While technical communication took a while to have the reputation it does now, many people still have false ideas about this career to this day. For instance, let’s say for example an average person was to be asked the following question: What do you think of when you hear the words “Technical Communication?” The answers that are most likely to be given relate to being as objective as possible.

Technical communication is all about accurate facts and concise language. Even the title itself can give the illusion that it is not true. Those elements are certainly important, but a lot goes into making sure that words written down will be positivity effective. One of the ways that this is done is due to the many uses of Rhetoric.

Rhetoric

Rhetoric is defined as the art of persuasion.

The ability to use words to achieve a response from an audience. When people think of persuasion, the first thing that comes to mind is debating with words. This is the case with arguments regarding personal opinions, social issues, and of course technical communication. A lot of thought goes into the words that are put on the paper even though the information is concise. If anything, this is why time and effort goes into the words written on the page.

Words have multiple meanings. The world does not interpret every word the same. Technical communicators must be able to think about their audience and the effective means to communicate with said audience. Word choice can also impact moods and emotions. Certain nouns and adjectives generate emphasis, and this also helps with audience reception. This type of rhetoric can create context as well which “is a source of meaning for writers and readers” (Driskill, 1989, p. 59).

Knowing your audience is essential for any technical communicator. However, technical communicators often have the disadvantage of not being able to physically interact with their audience. The idea of involving the audience at all was explored by Johnson (1997). The way he defines audience involvement is explained as the following: “the involved audience brings the audience literally into the open, making the intended audience a visible, physical, collaborative presence” (Johnson, 1997, p.693). Let’s say that a technical communicator is editing a document about the aspects of Chinese culture. A technical editor might not be aware of the different aspects of Chinese writing.

This is led to the editor creating errors and cultural appropriation. Including someone who as actually Chinese in the editing process will provides guidance and extra knowledge. Other Chinese people will view the document once its completed, and they would want their culture to be represented well. This practice or course is not essential. However, this provides a sense of connection and authenticity to the words written on the page. Rhetoric is essentially thinking about the items on the page along with how the items create the intended message. This takes time, effort, and thought. This is just one of the examples of the layers of technical communication.

Graphics

Knowing your audience is essential for any technical communicator.

Words are not the only thing technical editors need to consider. Graphics are also taken into consideration. Words are often connected with graphics, so both must work together. The graphics must also be stable individuality. One of the important elements that Kostelnick (2007) mentions is a graph “should be structurally transparent, avoid clutter (what Tufte calls “chartjunk” and be visually concise” (p.282). If a graphic is visually distracting, this can affect how the reader perceives the document. Of course, a graph must stand out. There are wrong ways to accomplish this goal though. Too much color can be used. The bars can be too close together.  The spacing can be uneven. These flaws can create ineffective graphics.

As I stated before, words have meanings. The same concept absolutely applies to colors and shapes. For instance, red has multiple meanings in different countries. A pictograph, when used appropriately, can add visual intrigue to the document. A graphic is supposed to enhance a document, not distract readers from a document.

Ethics

Another layer of technical communication is making the ethical or rights decisions.

Sounds easy right? Well, doing the right thing can be complicated. The right thing for one person can be the wrong thing for another. There are so many angles used to judge a situation, so having a one “right” answer could be impossible. For example, Ross (2021) writes about the ethics of care approach. The decisions are based on the context of the situation (p.17). The “right” thing to do is also complicated because subjective opinions are also a factor. Every person does not think in the same way, and different factors in a situation make people react differently. However, there are guidelines that help with judging a situation ethically.

STC's Ethical Principles are used to judge a potential unethical situation. These principles are legality, honesty, confidentiality, quality, fairness, and professionalism. If any or all of these guidelines are being violated, then the situation is considered unethical. Judging a situation objectivity is just as important as following subjective instincts. What if a person must write about something that is objectively uncalled for? What language do you want to send?

These notions presented show how technical communication is a difficult job. Technical communicators must think about basically everything when working with a document. The words, the word flow, and the graphics all must work together. Technical communication is simple but complex at the same time, and these skills create beautiful careers.

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References

Driskill, L. (1989). Understanding the Writing Context in Organizations.

Ethical principles. Society for Technical Communication. (2021, May 20). Retrieved April 9, 2023, from https://www.stc.org/about-stc/ethical-principles/

Johnson, R. R. (1997). Audience involved: Toward a participatory model of writing. Computers and Composition, 14(3), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/s8755-4615(97)90006-2  

Kostelnick, C. (2007). The visual rhetoric of data displays: The conundrum of clarity. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 50(4), 280–294. https://doi.org/10.1109/tpc.2007.908725

Ross, D. G. 4.(Teaching) Ethics and Technical Communication. EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION, 67.

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