Key Concept Archive

For more information about how our library science background (and our love of all things metadata) guides the way we catalog information, see the Techcomm and Arbortext Resources page.

Navigating Tech Comm with Geoffrey Chaucer

Most people know Geoffrey Chaucer as the author of The Canterbury Tales, a group of stories so naughty that schoolbooks still censor them now, over 600 years later. Many are surprised to learn that Geoffrey Chaucer also wrote one of…

Building and Sustaining A TechComm Career

Want to learn what it takes to work – and thrive – in your career? We’ve got a presentation for that! Come hear strategies that have helped guide a 45-year career that even a pandemic can’t slow down.   John has worked for…

The Interplay of UX and Technical Communication

User experience includes every interaction people have with a company and its products…from opening the box to using the product. When using an app to interact with a product, the visual and written content must work together seamlessly to deliver…

Secrets of a gumshoe librarian: Tips for transforming your career and staying relevant

Is your career ready for a makeover? Have you been forced into making a change? Client and employer needs evolve, and we should too. But no one wakes up and just decides to upend their career, because change can be…

Technology that solves the top technical problems for presenters (My Presenter’s Tech Kit)

b Post Summary Updated: 2018-12This post details what is in my Presenter’s Tech Travel Kit. As a frequent presenter, I want to be prepared for any situation and I want it to always work. Ultimately, I’m responsible for solving any technical problems…

Industry Trends in Technical Communications 2018

As we close out the year, I’ve written up Industry Trends in Technical Communications we’ve seen in 2018. I don’t believe we should seek out or follow trends. Observations about trends are useful to see what other people are doing and…

From Open Source Volunteer to Full-Time Tech Writer

In this talk, Gale describes a little bit about what open source software is and how she used her volunteer experience as an Apache Taverna committer to become a technical writer at Facebook. She describes the tangible and intangible skills…

Top 3 Things a Presenter (and Booth Staffer) Needs on the Road

Updated: 2018-07 – I found an even better booth bag. It’s conference season and that means many of us who present frequently are on the road at some point in the next few months. For me, the season starts with…