I found the first two modules encouraging. I am an adjunct professor who wrote his PhD dissertation on Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. Many of the challenges I faced writing a dissertation, from creating clear, logical chapters to researching for the dreaded literature review, correlate to the aims and goals of technical communication.
What did you read or watch that surprised, delighted, or disappointed you? Why?
Initially, I was disappointed by Land’s suggestion that tech writers struggle to justify inventories and audits. It seemed counterintuitive that businesses wouldn’t eagerly invest in evaluating their online presence. However, Chapter 3 shifted my perspective. Land’s emphasis on framing the inventory and audit for stakeholders highlighted a crucial aspect of technical communication: prioritizing the audience. This revelation transformed my disappointment into a valuable lesson.
Land champions a rule I tell my students when they’re writing: Focus on clarity, not elegance. It’s easier said than done. I failed at it throughout my dissertation process. But when we try to write “pretty” sentences, we’re often focusing on ourselves: how the audience perceives us as writers or thinkers. It creates “froo-froo” that annoys us all—Ron Swanson included. Clear, plain language writing is precise because we are providing what our audience requires.
So, what began as a disappointment became a surprise. Like any good communication, technical communication must focus on the audience. Prioritizing the audience not only helps the tech writer justify the inventory and audit but also assists in completing it.
Jane Austen changed literature forever by focusing on people misunderstanding each other. There’s a scene in Emma when Mr. Elton paints a portrait of Harriet Smith. Emma interprets Elton’s portrait as his affection for Harriet. Mr. Elton later confesses he painted Harriet to make Emma happy, proving his devotion to her. Miscommunication happens when one party assumes to understand what the other party does or says without asking follow-up questions.
As technical writers, we must avoid similar pitfalls. Instead, we must ensure everyone is on the same page, asking clear, kind, and intentional questions to avoid miscommunication. We’re the ones who ask Mr. Elton, “Are you painting Harriet Smith because you fancy Harriet or Emma?”
What was most meaningful for your career goals?
Rahil Bailie’s three-step consulting methodology—”Discovery,” “Gap Analysis,” and “Road Map”—resonated with my academic background. It mirrored the literature review process, where I identified gaps in existing research to chart my own path.
“Discovery” assesses what problem you want to solve: What is holding a business back from where it wants to be? The “Gap Analysis” step investigates that discrepancy by creating inventories, as well as the quantitative audit and the qualitative analysis. Doing these two steps results in a thorough analysis and isolates the primary problem(s) holding a business back; from that, you achieve the “Road Map,” allowing the company to cross the bridge separating it from where it wants to be.
When I wrote my dissertation, I had an idea that I wanted to promote. I tried to “go rouge” and defend my argument with theoreticians, the main text, and a pot of coffee. But I had to write a literature review. I had to “discover” what previous critics have written on a particular topic. Doing so, I noticed a gap in the criticism: something that seemed obvious but evidently wasn’t. By effectively accomplishing the “Discovery” and “Gap Analysis” steps, I could better clarify what I wanted to say in the first place. Even better, relying on previous critics gave me a road map to go forward with my own argument.
This is helpful to me in two ways. First, this similarity helps me understand how my previous academic experiences can inform my current interest in techcomm. Second, it helps me know how to go forward with future clients. Undoubtedly, clients already have a clear understanding of what needs correction, but, like the literature review, Bailie’s three-step consulting method diagnoses the problem with laser focus and, as a result, reveals the most straightforward way forward.
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Works Referenced:
Campbell, Kim Sydow. “Introducing Digital Content Strategies (Module 1: TECM 5200)” (class lecture, University of North Texas, Denton, TX).
______. “Planning for Content Strategy Development & Project Management (Module 2: TECM 5200)” (class lecture, University of North Texas, Denton, TX).
Land, Paula Ladenburg. Chapters 1-6. Content Audits and Inventories: A Handbook for Content Analysis, 2nd edition. Denver, CO: XML Press. 2023.