Nida M. Stewart

Nida M. Stewart is currently a senior at New Mexico Tech where she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in both Technical Communication and Psychology. Nida's interests include editing, document design, user interfaces, and instructional writing. She currently works as an editor for Policies and Procedures for New Mexico Tech. 

Contents

Abstract and Introduction

Literature Review

Research Methodology

Synthesis of Results 

Discussion 

Conclusion

Works Cited

Appendix A: List of Magazines Used in Research

Appendix B: Comprehensive Heading Magazine Listing

Appendix C: Comprehensive Body Text and Blurb Magazine

Abstract

We are constantly exposed to elements of typography in our daily lives, yet we rarely pay attention to the implications of how it is used.  Although numerous studies have been conducted about proper uses of typeface, effects of typeface on a document, and the possibility of typeface affecting the tone or personality of a document, few (if any) studies conducted observe the use of typography in published media.  The goal of this study was to observe various magazines to determine whether there are typographic trends within magazines themselves as well as with magazines oriented towards specific demographics.  Two issues of each of twelve magazines (for a total of twenty-four individual issues) were obtained for this study.   Criteria were made based on previous studies to categorize the various typefaces observed.  The results showed that headings were mostly in bold typefaces, articles were in serif typefaces, and other miscellaneous blurbs were generally in sans serif typefaces.  Although these results cannot encompass the hundreds of magazines not observed, we can assume from the data obtained that the magazines observed follow general typographic trends.  As suggested by the trends observed in this study, the similar strategies for font types used by magazines may reflect awareness of font effectiveness within print media.

Introduction

In a world where we place considerable emphasis on document design, a significant amount of research focuses on finding the most efficient means of effectively creating an appealing document, especially in the field of technical communication.  Research in the field of visual rhetoric focuses on design elements such as page layout, appropriate color usage, as well as effective utilization of typography.  An extensive amount of research focuses on both page layout and color usage while a lesser amount of research spotlights the latter, typography.  Based on the limited findings in previous research, there is certainly a compelling need for more study of the various utilizations of typeface in documents.  Understanding typographical elements gives us a better understanding of how to design effective documents geared toward appropriate audiences.

This study focuses on the use of typeface in a specific medium: magazines.  The majority, if not all, of the recent studies of typography focus on pre-tailored documents with typefaces and document contexts formatted by the researchers.  From the research I conducted, I was unable to find observations of published media not modified by researchers.  My study revolves around seeing if magazines utilize typographic trends and if typographic trends are influenced by the demographic they are targeted toward.

This study will discuss some of the research that has been conducted on the matter of typography and show the impact typography can have on a document.  Following a comprehensive literature review on the topic of typography, I will describe the methodology behind my own research study, outline the observations I made while conducting my study, and analyze the results of my study. 

Linda Lambert

Linda Lambert graduated with a BS in Technical Communication (with High Honors) from New Mexico Tech in 2008. Her advisor for this thesis was Dr. Julie Ford. Linda currently works as a technical writer for research and development laboratory.

Contents

Abstract and Introduction

Purpose and Approach

What is "Socialization"?

Review of Literature 

Necessity vs. Sufficiency

The Path to Success

Conclusion

References

Abstract

The process of socialization by which a newly hired Technical Communication professional adapts to an organizational context consists of the following steps: formal training, preparing for employer’s expectations, transitioning from student to employee, new employee orientation, on-the-job training, and long-term professional and personal growth. A survey and analysis of peer-reviewed works relevant to these steps indicates that most studies deal with the first five of these steps with a greater degree of thoroughness than the final most crucial step. Many works in the literature emphasize the evolving role of the TC professional as a "boundary spanner" across various disciplines of the organization but few provide details on how to accomplish this. I have identified four potential elements of this final pathway to assist the TC professional in achieving the role of boundary spanner: leadership among your peers, ownership of your development, entrepreneurship of your growth and the growth of the organization, and stewardship of your goals and those of the organization.

Introduction 

Individual Work Experience – The Framework of the Problem

As part of the requirement for a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Communication, I served a summer internship. In the process I found the biggest challenge was not completing the assigned tasks but incorporating myself into the corporate structure and leveraging my specific skills. Specifically, I was originally placed under a Technical Communication (TC) professional who was to govern my workflow and act as a point of contact for all of my assigned activities. This arrangement changed quickly as I was instructed by my internship contact to make my own contacts and take the necessary actions to complete my work. When projects became more difficult and consuming, she redirected my requests for advice and guidance back to me. I realized then that this experience might not fulfill the traditional expectation of an intern to work with a seasoned TC professional.

The issues I observed in this experience are the same as those facing new hires in general, regardless of their employer. Some of these issues are partially addressed in the peer reviewed literature, but coverage of some equally important issues seems scant. These include the acquisition of non-technical (i.e. people) skills that are taught neither in TC nor purely technical curricula; a few (Kalmbach, Jobst, & Meese, 1999 and Wilson and Ford, 2003) have recognized such overlooked skills as essential. Some of these skills might include understanding organizational dynamics, and program, project, and time management. While program, project, and time management skills are taught indirectly through assignments (such as a senior thesis), students often do not make the correlation between the soft skills acquired through such activity and the applicability of these skills in the workplace.

I propose to identify various strategies and tactics of corporate socialization that the open refereed literature has addressed, to identify potential gaps in what the literature, and to propose additional courses of action for academics, employers, and students. The results of this thesis can help those in academia better serve the profession, help graduates more quickly and efficiently fulfill their employer’s expectations, and form the basis for additional research.

Socialization of anyone entering a new professional environment is no less important for the student destined for academia than one whose interests are more aligned with the private sector. This work is more an outgrowth of the author’s internship experience in the private sector, but can also illuminate some of the pathways to socialization for anyone entering a new professional environment, public or private.

Aspects of the Problem

Formal training in TC curricula provides the student and future practitioner with the necessary foundations, principles, and mindsets necessary for the successful pursuit of our profession. However, just as with any other profession, one must grow into the job, and maybe transform the job in the process. The private sector is evolving to include the technical communicator as a partner essential to corporate success (Conklin, 2006), and academic faculty and the curricula they administer are attempting to show more sensitivity to employers’ needs (Rainey, Turner, & Dayton, 2005 and Rehling 1998). The pathway to forging this partnership is fraught with hurdles to be surmounted by both employer and employee. For the employee, achieving the necessary level of trust, confidence, and respect in order to become a full team member can be daunting. For the employer, streamlining this pathway can be equally daunting. The adaptation of the employee to meet the employer’s expectations and the adaptation of the employer to meet the individual employee’s needs is essential to the process called socialization.

A preliminary survey of the literature reveals broad but non-comprehensive treatment of the problem of socialization of the new technical communicator within the corporate context. All who examine the subject agree that the socialization process is essential (Allen, 2004).  Some of these previous works have approached the subject from pedagogical theory (St Amant, 2003, Schreiber, 1993, and Brady, 2007), some frame the problem in terms of establishing the collaborative environment (Bekins & Williams, 2006), and others concern themselves more with changes the graduate/new employee might bring to the corporate context rather than adaptation to the corporate context (Harrison & Debs, 1988).

Few, however, have outlined an integrated approach that can leverage the existing unique strengths of members of a three-way partnership: educational institution, corporation, and individual. An integrated approach might constitute principally a cooperative adaptation among the three. Opportunities for an individual to change the course of either industry or academia are probably few; the opportunities for an individual to optimally posture oneself for streamlined or accelerated socialization into the specific employer’s corporate context may be many.  Specifically, these opportunities might include:

• Pursuit of required formal training
• Pursuit of elective formal training that would at worst add value to the student’s transcript and at best prove as essential as required courses
• Acquisition of skills, strategies, and tactics that would have been difficult to learn only from formal training

Gregory L. Koch II

Gregory L. Koch II earned his Bachelor’s degree in Technical Communication from New Mexico Tech in May of 2009 and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Information Technology at Rochester Institute of Technology. His interests include visual design, Internet and web communications, and single sourcing, server and network management. Greg has developed several web applications using Web Content Management Systems and recently served as Lead Web Developer and Designer for New Mexico Tech’s website redesign project. 

Contents

Abstract and Introduction

Background

Web Content Management Survey

Results and Discussion

Implications

Conclusions

Work Cited

Appendix A: Survey Questions

Appendix B: Survey Data

Abstract 

In my thesis I review literature on the subject of Web Content Management Systems and discuss a survey I conducted to evaluate the use of Web Content Management Systems in Technical Communication and the benefits provided to organizations when using them. There is a significant amount of information about the features of Web Content Management Systems, but not a lot of research about the benefits, making it difficult for an organization to convince management the investment is worthwhile.  My survey helps bridge this gap, providing primary research that illustrates the utility of Web Content Management Systems.

Introduction

Creating an impressive online presence for an organization is critical, but can be costly. There are many obstacles to overcome when creating a website, such as difficulties working with multiple developers, consistency, and technical knowledge of employees. Typically, organizations find it easiest to build a website by having each department create content and then send the content to the information technology department for uploading to the website. However, this disjointed process can lead to pages that are not uniform, represent the organization poorly, and cost the organization valuable time and money. A recent technology development, a Web Content Management System (WCMS), offers a valuable solution to these problems and many more. A WCMS is a database-driven website system that generates web pages per request, creating each page from a template and the desired content from the database.

An organization can save time and capital by reducing the dependency on others within the organization, increasing the amount of employees with the skills needed to manage the website, and creating a professional, uniform web page. When using a WCMS, content is created using a simple web-based form with editors similar to those found in common word processing software.

Implementing a WCMS can also save an organization time and money by solving workflow problems. When creating complex websites, development teams commonly include technical communicators and programmers or other individuals experienced with HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and other web markup languages. Using this type of team may seem like a great way for a company to produce web content; however, it requires content developers to either program the HTML themselves or give it to a programmer, generating an unnecessary additional step. Using "What You See is What You Get" editors (an editor that works like a word processor to generate HTML) can also be inefficient because these editors typically generate larger files and require users to enter server connection information they may not know or understand. WCMSs can assist organizations with these problems by eliminating the need for employees to have HTML knowledge or to know the proper server settings to create a page.

Even though WCMSs can make creating a webpage easier, they are still a relatively new technology and are not yet widely used. Many organizations may hesitate to switch to a WCMS because the initial costs can seem high, but the long-term benefits are obvious. Technical communication literature about WCMSs provides information about using, selecting, or implementing a WCMS; however, there is not much primary research to show the benefits of using a WCMS in an organization.

Anthony Perreault 

Anthony Perreault is a senior at New Mexico Tech, majoring in Technical Communication with an emphasis in computer science and web design. While taking classes, Anthony also works full-time at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Pete V. Domenici Science Operations Center as an operations specialist for the Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope where part of his duties include maintaining and upgrading operational documentation. Anthony worked with Dr. Julie Dyke Ford on his senior thesis project, Analysis of Web Content Delivered to a Mobile Computing Environment.

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Background of Wireless Technology

Literature Review 

Survey of US Web Traffic

Selection of Sites for Analysis

Analysis of Sites

Google.com

Flickr.com

Walmart.com 

Wikipedia.org

Wordpress.com

NYTimes.com

Craigslist.com

IMDb.com

Conclusions

Suggestions for Further Research

Final Thoughts

Works Cited

Abstract

The purpose of my research was to analyze web content delivered to the mobile computing environment with two goals in mind: first, to determine if the content lost contextual relevance in the mobile environment and, second, to see if a set of effective design principles could be applied towards the mobile environment. My research combines a literature review in conjunction with a survey that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze top-rated web sites in the mobile environment. Results from my literature review suggested that in the technical communication field there has been no research into the mobile environment since 2000, while in the engineering field there has been current research into how best to display content on a mobile computing device. Findings from the survey showed that some content did lose contextual relevance in that it was unusable without magnification. Once a page is magnified beyond a certain point there is a loss of navigational awareness within the site visited. Content that was designed and optimized for the mobile environment, however, maintained this contextual relevance. Given that close to half of the 49 web sites that I surveyed were designed for the mobile computing environment, it is obvious that a set of guidelines either existed or could be derived and applied to websites targeted for the mobile environment. I present these guidelines in the conclusion of my research.