Central Works in Technical Communication

by Johndan Johnson-Eilola (Editor), Stuart A. Selber (Editor)

Bringing together thirty-two landmark essays, Central Works in Technical Communication provides a broad and representative overview of the field. It introduces students, new teachers, and new practitioners to the community of technical communication as an intellectual and communal endeavor that encompasses such complex theoretical topics as research methods, social issues, and ethics. Editors Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber engaged in a comprehensive selection process--including the consultation of a review board of leading teachers and scholars--and have included some of the most influential articles and book chapters published in technical communication over the last twenty-five years. Each essay is accompanied by a reflective piece written by its author specifically for this volume. These commentaries provide context for the essays and allow the authors to add to or challenge their original ideas and resituate them in a contemporary environment. The book also features section introductions written by the editors that offer historical and conceptual approaches to understanding the contributions each work makes to the field of technical communication.
Central Works in Technical Communication is organized around eight major conceptual categories: histories, rhetorical perspectives, philosophies and theories, ethical and power issues, research methods, workplace studies, online environments, and pedagogical directions. An alternative table of contents groups the essays into additional categories including collaboration, gender, genre, usability, and visual theory and practice. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in technical communication, this collection is also a compact and convenient resource for practicing professionals and academics new to the field.

Genres: Academic, Grad School, Textbooks, Nonfiction

539 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2004

Reviews

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, it took me over a year to read all of the essays here, but that's not saying much about the book itself. More about me.

Many of these essays are extremely interesting--especially to a teacher like me who is starting to teach more and more Technical Communication courses. This book allowed me a glimpse into where much of Tech Comm began, and how technical writing grew into its own "thing" rather than simply being lumped in with general writing.

Admittedly, some of the essays are dated completely. However, many began conversations that are still extremely relevant and needed today. A few of which my students now read and we discuss in my various classes.

It might be dense, and yes, many of these conversations have moved well-beyond what's presented here, but this is an interesting place for those starting in on the tech writing areas of academia.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this is dated because it deals with technology, but overall it's a good, and thorough, overview of the discussions that are going on, and have been going on, within the technical communication field. It's not a topic I plan to explore ever again. This book not only helped lead me to that conclusion but made the time I did spend studying tc relatively painless.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

My usual practice of not giving textbooks a higher rating still applies. Maybe someday I'll come back through and revise these once I have a clearer picture of what the books mean to my work. Until then? This collection of articles is great and gives a nice overview of the field and its history. I also enjoy the authors' reflections on the pieces at the beginning of each article.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this collection of Tech writing articles for a class. I generally like foundational collections, but I found many of these too dated to be useful. Some were still relevant, though, and I especially enjoyed the history articles.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Central? Try Critical. Or Crucial. Or Downright Canonical.

This is a useful, multidimensional, theory-rich and practice-laden text. I'll dogear it for years to come.

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan perusteos. Harvoin yliopistoa varten luettu kirja on oikeasti mielenkiintoinen, mutta tämä oli hyvä ja kattava paketti teknisen viestinnän historiasta.

[Chris Dayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must read for every technical communication scholar.