Background: The words male and female have been used to refer to connector ends (e.g., “Insert the two-pronged male end into the female receptacle in the console.”) in technical and popular texts. While some see these terms as benign and an adequate way to describe connector ends, others see them as overly sexualized and contradictory to inclusive-language practices. Literature review: Recent scholarship in technical and professional communication has focused on the ways that language is used to sometimes promote and other times counter oppression. More specifically, scholarship in technical editing has advocated for editors and editing pedagogy to adopt inclusive-language practices. Usage items—sets of semantically similar linguistic alternatives for which editors favor one option over the others—are important to consider in conversations about inclusive language because, in many cases, the popular alternative runs contrary to editors’ inclusive-language practices. Research questions: How do editors view the use of male and female to refer to connector ends? In what ways do editors seek guidance about the use of male and female? Methods: We surveyed editors and conducted follow-up interviews to better understand how editors begin to recognize a term as noninclusive, how they begin to accept its inclusive alternatives, and how exclusionary language persists. Results/discussion: We found that editors were fairly evenly split in their responses to the male/female usage item: one-third said they would maintain the use, another third said they would query the author, and a final third said they would edit it out. In addition, 85% of the editors we surveyed said they had not consulted a style guide for advice on this issue. Conclusion: Our study helps editors consider questions of contested usage as they advocate for inclusive language, and it highlights some of the variables that influence language change.
Background: Technical communication interacts with cultures. It is shaped by the workplace, national, and professional contexts where its work is conducted, as well as users’ cultural backgrounds, requiring practitioners to demonstrate cultural competence. Due to a lack of studies defining the specific cultural competencies required in technical communication, this study addresses that gap by identifying and analyzing the cultural competencies in the field based on direct input from professionals. Literature review: Culture is defined as a holistic, dynamic construct encompassing shared patterns across groups, with this study focusing on national, societal, and workplace cultures. Culture impacts various aspects of technical communication, including adaptation to workplace and national cultural contexts, as well as the diverse cultural backgrounds of colleagues and users. Conversely, technical communication practice influences culture through shaping it, reflecting it, and participating in its constitution. Therefore, identifying cultural competence is essential for effective work in technical communication across diverse cultural settings. Research questions: 1. Which cultural issues might be involved in the work of technical communicators? 2. In which ways does culture affect the work of technical communicators? 3. What cultural competencies do technical communication professionals demonstrate in their work? Research methodology: This study used Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) job analysis method, which consists of two focus-group workshops conducted with 14 technical communication professionals in North America. Data were thematically analyzed and validated via participant feedback to answer the research questions and identify cultural competencies. Results/discussion: This study found that technical communicators navigate multiple cultures, primarily the national and societal cultural backgrounds of their audiences, alongside their workplace cultures. Technical communicators emphasized audience culture the most, which shapes and diversifies audiences’ needs and preferences. Similarly, technical communicators’ own behaviors differ between their cultural backgrounds. In addition, culture can either foster success and harmony or risk conflict or bias. To navigate this, technical communicators require competencies in addressing readers' cultural needs, collaborating across diverse teams, and adapting communication practices. Audience-oriented competencies were identified as the most frequently discussed area. Conclusion: The cultural competencies identified in this study span three key areas: reader adaptation, work contexts, and communication in general. These competencies inform technical communication practice and education. However, the study found that the participants’ focuses were largely on national and societal cultures, and reader adaptation. Future cultural training to include a broader diversity of cultural influences is necessary for developing a more comprehensive professional competence framework for technical communication. This study is limited by a small, North American sample and short workshops. Future research should expand participation, include learning and development as a comparative field, and explore practical applications.
About the case: This case study examines the curriculum development and pilot phase of Kenya’s first master’s program in technical communication, at Pwani University, developed with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (Germany). The pilot tested a hybrid, mostly online, curriculum aimed at introducing applied technical communication education in Kenya’s traditionally theory-based higher education system. Situating the case: Kenya’s higher education system, shaped by its colonial legacy, remains theory-focused despite economic growth and digital expansion. National strategies prioritize curricular modernization for job-ready skills. Situated within broader technical and professional communication scholarship and international efforts, the new master’s program addresses this goal through digital, practice-oriented education with international instructors. Methods/approach: Standardized online surveys collected quantitative and qualitative feedback through two evaluations: a student-only survey on course contents, and a general survey with students and instructors after the first semester, focusing on organization, virtual learning environment, social/technical aspects, international context, motivation, practice-oriented content, and challenges/improvements. Results/discussion: Students valued practice-oriented teaching, international instructors, and flexible formats, but faced unstable internet, device access issues, and limited peer interaction. Instructors noted challenges engaging students online and managing coordination within an international, rotating teaching team. Conclusion: The pilot demonstrated feasibility and strong demand while revealing intersectional technical, social, and cultural barriers. Planned improvements for the full master’s program include enhanced technical support, equipment loans, in-person onboarding, and local capacity building. This pilot provides transferable insights into introducing a new discipline in the Global South while implementing digital, practice-oriented education in a theory-oriented environment, emphasizing that sustainable success requires technological infrastructure, holistic support, and collaborative adaptation.
Background: This study examines how entrepreneurs develop venture ideas by examining pitching as a recurring, feedback-driven practice within an accelerator rather than a single high-stakes event. Literature review: Prior research in technical and professional communication and management has documented accelerator structure and how pitches change over time but has largely overlooked the mechanisms—especially feedback loops and pitching situations—that drive this evolution. Research questions: This study asks: 1. What pitching situations do entrepreneurs encounter as they progress through Start-Up Chile (SUP)? 2. How does SUP provide feedback at each pitch point? 3. How does this feedback contribute to changes and improvements in pitches and venture ideas? Research methodology: Using a qualitative case study of SUP, the research draws on interviews, document analysis, and extensive onsite engagement. Data were coded and analyzed to map pitching situations, audiences, stakes, and feedback mechanisms across the accelerator program. Results: This study has three findings. First, the five pitch situations at SUP function as iterative learning events, which help entrepreneurs develop both rhetorical strategies and venture ideas. Second, the primary mechanism through which this learning occurs is the feedback offered at each event, with peer-to-peer feedback playing a critical role. Third, as entrepreneurs advance in the program, the pitches offer increasingly valuable feedback from more diverse and influential audiences. Conclusion: Pitching operates as a core feedback loop that organizes learning, peer interaction, and venture development in accelerators. Conceptualizing pitches as dialogic, recurring practices reframes entrepreneurship as a social process co-constructed through communication.
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities relied on email to deliver urgent health guidance, policy updates, and reassurance. Examining these communications reveals how institutions managed crisis messaging and sustained community trust. Literature review: Research in risk and crisis communication, including the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework, and studies of technical communicators’ roles in institutional and pandemic contexts show that message design influences stakeholder trust and engagement. However, few investigations have analyzed the rhetorical and thematic content of university email communication across extended crisis phases. Research questions: 1. What themes characterized a US public university's COVID-19 email communications, and how did they evolve across operational phases? 2. To what extent did the communications align with CERC principles, and what lessons does this offer for crisis communication practice? Research methodology: Using thematic analysis, 96 publicly archived COVID-19 emails from one US public university were coded in Atlas.ti and compared across operational phases and CERC principles. Results and discussion: Five themes emerged: health and safety management, academic continuity and flexibility, operational and financial management, community engagement and commitment, and support and resources. Messaging reflected the CERC principles, Be first, Be right, and Be credible, and partially aligned with Express empathy and Show respect. Gaps included limited audience segmentation, delayed attention to mental-health needs, and uneven inclusion of vulnerable populations. Conclusion: Institutional emails served instructional and rhetorical functions, providing guidance while signaling trust and care. Future research could compare institutional strategies and explore multimodal coordination across digital platforms to strengthen crisis communication.
