Re: Research Request

[Win Day <winday -at- home -dot- com>]

At 12:25 PM 1/20/00 -0600, Michael Gos wrote:
> I am researching a particular kind of on-the-job culture clash in technical
> writers, that is, the juxtaposition of the disciplines of English and
Science
> (or math, or engineering).  I am interested in hearing from anyone who
> experiences job dissonance because of this apparent clash.
>
> Often viewed as incompatible, English and Science come together in a unique
> way in the career of tech writer.  While there has been much work about the
> difficult relationships between writers and SMEs, there is less known about
> internal conflicts.
>
> I know this is a vague definition of what I'm looking for, but since this
> is passive descriptive research, an early phase of variable identification,
> I really don't know what I'll find.  Essentially, if this idea of a clash,
> dissonance or incompatibility feels right, and it seems to be about the
> Englsih/Science juxtaposition, I'd like to hear from you.
>

If anything, I feel just the opposite.  I love the combination of English
and Science (in my case, English and Engineering).

I take great satisfaction in being able to explain complex technical
concepts to people who don't have the technical background that the SMEs do.  

I have also found, over the years, that the SMEs appreciate having someone
"translate" their material.  Everyone likes to be appreciated for what they
do.  How can, say, the bean counters in head office appreciate the needs of
the SMEs in the trenches (for staff, computers, software, whatever) if said
bean counters don't understand what happens in those trenches?

I enjoy creating those bridges.

Win
----------------
Win Day
Technical Writer

http://www.wordsplus.net

mailto:winday -at- wordsplus -dot- net