Sunday, June 1 - Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

AR: Applying Research and Theory to Practice

Theory and research form the basis for technical communication; theory guides our practice and research supports the theory. Education and training teach people how to find, create, and use theory and research.

Bringing Distance Communication Closer

Distance education has far reaching applications outside the classroom. This study tested and reviewed multiple aspects of distance education to improve communication and the interactive experience.

Cross-cultural Communication Issues: Research on the Impacts of Globalization on Chinese Document Design and the Localization of Medical Graphics for Spanish-Speakers

Two research reports examine international issues. The first examines the impacts of globalization on documents written in China for the international market, using rhetorical analysis, content analysis and visual analysis. The second analyzes changes in graphics between the English and Spanish versions of medical pamphlets.

Establishing a Body of Knowledge for Tech Comm

Establishing a body of knowledge (BOK) is prerequisite to defining technical communication as a profession. This panel discusses ways to develop a BOK, based on an STC committee’s preliminary work.

Innovative Instructional Design Practices

The Instructional Design & Learning SIG brings the experiences of its members to you by providing this progression on the latest topics around creating and using innovative instructional design.

Managers' Motivating Language and Communication Approaches

A research report of managers' motivating language approaches and workers' job satisfaction. Improvement opportunities and practical management applications will be presented.

The 60-Minute Guide to Evaluating Comparative Test Data

Shows how to use statistical functions within Microsoft Excel to draw reliable inferences from comparative test data (e.g., bake-offs, pre-test/post-test, A/B tests).