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- Title
Practicing Technical Communicators' Experiences with and Perspectives on Academic Publishing.
- Authors
Andersen, Rebekka; Hackos, JoAnn
- Abstract
Purpose: Most refereed journals in the field of technical communication have as a goal to publish research articles on problems, trends, and practices in the field to meet the needs of readers working in both industry and academia. But academic researchers and journal editors know little beyond anecdotal stories about what industry readers actually think about the research articles they read in the journals. Method: To better understand practitioner experiences with and perspectives on academic research, we conducted a 25-question survey of 187 practicing technical communicators. Questions focused on experience with trade and academic publications; interest level in reading academic articles based on titles and abstracts; types of publications and content found most useful, valuable, and relevant; and suggested changes for how academic research is designed or reported. Results: The majority of respondents were either unfamiliar with or never or rarely read research published in the six main journals in the field. Common reasons given included difficulty finding and gaining access to journal articles, difficulty parsing practical applications, and difficulty making sense of dense and convoluted writing. But respondents also expressed strong interest in published research that has readily evident practical applications and relevance to current work practices. Conclusion: Academic research in the field has the potential to reach and impact much wider audiences. We offer specific suggestions for how journals, professional organizations, researchers, and practitioners can better promote and increase access to published research and increase its relevance, value, and accessibility for industry readers.
- Publication
Technical Communication, 2021, Vol 68, Issue 3, p29
- ISSN
0049-3155
- Publication type
Article