Who says what to whom? Assessing the alignment of content and audience between scholarly and professional publications in technical communication (1996–2013)

Abstract

Academe-industry relations are an ongoing topic in the conversation on technical communication. Key issues in the conversation include alignment between academic curricula and industry needs, the effectiveness of the preparation provided by academic programs, and the alignment of interests between the two groups. However, no study has attempted to empirically assess the extent of the academic and industry alignment empirically. We explore this issue here and are guided by the following questions: (1) What content areas are covered by both peer-reviewed and trade publications?, (2) What content areas are unique to each type of publication?, and (3) Who is the intended audience of the content? To assess this alignment, we coded for three major content areas in a random sample of 348 articles published between 1996 and 2013 in four leading peer-reviewed Journals (IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Technical Communication, and Technical Communication Quarterly) and one publication for practicing technical communicators (Intercom). Results suggest that professional publications tend to publish process-oriented articles, articles focused on technology and professionalization, and articles intended for writers/content developers. Scholarly publications tend to publish product- and education-oriented articles, articles focused on assessment and research design, and articles intended for academics. This, in turn, provides insights into differences in the conversations of practicing professionals and academics.