with less initial overhead.

Integration of infographics in higher education: challenges faced by novice creators

In higher education, the popularity of using infographics as teaching and learning tools is increasing. However, their design is a demanding task and the majority of students are inexperienced in creating this form of visual. To help educators integrate tasks of creating infographics more successfully and thus enhance the development of visual literacy in higher education, this study seeks to identify challenges faced by university students while creating infographics for the first time. The study participants were students of Informatics attending the course of Academic and Technical Communication in English. Data sources were their initial drafts of infographics created in small groups during a multi-step project. The results of the content analysis revealed that the most commonly observed challenges were difficulties while applying titles and subtitles, too substantial amount of textual information, inability to put information in a story-like format, inappropriate layout of information, inaccurate spelling, lack of references or absence of their correct attribution and use of unjustified text. Importantly, the study includes lists of attributes and recommendations necessary to design infographics, the appliance of which together with the use of professionally designed templates could result in effective infographics.

On the Current Moment in AI: Introduction to Special Issue on Effects of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Technical Communication Pedagogy, Practice, and Research, Part 1

On the Current Moment in AI: Introduction to Special Issue on Effects of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Technical Communication Pedagogy, Practice, and Research, Part 1

Establishing Citizen Democratic Networks to Promote Political Participation in Schools under the Provincial Administrative Organization in Mahasarakham

This research focused on the mechanism of establishing citizen democratic networks to promote political participation in schools under the provincial administrative organization in Mahasarakham. This research aimed to 1) analyze the model of creating a civil-democratic network between universities and schools, and 2) study the process of promoting students’ political participation in schools under the provincial administrative organization in Mahasarakham. The qualitative research methods were conducted by document study and then in-depth interviews with the participant observation method. Research instruments were 1) the related documents and research in a reliable database, and 2) four interview questions for each group and the participant observations form. Collected data were analyzed and categorized into critical issues and themes based on the literature. The participants comprised sixty-two interviewees and were divided into four groups: 1) Two representatives of the Office of Education, Religion and Culture of the provincial administrative organization; 2) Twenty school administrators under the provincial administrative organization; 3) Twenty teachers responsible for the civics course, and 4) Twenty high school students. The findings revealed: 1) The model for creating a civic network between universities and schools. There must be a central person in the management position with the authority to command leadership and technical communication between the school and the university. The creation of a network of citizens of democracy will be successful. 2) The process of creating the political participation of students in schools arose from the process of building democratic citizenship through school education and extra-curricular activities. Students can then apply that knowledge in daily life.

Localizing Directed Self-Placement: UX Stories and Methods

This article seeks to address the need for research supporting localization efforts in placement assessment. We argue that as a highly technical communication endeavor, directed self-placement (DSP) and its developers can benefit from research in technical and professional communication (TPC). We synthesize the theoretical relations between DSP and TPC, especially regarding models of localization, and demonstrate how implementing user experience (UX) design can help address placement equity concerns by foregrounding accessibility and usability from the beginning. We follow this discussion of DSP and TPC scholarship with storied examples from our institution, providing a sample range of UX methods that (1) are flexible across contexts, (2) are relatively manageable to implement, and (3) are cognizant of WPA, staff, and students’ time, labor, and compensation concerns. We propose DSP as a form of advocacy, and we demonstrate how UX method/ologies are an excellent choice for DSP localization efforts toward equity and accessibility.

Can Artificial Intelligence Robots Write Effective Instructions?

The authors analyze the ability of ChatGPT to generate effective instructions for a consequential task: taking a COVID-19 test. They compare the output from a commercial prompt for generating these instructions to those provided by the test manufacturer. They also analyze the input, the prompt itself, to address prompt-engineering issues. The results show that although the output from ChatGPT exhibits certain conventions for documentation, the human-authored instructions from the manufacturer are superior in most ways. The authors conclude that when it comes to creating high-quality, consequential instructions, ChatGPT might be better seen as a collaborator than a competitor with human technical communicators.

Student-Created Tabletop Foresight Games as Advocacy

This assignment asks first-year writing students to collaboratively create a tabletop game design that would expose players to possible future developments of climate change. The multimodal component is accompanied by a series of writing, research, and communication assignments that are scaffolded to guide students through the iterative process of composing. As students explore alternative formats to make a persuasive argument, they gain a more nuanced understanding of their topic, hone critical thinking skills, and practice addressing different audiences. The final project includes a research paper and a formal project proposal. The author argues in favor of the affordances of game-based pedagogies in a writing and technical communication classroom.

“Unreasonable” Bodies: Thinking Beyond Accommodation in Workplace Lactation Law and Policy

Purpose: This article investigates why workplace lactation law, guidance, and policy may fail to support women. It examines the epistemological and ethical bases of technical communication governing Virginia K???12 teachers and considers complex material conditions and opportunities for social justice intervention.Method: I employed a qualitative critical discourse analysis of three Virginia codes governing workplace lactation and one state human resources guidance document, examining their interaction with the Federal Labor Standards Act and 10 local school district policies. I drew on Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) social justice scholarship, disability studies, and apparent feminism scholarship to interpret my findings.Results: Documents governing workplace lactation are based on an ableist mindset that marginalizes women’s bodies. They prioritize an ethic of expediency, draw on medical knowledge while ignoring women’s knowledge and material conditions, and perpetuate systemic inequities.Conclusion: To promote social justice, technical communicators should continue questioning the epistemological and ethical bases of laws, policies, and guidance since documents informed by knowledge and ideologies that devalue the people they purport to protect will fail in implementation. Local policymakers need not wait for institutional changes but can look for opportunities to reimagine design approaches and intervene to create supportive, inclusive workplaces.

NEOLOGISMS OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL NEOLOGISMS

The research article examines the importance and role of neologisms in modern scientific and technical language and emphasizes their significance for scientific and technical communication. Possible reasons and challenges of the emergence of new words and terms that represent modern realities and the level of scientific development are examined. The factors that influence the formation and emergence of neologisms are also discussed. The study also identifies why these new words are necessary for the branches of science and technology as well as how they influence the development of science and technology in the modern world.

Experts’ consensus on the design of a technical communication module for vocational college students in the manufacturing sector

In the twenty-first century one of the most significant challenges is preparing professionals to adequately communicate technical information when writing and speaking. A number of studies have been published on various aspects of technical communication (TC), but few studies in China have investigated the curriculum design for TC. In this study, expert consensus was sought to explore elements required for a TC module for vocational college students in the manufacturing sector using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). The FDM was employed to determine consensus among a panel of 12 experts. Two rounds of data collection were conducted to garner opinions from the experts. The first round was semi-structured interviews among five experts to design the items for the FDM questionnaire with a five-point linguistic scale. The designed FDM questionnaire was distributed to 12 experts to gather their opinions on the elements required for the TC module. The data analysis determined the consensus on the elements of the TC module in four categories: objectives, contents, learning activities, and assessment methods. Their levels of agreement were assessed to determine elements that needed to be highlighted for implementation in the classroom. These findings could be used to develop a more relevant instructional module for TC in the manufacturing sector.

Is Your Résumé/Textbook Up-To-Date? An Audit of AI ATS Résumé Instruction

Businesses increasingly use Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen job applicants’ résumés. A summative content analysis auditing how 18 business communication, business English, and technical communication textbooks cover résumés and AI ATS found a lack of consensus. The study identified the challenge of offering specific advice on emerging AI technology in textbooks. The article recommends writing and teaching practice changes when discussing emerging technology and creating or using textbook content.

The Effectiveness of a Technical Communication Module for Automobile Manufacturing Students at Vocational Colleges

This study employs a one-group pretest and posttest design to assess the written and oral technical communication (TC) skills of students in vocational colleges in China. Fifty-nine 1st-year students in automotive engineering participated in a 3-week implementation of a TC module. To measure learner differences, students took oral and written tests before and after the intervention, respectively. Results showed that the module effectively improved students’ written and oral TC skills. In addition, findings from interviews with participants and English teachers indicated that the TC module is suitable from a pedagogical perspective.

ENHANCING BUSINESS STUDENTS’ EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AWARENESS

Employability skills have become vital in helping recent graduates distinguish themselves in the competitive job market, transcending disciplinary boundaries. Dissatisfaction with graduates' communication abilities has been a long-standing concern in academia and the workplace. The shift from traditional lecture-based instruction to active learning has prompted changes in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and technical communication courses globally. These changes encompass well-developed professional communication skills, collaborative work practices, effective self-management, and social responsibility. This study addresses the imperative of understanding and addressing the skill prerequisites of the corporate sphere, as employers increasingly seek competencies beyond academic qualifications. The study employs a student-centered approach, allowing students to align these skills with real-world job requirements. The Experiential Learning Theory by Kolb serves as the theoretical foundation for this approach. The results indicate that this teaching method, emphasizing learning by doing, received positive feedback from students. It not only provided insight into the skills required by the labor market but also improved students' awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, students found that this approach prepared them for their future careers. In conclusion, this research emphasizes the importance of equipping students with employability skills through authentic, context-based learning. The findings underscore the need for a shift from teacher-centered practices to more student-centered, collaborative learning environments that foster student autonomy and responsibility. The research closes with limitations and suggestions for further research.

A Comparative Rhetorical Analysis of Trump and Biden's Climate Change Speeches: Framing Strategies in Politics

This article analyzes the speeches of two U.S. politicians—President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden—to present how they make their arguments about climate change using various frames. While frames are rhetorical acts, they are also a form of persuasion. In particular, the author demonstrates how Trump foregrounded negative frames with fear-inducing elements. He presented job losses and economic harm as consequences of joining the Paris Climate Accord, putting him on the defensive. In contrast, Biden utilized positive frames to strengthen his arguments and aligned more closely with the environmental justice framework. Inspired by the rhetoric of the framing strategies employed by these two speakers, the study suggests that technical communicators should focus on using language that constructs new frames to enhance the success of their argumentations.

Speech Manipulation and Perception of Oral Speech in Court‑Hearing Online Communication

The article considers the peculiarity of speech communication in the conditions of the use of remote technologies (videoconferencing) by the participants of the process in relation to the possibility of using manipulative speech means of influencing the addressee. The influence of technical communication channels and means of sound reproduction, which introduce distortions into speech signals, on the production and perception of speech is noted. It is concluded that the participants, directly and remotely present in the courtroom, have different opportunities to use the arsenal of verbal and non-verbal means of persuading the court through manipulative and non-manipulative influence.

A Meta-Analysis on the process of how to understand Semantic Correlation Rules

The academic training of young professionals plays a particularly important role in the field of technical communication (TC). Since well-trained specialists are in great demand in this domain, it’s important for students to successfully learn semantic correlation rules. But there must be a good interaction between different parties because students face major challenges when it comes to TC topics such as content management, metadata management or semantic technologies. There are several challenges to understanding in the considered case of semantic modelling and technical communication in general. However, this paper does not just show different ways of bringing together the different perspectives of students, lecturers and institutions related to a specialized course on semantic correlation rules. Rather, it develops a new area of work that enables new collaborations and takes the field of technical communication to a new level.

Getting it Wrong: Student Estimations of Time and the Number of Drafts in Linked Computer Science and Technical Communication Courses

Getting it Wrong: Student Estimations of Time and the Number of Drafts in Linked Computer Science and Technical Communication Courses

Using DynaRules to Integrate Context Information in Semantic Correlation Rules for Intelligent Content Delivery

In the past, information deliveries in technical communication were often considered as a normative duty, but has now grown into a knowledge-bearing and knowledge-transmitting medium by more modern approaches of dynamic content delivery. As described in a previous publication [1] implementing and working with semantic correlation rules and knowledge graphs enhances, for example, the contextual understanding of information and the technology of content delivery. The use of various established media technologies, which are explained in detail in this paper, prevents risks such as unclear information management and a lack of transparency. Companies must ensure that necessary information is provided in a simple and targeted manner where it is needed. Therefore, using an efficient system which provides detailed information about products, processes or services, a company is able to create, manage and deliver a high amount of information in a professional way. In an era where efficiency, innovation and speed set the tone, technologies have been developed on the market for creating and delivering content. In this paper we will moreover describe the possible interplay of recent IT architectures, non-linear DynaRules of semantic models and AI extensions to enable metadata-linked content effectively with reduced fuzziness according to the regarded context of intelligent content delivery and information services.

A complex of technical tools and measures designed for conducting operational-search measures in the communication networks of ministeral affairs bodies

The article discusses current issues of a holistic understanding of the system of technical means to support the functions of operational investigative measures (SORM), the possibilities of its use in various areas of operational investigative activities of the internal affairs department, as well as problems of application. The effective use of special hardware and software solutions designed to collect information from technical communication channels will greatly improve the efficiency of operational investigative activities and the detection of crimes committed using information and telecommunication technologies.

Integrating Technical Communication Into China's Translation and Interpreting Curriculum: Course Design, Practice, and Evaluation of Two Graduate Classes

Integrating Technical Communication Into China's Translation and Interpreting Curriculum: Course Design, Practice, and Evaluation of Two Graduate Classes