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Background: More than 30 years ago, Harmon distinguished developmental research articles (RAs), which propose a solution to a problem, from experimental RAs, but the developmental format has received little attention. Literature review: Genre analysis of RAs has been largely restricted to articles following the standard experimental/Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion (IMRD) format, thereby excluding many developmental engineering articles. Recently, a textbook proposed Introduction, Process, Testing, Conclusion (IPTC) as a prototypical format for electrical engineering RAs, but this format has not yet been demonstrated from a corpus. Research questions: 1. What is the macrostructure of electrical engineering RAs? 2. What are the characteristic features of each division of electrical engineering RAs? Methodology: Section headings, wordcount, and notable features were analyzed for 75 RAs from 15 electrical engineering journals and compared with both IPTC and Harmon's developmental structure. Results: Only one article, a case study, followed IMRD. Sixty-seven developmental RAs followed the IPTC format. These are distinguished by the second division (P), where the new solution is described, written in extended style, comprising several sections with headings specific to the research. A paragraph at the end of the Introduction describing the organization of the paper, the location of the theoretical framework and testing methods, and a ubiquitous Conclusion also differ from IMRD. Seven developmental RAs exhibited a hybrid format with the well-known IMRD section headings superimposed on an IPTC structure. Conclusions: Most electrical engineering articles are developmental and follow IPTC format. This can inform future genre analysis research and has pedagogical implications for teaching engineering writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Teachers of English for specific purposes (ESP) face challenges when helping engineering students to comprehend discipline-specific reading materials because these students have not been exposed to engineering reading materials at the secondary-school level. This study examines how to best create Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-specific, student-friendly reading materials for engineering learners to make the transition from general topics to engineering topics comfortable. About the case: Working at affiliated colleges of Anna University, Chennai, India, we substituted reading materials for those used in textbooks to improve our students’ receptivity to reading classes. We discuss reading as a skill, the level of reading comprehension needed in the engineering context, and its relevance to technical and professional communication. Situating the case: The study focuses on the need to design materials for the engineering classroom. Methods: Our methods include a present-situation analysis to examine the challenges that teachers encounter, and analysis of qualitative feedback on the reading materials and activities introduced in the classroom. Results and discussion: The paper includes our experiences in designing reading materials: conducting the present-situation analysis, finding and designing appropriate reading materials, creating and implementing reading activities, and collecting feedback. The responses of the learners indicate that introducing STEM-specific material may increase the learners’ participation and improve their comprehension skills. Conclusion: The study shows that STEM-specific, student-friendly reading materials fostered a positive attitude and improved, high-level comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research questions: 1. How can we address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our business and technical communication service courses? 2. How can we help prepare future engineers, technical professionals, and managers to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces?. Situating the case: The social justice literature in technical and professional communication (TPC) has focused on a variety of areas, including research methods, user experience, and expanding what can and should be identified as TPC. Emerging research has turned toward pedagogy as an interventional strategy for educating on issues of racial justice and inclusion. About the case: This teaching case presents the transformation of a TPC service course to specifically address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In response to the racial injustice documented during the summer of 2020, I developed a sequence of assignments that asked students to research and apply DEI initiatives. The assignment was to research and write a short report on DEI approaches in the workplace, followed by a larger team-based project in which students worked with the local city council to enact possible DEI initiatives in the broader community. Methods: The case was studied through the author's experience and the analysis of data obtained from surveys with class participants and other instructors who incorporated the assignments in their courses. Results/discussion: Students were able to learn more about how to address bias, inclusion, and social justice in a business environment, but also demonstrated some implicit resistance to direct attention to racial injustice. The case study humanizes and brings home issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion for students who might otherwise consider them only in the abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These instructions give guidelines for preparing papers for this publication. Presents information for authors publishing in this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These instructions give guidelines for preparing papers for this publication. Presents information for authors publishing in this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These instructions give guidelines for preparing papers for this publication. Presents information for authors publishing in this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These instructions give guidelines for preparing papers for this publication. Presents information for authors publishing in this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proliferation and penetration of social media into professional and everyday lives have reshaped the way in which people deal with their personal information and call for refreshed perceptions and conceptualizations of the power relationship between individual users and technology giants. Despite intensified privacy concerns and crises over social media, there is little research on the correlations between users’ privacy perception and protection in non-Western settings. Research question: To what extent are Hong Kong Facebook users willing to sacrifice control over their information in exchange for self-expression, sociality, and intimacy in their social roles and relationships? Literature review: We first identified a gap in the literature on user perceptions and concerns over privacy in Eastern cultures, which is scarce despite the increasing concern over privacy in professional communication. Informed by the recent literature on the privacy paradox and Foucault and Deleuze's work on power, the unbalanced and normalizing power relationship between Facebook and its users in Eastern contexts is identified as a synthesis of discipline and control. Research methodology: Data from a survey of 797 young users in Hong Kong were used for our analysis of privacy perception and protection. The survey contained three sections: Facebook usage, attitudes and behaviors, and basic demographics. Results: The findings support our hypotheses in revealing that the privacy paradox is evident for Facebook users in Hong Kong. In addition, excessive Facebook use leads to reactive privacy awareness and normalization behaviors. Conclusion: We believe that technology giants, such as Facebook, should be pioneers in safeguarding users’ privacy while encouraging the establishment of social relationships and freedom of expression. The implications for internet governance are discussed from a multistakeholder perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Building a reputable network on Twitter is viewed as impactful in several scholarly disciplines, but little is known about the professional and interdisciplinary human-computer interaction (HCI) community. This study combined two approaches from scholarly communication and technical communication to capture the static and dynamic features of the HCI scholar Twitter network. Literature review: Related studies that described the scholarly reputation built through Twitter and social networking in the field of HCI were reviewed and discussed. Research questions: 1. In which countries are HCI scholars more likely to follow their peers in the same country? 2. What are the characteristics (country, reputation) and actions (reciprocity) of HCI scholars who are more likely to build HCI scholarly network profiles on Twitter? Research methodology: The network analysis method of the exponential random graph model (ERGM) was adopted to trace and visualize current follower networks on Twitter. Results and discussion: We found that 22.9% of HCI scholars use Twitter and that reciprocity and country of current employment best drive the Twitter connections of scholars. Characteristics of HCI scholars’ tie formation online are also illustrated and discussed. Implications for practice: This study contributes to field studies of professional networks by identifying the structural properties and factors that influence scholars’ search for professional development on Twitter. The empirical findings should be a helpful reference for HCI professional societies and individual scholars in operating online professional networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-disclosure on social media can cause some privacy risks, but it benefits users and businesses if adequately managed. Companies may benefit from users’ self-disclosure on social media to better understand the consumers’ needs, customize services or products, and address users’ concerns to sculpt positive brand reputation, trust, and sales. In addition, users’ better understanding of self-disclosure motivations helps them manage more suitable topic, platform, and concepts to match the intended online personal or professional persona. Finally, technical communicators’ understanding of the motivation for social media self-disclosures can help them leverage available self-disclosure in producing more effective technical communication and carefully plan self-disclosures with clear motivations. Literature review: Many researchers have studied the varying self-disclosure motivations, but to the best of our knowledge, no mapping studies are currently available summarizing the motivations of self-disclosure on social media. Research question: What does the current research about self-disclosure identify as users’ motivation for self-disclosure on social media? Research methodology: We conducted a systematic mapping study that included relevant journal and conference publications. Mapping studies are suitable for structuring a broad research field concerning research questions about content, methods, or trends in the existing publications. Results: We found four categories for social media self-disclosures: discloser-related, audience-related, platform- and affordances-related, and perceived risk- and cost-related. Within the main categories, we found varying submotivations. We also discuss the implications of our findings and future research needs. Conclusions: The mapping of available studies helps researchers, academics, and practitioners understand existing self-disclosure motivations and research gaps. In addition, social media stakeholders planning to use social media self-disclosures within their areas of interest can use this study as a starting point to understand what drives social media self-disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This article reports on survey-based research of technical and professional communication (TPC) teachers and administrators, illustrating how these participants implement social justice and intercultural communication pedagogies in service learning (SL). Literature review: We situate this research in relation to existing scholarship about SL in TPC, SL and social justice, and SL as it intersects with intercultural communication. Research question: How do technical and professional communication teachers and administrators across the US infuse their SL pedagogies with social justice and intercultural communication theories in practice? Research methodology: Using purposive sampling, we surveyed 55 TPC teachers and administrators about their experiences with and attitudes toward social justice and intercultural communication in SL. Results/discussion: We identify what courses are reported as sites of SL projects as well as participants’ self-reported perceptions about social justice in SL. In addition, we outline four themes related to the application of social justice and intercultural communication theories to SL: activities, constraints, points of resistance, and goals and outcomes. Conclusion: We conclude with recommendations for TPC administrators and programs, and by briefly discussing implications for TPC practitioners and future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: A Ph.D. is an extended study that requires an initial plan to conceptualize a research project, which is then refined, with results presented in a written dissertation. Diverse entry pathways to research mean that many Ph.D. candidates may experience difficulties in conceptualizing, aligning, and writing up their projects. Thus, there is a need for an effective framework to help students conceptualize their research, as well as a mechanism to transfer it to writing in the required genres. Key concepts: The key concepts for this tutorial center on two fundamental groupings: sociocognitive and sociocultural planning processes, along with genre dissertation writing. Key lessons: We present the Plan, Organize, Write, Research (POWR) framework. POWR proposes a way to link a sociocognitive and sociocultural planning process and the structuring of research communication. The framework has two stages: POWRa and POWRb. POWRa provides a way to conceptualize the iterative planning process underpinning a long-term project, and provides a bridge to POWRb, the more formal genre communication of the project, through the dissertation document. Implications for practice: The tutorial provides a framework to articulate a research project in a supervisory and team environment. It uses terminology and structure relevant to engineering and information technology theses to illustrate the framework. The framework provides an iterative decision-making structure that is systematic, explicit, and equitable for research project planning and transfer into the writing genre of doctoral dissertations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An organization's internal communication is an important factor shaping employees’ organizational commitment. Internal communication practices can be classified into three types according to the direction of information flow: top-down, bottom-up, and horizontal communication. Research questions: 1. What are the relationships between the three types of internal communication and organizational commitment? 2. Are there any mediating routes that bridge the relationship between internal communication and organizational commitment? 3. Do the effects of internal communication on organizational commitment vary for different jobs? Literature review: Based on the social exchange theory, we uncover the underlying mechanism of the relationships between the three types of internal communication and organizational commitment. Methodology: A structural equation model using partial least squares was employed to analyze survey data from 12,817 full-time employees in the Chinese internet sector. Results and conclusions: The results suggest that top-down, bottom-up, and horizontal communication affect organizational commitment positively and significantly via the mediating routes of employees’ perceived job attractiveness or perceived customer service performance. The study also reveals a fit between employees’ job characteristics (e.g., information-processing demands) and internal communication types to improve organizational commitment. These findings generate theoretical and practical implications for professional communication management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We designed, developed, and evaluated a 3D augmented reality (AR) weather visualization to investigate whether it could enhance communication about weather in general aviation (GA) education. Background: Evaluations of GA weather training identified gaps in training where students lack the ability to correlate weather knowledge to inflight decision making. Literature review: 3D AR learning objects have been used in the sciences to make representations of multidimensional natural phenomena more accessible in classroom settings, and they offer the promise of enhancing communication about weather. Research question: Can smartphone- and tablet-based 3D AR weather visualizations be effective tools to enhance current GA weather education? Methods: A 3D AR thunderstorm cell lifecycle visualization was designed and developed. A preliminary evaluation of the application for GA weather training was conducted with one certified flight instructor, one university aviation meteorology instructor, one university thunderstorm expert, and three students to assess whether the AR thunderstorm visualization can communicate weather theory and whether the interfaces are usable for learning and task completion. Results: Students’ knowledge of thunderstorms increased after using the visualization to explore the dynamics of the thunderstorm lifecycle and various aspects of thunderstorms. Experts felt that the learning experience met their expectations of what they wanted to communicate about thunderstorm theory. The AR interfaces were rated as usable for learning interactions and produced low levels of workload. Conclusion: The communication of thunderstorm theory was supported by the animation and interactivity of the visualization, and has the potential to enhance current general aviation weather education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Design thinking has gained popularity over the last few decades due to its promise for social innovation and user-centered solutions for technical communication practices and pedagogy. Yet, our increasingly complex sociotechnical climate calls for the historical examination of the decades-old problem-solving model and re-envisioning of the prospect of design thinking in academia and industry. Research questions:1. What prominent historical narratives have informed design-thinking values and practices as we know them today? 2. What could be the future of design thinking in the technical communication profession? Research methodology: This article interrogates the historiography of design thinking by mapping its dominant narratives and constructs antenarrative futures by weaving adjuvant accounts into new trajectories for technical communication purposes and aspirations. Results: Based on the mapping of historical traces of design-thinking narratives, this article presents two root accounts of design-thinking development—the efficiency narrative and the participatory narrative—with key identifiers and examples. Retracing the stories to highlight stances of nondominant sources, the findings indicate the importance of social advocacy through two main antenarratives—inclusion and social justice. Conclusion and future research: Taking into account the antenaratives of design thinking, future applications should center inclusion and social justice advocacy in academic as well as industry settings. Future studies may investigate this approach to implementing design thinking and examine the corresponding outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This article examines the rhetorical implications of archiving technical documents by studying the erasure of Black women's mental health narratives in Virginia's Central State Mental Hospital in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This article seeks to examine how historical mental health documents characterize (or fail to characterize) Black women and their mental health. About the case: We examine Black women's mental health experiences through absences in the annual reports from Central State Hospital in Virginia (formerly Central State Lunatic Asylum for Colored Insane). Situating the case: There is a dearth of work related to the unique experiences that Black women face when dealing with mental health challenges coupled with or compounded by a legacy of misogynoir. Methods/approach: We offer an inventive approach for reading rhetorical absences and provide guiding questions for employing the critical archival inquiry methodology. Results/discussion: In taking on this endeavor to learn more about how Black women's mental health was represented in historical archives, we learned a great deal, not from the text on the page of the documents but from the text that was missing from those documents. Conclusions: Technical communication scholars, especially those with an interest in inclusion and justice, must adjust their methodological orientation and their approaches to historical and archival research to include an exploration of what is missing from the archives. Technical and professional communicators have a unique skill set that is ideal for reading through absences and erasures in both contemporary and historical documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computer programming faces persistent problems of inequity. In response, bootcamps and workshops have rapidly responded by offering an introduction to coding literacy intended to increase access and representation in the tech industry. Literature review: Prior research on software development focuses primarily on workplace contexts. This study considers bootcamps and workshops outside the workplace for minoritized and marginalized software developers to better understand the institutional contexts in which programming is taught and made. In so doing, it contributes to ongoing conversations on strategies for social justice in technical communication. Research questions: 1. How do bootcamps and workshops function as sites of coding education? 2. What strategies do activist programmers use in bootcamps and workshops to work towards social justice goals? Methodology: For this research, I interviewed organizers, instructors, and participants at three coding workshops and bootcamps for marginalized communities. I also conducted participant observation of the workshops, collected educational materials, and analyzed the interview transcripts using a grounded theory approach. Results and discussion: This analysis revealed how coding workshops and bootcamps operate as literacy sponsors, contributing to a transformative access for participants. More specifically, my research describes how activist programmers craft open, inclusive, and culturally aware pedagogies by attending to access, representation, community, and active learning, ultimately facilitating an affective coding literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This article offers an approach that we call critical collaboration—an array of theoretical commitments drawn from the authors’ embodiments and lived experiences. In making explicit the connections between authorial embodiment and the content of theory and practice, our practical models demonstrate new and varied approaches to public feminisms. We begin with a discussion of embodiment and then offer four sections—amplification rhetorics, apparent feminisms, a techné of marginality, and memetic rhetorical environments—with key takeaways to guide readers through our related-but-different approaches. Our goal in doing so is to underscore the importance of public feminisms to enacting social justice in technical and professional communication. This means recognizing our obligation to respond to unjust technical communication. Technical communication is not a utopia of inclusion and anti-racism—although some corners of the field are dedicated to those topics, to be sure. Rather, despite the social justice turn, some parts of the field still insist on objectivity, neutrality, and practicality as the touchstones for “good” technical communication. Our work here shows some of the ways in which we might resist the cultural blinders that allow such ideas to persist unabated. Drawing especially on research in rhetoric and embodiment studies, we build interdisciplinary bridges with critical race studies (including critical race feminisms), womanism, gender studies, technical communication, Black rhetorics, queer studies, cultural studies, and rhetorical genre studies, among other fields, to provide a set of practical approaches to public feminist exigencies that resist collapsing all feminisms into a single approach. We argue that drawing on embodiment to develop a multiplicity of feminist approaches and engaging in critical collaboration as those approaches evolve is a way forward that allows for more stakeholders to engage fruitfully in public feminist projects. Our hope is that readers can then imagine public feminisms as one avenue for doing the social justice work that is vital to the growth of technical and professional communication as a field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Community engagement offers one pathway for technical and professional communication (TPC) to enact social justice; however, the community impact of partnerships has often been neglected in favor of more prevalent research on student benefits. This case study examines a community partnership that has emphasized community impact toward distributive justice, sharing its approach to equitable collaboration. About the case: The partnership under study was formed between a university grant writing program and a small nonprofit serving the surviving loved ones of homicide victims. Collaboration within the partnership takes many forms, including service-learning courses in grant writing and content strategy, student internships, and counsel through the organization's board of directors. Situating the case: Research on community engagement has demonstrated its impact on student growth, but community outcomes have not been as robustly investigated or prioritized in partnerships. This case adds to the literature by discussing the collaboration tactics used in a community partnership to achieve community results. Methods: The study uses quantitative outcomes and qualitative feedback from community partners to assess community impact. Partners’ insights about collaboration are put into context with student and faculty processes used in the partnership. Results: Analysis suggests that the partnership has had a meaningful impact on the nonprofit's work in the community, in the form of material resources and sustainable infrastructure. Organization staff identify collaboration tactics that prioritize equity: balancing perspectives, aligning goals, and “showing up.” Conclusion: Further research is needed to broaden the understanding of the connections between collaborative tactics and community impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About the case: First-generation Latinx students in technical and professional communication (TPC) and other graduate programs represent a growing percentage of students, yet stories of their experiences within higher education remain muted. We analyzed 10 Latinx testimonios (culturally situated narratives) wherein they voice their experiences as first-generation students in US graduate programs. Testimonialistas expressed how they navigate the complexities of being first-generation students and described how they persist and enact social justice. Situating the case: TPC programs may examine the relationship between social injustices and student retention and recruitment efforts, yet there is a dearth of literature regarding specific obstacles that Latinx students face. We examined how they build success through coalitional action and culturally informed tactical decision-making. Methods: We recruited participants who self-identified as first-generation Latinx students in TPC and other graduate programs. We conducted and recorded semistructured interview sessions based in testimonio and intersectional feminist methodologies. We used qualitative data coding and MAXQDA coding software to assemble and map social justice themes at work across the testimonios. Results: Analysis suggests that first-generation Latinx graduate students draw on complex informal and formal networks to aid their success, desire more effective culturally responsive mentorship, and develop tactical decision-making skills to circumvent oppressive behaviors. Conclusions: We suggest that directors, mentors, administrators, faculty, and Latinx students begin with a social justice framework to better listen to, understand, and address first-generation Latinx college experiences and build cohort-based support mechanisms into programmatic objectives and professional development sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of conceptual framework for how to develop more inclusive practices in the subfield of technical editing. Literature review: Some researchers have posited theories, like feminism and rhetorical theory, as ways to conceptualize technical editing. This piece extends that literature into social justice using Walton, Moore, and Jones's 3Ps heuristic of positionality, privilege, and power. Research questions: 1. What ideologies are circulating in technical editing pedagogy? 2. How might technical editing pedagogy become more inclusive? Methodology: We conduct a rhetorical analysis of the major academic works in technical editing, including books, textbooks, and academic articles, and compare them to an established framework for social justice in technical and professional communication—the 3Ps heuristic. Results: We find that there are strong instrumentalist underpinnings to much of the current literature in technical editing, making the goal of technical editing linguistic conformity to American Standard English (ASE) at the expense of linguistic diversity. We offer a conceptual framework, the inclusive editing paradigm (IEP), to challenge that linguistic hegemony in technical editing and provide technical editors with theoretical and practical foundations for developing a more inclusive editing practice. Conclusions: More work needs to be done to shift technical editing in a more inclusive direction. We call on practitioners, academics, and users to contribute to this dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This case study presents graduate recruiting strategies developed and piloted in Fall 2018 and 2019. We initiated relationships with majority-minority universities, aiming to recruit underrepresented students to Utah State University's technical communication graduate programs. Research question: How may technical communication graduate programs at predominantly White institutions craft customized recruiting strategies to center multiply marginalized or underrepresented (MMU) applicants? Situating the case: Scholars have long advocated recruiting strategies that develop new ways of working with institutions that enroll large numbers of minoritized students to attract those students. Recruiting strategies that build and strengthen these relationships can decenter the academy and focus on the lived experiences of potential applicants. How this case was studied: Serving as the framework of our research methodology, the four tenets of alternative epistemology based on Black Feminist Theory directly informed specific recruiting strategies that we piloted in Fall 2018, then revised and piloted again in Fall 2019. About the case: Given the homogeneity of our field, it was important to develop recruiting strategies focused on marginalized groups. With this in mind, we established an annual graduate program recruiting trip to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and majority-minority universities. Conclusions: In piloting recruiting strategies that center the perspectives and experiences of marginalized people, we identified two major priorities that should inform recruiting efforts: building relationships and enhancing inclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These instructions give guidelines for preparing papers for this publication. Presents information for authors publishing in this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many countries mandate transparency and consent when personal data are handled by online services. However, most users do not read privacy policies or cannot understand them. An important challenge for technical communicators is empowering users to manage their online privacy responsibly. Literature review: Research suggests that privacy visualizations may alleviate this problem, but existing approaches are incomplete and under-researched. Research questions: 1. How can we design a privacy rating that optimally empowers users with different levels of knowledge about and awareness of online privacy? 2. How do users react to such a privacy rating, in terms of usability, perceived usefulness, and trust in online services? Methodology: We developed Privacy Rating, a tool for mapping and visualizing the privacy of online services. The tool was subjected to user research (N = 30) focusing on usability, perceived usefulness, and effects on trust. To establish the effects on trust, participants were exposed to a website with either a positive or a negative privacy rating. Results: The Privacy Rating appeared to be usable and useful for lay users, and it had a significant effect on users’ trust in the online service. Users indicated that they would like the visualization to become an established standard, preferably approved by an independent organization. Conclusions: The Privacy Rating is a user-friendly privacy visualization covering all relevant aspects of privacy. We aim to bring the tool to the market and make it a standard, ideally supported by an independent trustworthy organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Resume preparation is a common activity within technical writing classes, but the advent and increased use of resume profile and job-hunting sites, such as Indeed.com, require instructors and researchers to re-think common practices in the teaching of resume writing, particularly for writing instructors with limited disciplinary experience. Prior research for conventional resumes has quantified the disciplinarity of resumes as a function of resume quality using metrics of disciplinary discourse density, which may be useful in analyzing online resumes profiles. Research questions: 1. How do online engineering resume profiles demonstrate disciplinarity? 2. What formatting and stylistic conventions are observed within engineering resume profiles? 3. How do rhetorical disciplinarity and conventions vary with resume profile quality? Literature review: Although past efforts have examined the resume as a critical genre for entering a professional setting, few researchers have sought to interpret the relationships between discursive and stylistic expectations and quality in online resume profiles, while also accounting for aspects of disciplinarity. Methodology: This study compares engineering (all disciplines) resume profiles from Indeed.com with a corpus of conventional engineering resumes through qualitative genre analysis and quantitative methods for calculating disciplinary discourse density. We also characterize stylistic and rhetorical conventions for resume profiles, and statistically compare these facets as a function of resume quality. Results and conclusion: Results determined that discursive strategies were significantly different between strong, moderate, and weak engineering resume profiles. Qualitative analysis captured differences in style and form that were also statistically linked with quality. Based on our results, we call for further investigation into resume profiles and reconsideration of current pedagogical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of a technology venture brings the entrepreneur to interact with different stakeholders and persuade them of the quality of the business idea. In such endeavors, entrepreneurial storytelling and business pitches are crucial to attract stakeholder interest and potential commitment. We focus on longer and structured elevator pitches used by entrepreneurs seeking funds and partners for their startup, and we present an integrative framework of evaluation dimensions, specific items, and key evidence to assess a pitch. Research methodology: We conducted a systematic review of specialized literature on business venturing, entrepreneurship, and business communication, and we selected 40 research articles from which we have extracted concepts related to the quality and effectiveness of an elevator pitch. We analyze and aggregate concepts to derive a taxonomy of evaluation dimensions. Results and discussion: We identify four dimensions of evaluation of an elevator pitch: background and contextual knowledge showed in the presentation, project content and venture information, storytelling approach and style, and entrepreneurial flow or “algorithm” of the pitch. We detail the dimensions by defining 19 evaluation items and associated key evidence to support assessment. We undertake a preliminary application of the framework with three groups: Business investors, potential entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship students. Conclusion and further research: We advance the discussion on venture storytelling and provide practitioners with a useful tool to support the evaluation of an entrepreneurial idea presented through an elevator pitch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smart glasses and other extended reality (XR) solutions provide new ways of utilizing technical documentation with hands-busy tasks in the field. Scaling up the use of XR solutions in industry has been difficult due to the manual authoring of content for each device and task. Therefore, authoring solutions and information design methods need to be developed to scale content automatically to different devices and applications. Literature review: Related work includes smart glasses and industrial maintenance work, categorization based on users' skill levels, and standardized guidelines in information design. Research questions: 1. How should information content be designed and created to support use in smart glasses and other small-screen devices in addition to existing delivery channels? 2. How can the same information content be utilized to deliver relevant content to users based on their skill levels? 3. Are the users of technical instructions ready to accept smart glasses and XR as a delivery channel? Methodology: We describe a study that focused on designing maintenance instructions for small screens. The information was authored in DITA XML format, and a smart glass application was used in user tests to evaluate the delivery and usability of the information. We used thinking aloud and participant observation as well as questionnaires to collect data. Results and discussion: The chosen information design methods successfully compressed technical information, and automatic filtering of content supported different use cases. Participants were enthusiastic about the use of smart glasses, and the instructions helped in performing tasks. Conclusions: Information designed with the user-centered approach of minimalism works best with instructions on small screens, and filtering information using DITA XML elements is an efficient way to scale information for different user needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study focuses on how group communication affects group productivity. The specific scope of the study is pair programming. The study aims to discover whether intra-pair communication in pair programming has a significant impact on the pair programming process and output. Literature review: Many of the pair programming communication studies are descriptive and qualitative studies whose foci lay more on communication contents and alternative message deliveries. As a result, more research that focuses on analyzing the effectiveness of a person's communication skill level while performing a demanding task is needed. Research question: Does the communication competency level significantly impact pair programming output? Methodology: A pool of novice university programming students was deployed for the experiment. The Conversational Skills Rating Scale (CSRS) was used to categorize them into three cohorts—"high-high,” “high-low,” and “low-low.” The confounding variables were controlled. Results: No significant difference was found among the three cohorts in terms of their pair programming code output. Additionally, the post-experiment questionnaire responses revealed no significant difference in compatibility and confidence levels, but did show a significant difference in communication level. Conclusion: With all things being equal, a programmer's high communication skill level doesn't play a significant role in the programming output in a pair programming setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data breaches happen when an unauthorized party gains access to personally identifiable information. They are becoming more common and impactful, raising serious concerns for individuals as well as companies. Literature review: Although there is considerable literature on users’ mental models in security and privacy, there has been limited study of mental models related to data breaches. Research questions: 1. How do users understand data breaches? 2. What are their perceptions of the causes, responsibilities, and consequences, as well as possible prevention and appropriate follow up? Methodology: We explored end-user understanding of internet data breaches by conducting a study with 35 participants. They were asked to draw their understanding of data breaches and answer some open-ended and closed-ended questions afterwards. Results/discussion: Although their drawings varied in detail and complexity, we identified four patterns in the participants’ drawings: they illustrated abstractions of attacks to gain administrator access, end-user access, backdoor access, or access using database server vulnerabilities. We found that participants had a basic model of how an internet data breach happens, but with significant uncertainties regarding system vulnerabilities, causes, consequences, prevention methods, and follow-up steps after a breach. Conclusions: In all, end-user mental models of internet data breaches are basic and show gaps that emphasize the need for improved communication to increase users’ awareness and help them hold companies accountable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Data visualization is a reliable tool for professional communication practitioners to synthesize and present data for a variety of audiences. However, data visualizations have a range of accessibility concerns, including visual acuity, color/contrast difficulties, color blindness, and size/scale issues. Data visualizations should therefore be designed following web standards for complex images to ensure that they are accessible to audiences with diverse needs. Key concepts: Drawing from work in professional communication and disability studies, practitioners recognize that users have varied accessibility needs. “Universal design” as a guiding principle is less helpful than targeted approaches to design that reflect actual user needs. Such targeted approaches should follow web standards for accessible design because they enable interaction with newer accessibility technologies and put more control in the hands of users. Key lessons: Follow these best practices to create visually accessible data visualizations. 1. Design the visual for accessibility by using whitespace, creating contrast, maintaining size/scale, and labeling the visual clearly. 2. Implement the visual using web standards to create semantic connections between the visual and text for both users and accessibility technologies. This goal can be achieved with textual description, overview/data/presentation context, or ARIA semantic links. 3. Test the visual for accessibility through user tests and industry-standard tools. Implications for practice: Web standards provide a blueprint for designing accessible data visualizations for online spaces, but professional communicators should be aware of the coding expertise and necessary infrastructure needed to deploy these visuals. Nevertheless, with increasing use of public-facing data visualizations to convey information on global issues, such as COVID-19, the need for these visuals to be accessible to all audiences becomes paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the introductory editorial for this issue of the publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides instructions and guidelines to prospective authors who wish to submit manuscripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]