PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL WRITING:
A RESOURCE PATHFINDER
Articles
Professional and Technical Writing Search Terms The majority of databases use the term “technical communication” as their primary search term to retrieve articles about professional and technical writing. Alternate terms include “technical writing,” “professional writing,” “professional communication,” and “editing.” Web writing resources are usually found by using the terms “web site design and writing,” “web and writing,” or “web authoring.” Use the following database tools to find topic subdivisions of “technical communication” or the terms listed above. They will also provide additional keywords and narrower, broader, or related subject terms.
§ Topic Guide (ProQuest)
§ Subject Guide (Gale)
§ Thesaurus (WilsonWeb)
Databases
§ ABI/INFORM Dateline (ProQuest)
§ ABI/INFORM Global (ProQuest)
§ ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry (ProQuest)
§ Academic OneFile (Gale)
§ Applied Science Full Text (WilsonWeb)
§ Business and Company Resource Center (Gale)
§ Education Full Text (WilsonWeb)
§ Educator's Reference Complete (Gale)
§ Faulkner Advisory on IT Studies
§ Humanities Full Text (WilsonWeb)
§ MLA International Bibliography (CSA)
§ ProQuest Research Library (ProQuest)
§ Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCOhost)
§ Teacher Reference Center (EBSCOhost)
Journals
Full Text Electronic Journals @ Madonna Library This database lists and provides access to e-journals available at Madonna Library. To locate an online journal about professional and technical writing, search by journal title, or browse titles under the subject categories “Journalism & Mass Communication” and “Business & Economics>Commerce>Business Communication.”
Selected titles in Full Text Electronic Journals:
§ American Communication Journal
§ Business Communication Quarterly
§ Business Communications Review
§ Business Communicator
§ Communication Reports
§ Communication Research Trends
§ Communication Theory
§ Corporate Communications
§ Editor & Publisher
§ EJournalist
§ Innovative Journalism
§ Issues in Writing
§ Journal of Business and Technical Communication
§ Journal of Business Communication
§ Journal of Communication
§ Journal of Intercultural Communication
§ Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
§ Quill
§ Strategic Communication Management
§ Technical Communication
§ Technical Communication Quarterly
Print Journals @ Madonna Library Selected titles related to professional and technical writing:
§ College Composition and Communication
§ Columbia Journalism Review
§ Communication Arts
§ Computers and Composition
§ Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
§ Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
§ Mass Communication & Society
§ Quill
§ Technical Communication
§ Writer
§ Writers’ Digest
Web Sites
E-Journals
§ Digital Web Magazine
http://www.digital-web.com/about/
§ IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter
http://www.ieeepcs.org/activities_publications_newsletter.php
§ Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology and Pedagogy
http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/
§ Orange: A Student Journal of Technical Communication
http://orange.eserver.org/about/
Internet Subject Guides
§ INFOMINE (Search “technical communication”)
§ Professional/Technical Writing: Web Sites – Westminster College http://www.westminstercollege.edu/library/course_research/techwriting/websites.cfm
§ Writing for the Wired World: Resources, Links and Tips – University of Saskatchewan
http://library2.usask.ca/~fichter/writing/
Comprehensive Sites
§ EServer Technical Communication Library – Iowa State University
§ Good Documents: How to Write for the INTRAnet
http://www.gooddocuments.com/homepage/homepage.htm
§ Internet Resources for Technical Communicators – Keith Soltys
http://www.soltys.ca/techcomm.html
§ Online Technical Writing: Online Textbook – David McMurrey
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/
§ TECHCOMM: Technical Communication Information Sources
http://www.december.com/info/techcomm/
§ Technical and Scientific Writing – D. G. Jerz, Seton Hill University
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/technical/index.html
§ Technical Writing: Writers Write
http://www.writerswrite.com/technical
§ Web Developer’s Virtual Library
§ The Write News: Writing, Publishing and Internet News
§ Writing for the Web: An Information Paper – New Opportunities Fund
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/nof/support/help/papers/writing-web/
§ Writing for the Web – Jakob Nielsen
http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/
§ Writing in Digital Environments (WIDE) Research Center – Michigan State University
Professional Associations
§ Association for Business Communication
http://www.businesscommunication.org/
§ Association of Teachers of Technical Writing
§ Council for Programs in Scientific and Technical Communication
§ IEEE Professional Communication Society
§ Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators
§ INTECOM (International Council for Technical Communication)
http://www.dokumentoijat.net/english/kansainvalinen/intecom.php
§ International Association of Business Communicators
§ Society for Technical Communication
Blogs
§ Contentious
§ SmartTechWriting
http://www.smarttechwriting.com/
§ Tech Write Tips
http://techwritetips.wordpress.com/
Online Forums
§ TechCommPros
§ TECHWR-L: Internet Forum for Technical Communicators
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/index.php3
Books Search for books about professional and technical writing in the Madonna Catalog using the general keyword option with the search terms previously discussed.
Selected Titles
T11.B78 2006
Alred, Gerald. Handbook of technical writing. New York: St. Martins, 2006.
Reference P87.5 .D36 2000
Danesi, Marcel. Encyclopedic dictionary of semiotics, media, and communications. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000.
PE1404.P457 2001
Holdstein, Deborah H. & Bleich, David. (Eds.). Personal effects: The social character of scholarly writing. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 2001.
HF5415.1265.M47 2005
Meyerson, Mitch. Success secrets of the online marketing superstars. Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishers, 2005.
HG177.5.U6 2004
Mikelonis, Victoria M. Grant seeking in an electronic age. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2004.
Reference HG177.5.U6 M56 2003
Miner, Lynn E., & Miner, Jeremy T. Proposal planning and writing. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003.
HM 258.C76 2006
Norales, Francisca O. Crosscultural communication: Concepts, cases, and challenges. Youngstown, NY: Cambria, 2006.
Reference HF5718.3.P53 2001
Picardi, Richard P. Skills of workplace communication: A handbook for T&D specialists and their organizations. Westport, CT: Quorum, 2001.
PE1404.R356 2001
Rankin, Elizabeth. The work of writing: Insights and strategies for academics and professionals. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
PN4784.T4 T48 2004
Thompson, Robert. The broadcast journalism handbook: A television news survival guide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004.
HD30.28 .T5766 2004
Timmons, Jeffry A. Business plans that work: A guide for small business. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Q180.A1 V35 2001
Valiela, Ivan. Doing science: design, analysis, and communication of scientific research. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
PE1116.M44 V55 2001
Villemaire, Doreen. Grammar and writing skills for the health professional. Albany, NY: Delmar Thomson Learning, 2001.
PE1405.U6 W47 2005
Whithaus, Carl. Teaching and evaluating writing in the age of computers and high-stakes testing. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2005.
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jlumetta, 1/8/2008