Proposal Pitfalls Plaguing Researchers: Can Technical Communicators Make a Difference?

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Lemanski
Keyword(s):  
Technical Communicators

An Open Source Primer

2011 ◽  
pp. 278-298
Author(s):  
Brian Still
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Proprietary Software ◽  
Introductory Overview ◽  
Professional Environment ◽  
Technical Communicators ◽  
History Of

This chapter serves as an introductory overview of Open Source Software (OSS) and the Open Source movement. It is geared primarily for technical communicators. To provide a thorough overview, this chapter defines OSS, explains how OSS works in comparison to proprietary software, looks at the history of OSS, and examines OSS licensing types, applications in business, and overall strengths and weaknesses when compared to proprietary software. Lastly, it evaluates the practical potential of OSS as well as emerging and future trends relating to it. From this general but thorough overview the intended audience of technical communicators will gain the solid understanding needed to work successfully in an academic or professional environment where OSS continues to grow in popularity, spurring more organizations to rely on it or the Open Source ideas that have inspired and continue to drive its creation and growth.

Changing Climate, Changing Terrain: The Stasis Metaphor and the Climate Crisis

2020 ◽  
pp. 004728162096698
Author(s):  
Shelton Weech
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rhetorical Analysis ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Rhetorical Theory ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Technical Communicators ◽  
Issue Definition ◽  
Climate Crisis

Rhetorical theory has frequently relied on metaphors of place and positioning as heuristics to build better arguments. This article utilizes one such metaphor, that of stasis theory, as a method by which we might change the terrain of the conversation surrounding the climate crisis. As an example, the author does a rhetorical analysis of a recent agricultural report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment and finds that, rather than using traditional questions of conjecture and quality, the authors of the report focus on questions of procedure and definition to reframe the discussion surrounding the climate crisis. Drawing from the rhetoric in this report, the author suggests that technical communicators might similarly produce more fruitful conversations around the climate crisis if they focus on what to do (procedure) and redefining the crisis as a local issue (definition).

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