The History of Technical Communication
Technical Communication in the B.Cs
It’s hard to imagine a world without visual and physical displays of information; many consider it something that has always been there, something that has just always existed.
But this couldn’t be furthest from the truth, there was a time in which information was only transferred and translated through word of mouth. Like the game of telephone, many of us grew up playing, verbal transfer of information proved problematic as people struggled to accurately transfer information to each other. So how does this relate to technical communication?
To understand this, we must first provide a simple definition of technical communication.
Technical communication was developed as a means of providing and translating complex information for interpretation of a diverse audience. In an abstract sense, the first instance of technical communication was the realization that reliance on verbal transfer of information was ineffective and unreliable.
The inevitable realization that there was a need for a tool to correct the inaccuracies of transferring knowledge through discourse.
The earliest evidence of the physical and visual display of information can be found in the cuneiform script of ancient Mesopotamia. Cuneiform was a system of writing that used wedge-shaped marks to represent words and ideas. This system was used to record information about agriculture, commerce, and government, and helped to facilitate the development of these fields. Kathryn Reign explains that “The words placed on clay eliminated the need for the presence of a speaker by permanently recording the words of the speaker and providing a method of teaching that did not rely on physical demonstrations of complex processes.” (2022) The invention of cuneiform was a significant milestone in the history of technical communication, as it allowed people to share knowledge through visualization-which proved to be significantly more effective than word of mouth.
Technical Communication in the Industrial Era
A lot can be said about the period between Mesopotamia and the Industrial Revolution. However, in order not to create an epic about several thousand years of the strides and challenges of technical communication, we will focus on technical communication in more modern times.
Another major milestone in the history of technical communication was the Industrial Revolution. This period, which lasted from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, saw the development of new technologies and manufacturing processes that would forever transform the world.
With an abundance of advancements, the need for clear and effective communication became urgent. However, nothing solidified the existence of technical communication as a career more than World War II.
O’Hara (year) suggests “Technical writing became recognized as a job title, if not a profession, during World War II as the technology and logistics of battle became complicated and required standardized procedures, definitions, descriptions, instructions, and training.”
During this time, technical communication took many forms. Engineers and inventors used diagrams, schematics, and blueprints to convey complex ideas and designs. Technical writers developed manuals and instructions that explained how to operate machinery, use tools, and perform other tasks related to industry and warfare.
Any fears that the need for technical communication would fade were assured by America’s reliance on new technologies and warfare. O’Hara states that “After the war, military (now termed “defense”) support for science and technology continued to be strong and undergirded new connections and interdependencies among the government, industries, and universities”.
Technical Communication in Modern Times
With Technical Communication finally being accepted as a profession, there came a push for its entrance into the academic world. In Connor’s Journal “The Rise of Technical Writing Instruction in America” he emphasis on the growth of technical communication, “The decade of the 1950's saw technical writing "grow up," assuming the essential form we know it in today. The profession of technical and scientific writing grew and matured during this period with the foundation of the Society of Technical Writers and the establishment in 1958 of the influential Transactions on Engineering Writing and Speech (now Transactions on Professional Communication) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.”
In 1958, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute established the first master’s for Technical and Scientific Writing in the United States. Despite the establishment of a degree program, instruction on technical writing was still in development, and there were disputes on what exactly students should be learning and how they should be learning it. By the 1970’s, due to a decline in the enrollment of college students, experts in academia were able to dedicate more time to shaping the discipline of technical communication. Research journals such as The Journal of Technical Writing and Communication and Handbook of Technical Writing Practices helped provide needed structure to the study of technical communication. Along with the journals came organizations such as the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing and the Modern Language Association, which helped organize and attract students to the study of technical writing.
Today, in the 21st century, advancements in digital technology have presented a multitude of ways to provide information. These new technologies caused many institutions to rethink “technical writing” as its own unit and place it under the cap of Technical Communication. Technical communication provides a more inclusive definition as technical writers are now faced with the task of incorporating technologies to communicate information more effectively.
For example, its not uncommon for technical communicators to use markup languages such as HTML and XML to present information over user interfaces. Or for them to use applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create technical artifacts.
With the ever-growing advancements in digital technology, more programs in Technical Communication and job opportunities are available than ever before. As a matter of fact. U.S Business Today recently declared Technical Writing* to be the second-best job in Media and Technology. From its start on clay to its recognition as one of the most desirable career paths, Technical Communication has come a long way. But as time has shown, technical communication will only continue to grow!
References
O'Hara, F. M. (2001). A Brief History of Technical Communication. Society for Technical Communication.
Raign, K. (2022) The Art of Ancient Mesopotamian Technical
Manuals and Letters: The Origins of Instructional Writing, Technical Communication Quarterly,
31:1, 44-61, DOI: 10.1080/10572252.2021.191
Connors, R. J. (1983). The Rise of Technical Writing Instruction in America. Journal of Technical Writing
and Communication, 12(4), 1–1. https://doi.org/10.2190/793k-x49q-xg7m-c1ed 5386