Call for Proposals (book): Outsourcing Technical Communications: Issues, Policies, and Practices

[russell -dot- willerton -at- ttu -dot- edu]

**for more information, please contact one of the editors using e-mail
addresses posted below**

Call for Proposals for an edited collection
Outsourcing Technical Communications: Issues, Policies, and Practices

Barry Thatcher, New Mexico State University
Carlos Evia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Aided by new technologies and driven by global market structures,
technical communications that were once developed in the U.S. or Western
Europe are now being developed in Asia, Eastern Europe, and other parts of
the world.  If technical communication follows other fields such as
information technologies, electronics manufacturing, and even textiles,
this ?outsourcing? of technical communication products and jobs will
surely influence our profession, but how?  What kinds of jobs will remain
in the U.S.?  Which jobs are more efficiently handled outside the U.S? 
How can U.S. technical communicators develop a ?comparative advantage? in
the global economy?  How can collaboration and joint development of
information products be managed?  What are the ethical, cultural, social,
and economic dilemmas created by outsourcing?  This edited collection
explores these and other issues, policies, and practices of outsourcing
technical communications in the global economy.

Proposed Sections or Topics

Outsourcing Practices by Region
What are typical practices of outsourcing and technical communication
around the world?
? Asia/India
? Mexico/Latin America
? Europe

Global Economies and Professional Issues 
How will future jobs, university curriculum, and economic and political
policies influence technical communications?
? Comparative Advantages of Tech Communicators in U.S. and Abroad
? Curriculum Issues for U.S. Tech Communication Programs
? Policies of Global Economics and Roles of Technical Communicators

Quality and Management Issues 
How is outsourcing changing the production cycle and management of
information products?
? Managing Documentation Production
? Standardizing or Universalizing Rhetorical Approaches 

Cross-Cultural Communication Issues
What kinds of cross-cultural competencies and technologies are needed to
effectively work in the outsourcing environment?
? Collaboration across Space, Time, Languages, Cultures, and Communication
Media
? Translation, Localization, and Acceptability
? English as the Global Medium

Legal and Ethical Issues 
What kinds of legal and ethical issues are associated with outsourcing and
international collaboration?
? Copyright and Intellectual Property
? Division of Labor

The editors are seeking proposals in these five areas or others associated
with outsourcing.  Charles Sides, Editor of the Baywood Series in
Technical Communication, has already committed to review the edited
collection.

Due Dates:
Proposals (300-500 words), October 1, 2004
Completed Manuscript, January 1, 2005   
Submit proposals as email texts or Word attachments to: Barry Thatcher
(bathatch -at- nmsu -dot- edu) or Carlos Evia (cevia -at- vt -dot- edu)


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