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Subject:Re: education and the profession From:Nancy Hayes <nancyh -at- PMAFIRE -dot- INEL -dot- GOV> Date:Mon, 25 Mar 1996 21:40:30 GMT
>Judith Rosenberg <com427 -at- clc -dot- cc -dot- il -dot- us> wrote:
>>1. Do you see growth in the need for technical writers over the next
>>five years?
Not sure. I think it depends on the budget of the company in question.
>>2. In your experience, is there a need for academic programs to train
>>students in technical writing?
Definately. Speaking from experience, the technical writing class I took
on my major (English) was absolutely useless. The one I took that they
gave to the science/engineering students was very helpful.
>>3. What are the subjects that should be stressed in an
>>academic/career program in Technical Communication? (Example: clear,
>>concise writing; document design; audience analysis; online
>>publishing; computer technology, etc.)
* The ability to research from several different sources: vendor data,
interviews, manuals, old procedures, etc.
* The ability to analyse a process or system: some sort of rhetoric,
logic, etc.
* Writing skills, obviously
* Ability to work as part of a team or as an individual writer.
In addition, one field exercise I would recommend is setting up the
students so that they have to do a project where the answers aren't found
in the library. The projects in my 300-level writing class were so
incredibly easy compared to real life that they were darn-near useless.
Good luck.
Nancy Lynn Hayes (nancyh -at- pmafire -dot- inel -dot- gov) Carpe Diem
Seize the Day!
