Technical Communication Survey

[Brad Mehlenbacher <brad_m -at- UNITY -dot- NCSU -dot- EDU>]

QUESTIONS FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS OF GRADUATING MS IN TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION STUDENTS

Here at North Carolina State University, we are currently examining the
relationship between the graduates of our MS in Technical Communication
program and employers interested in hiring technical communicators. For
this reason, we would appreciate your taking a few minutes to answer some
questions about your expectations regarding the research skills of
technical communication graduates entering the workforce.

Your answers will be compiled anonymously, and re-distributed for your
information:

1. Have you hired or been involved in the process of hiring a technical
communicator? What were the requirements of the position that you were
aiming to fill?

2. Do you or your employees perform basic research to help you design more
usable and comprehensive information? If so, what kind(s) of research do
you perform?

3. Do you or your employees apply existing research in technical
communication to help you design more usable and comprehensive information?
If so, where do you look for the research that you use? What kinds of
solutions does that research provide you with?

4. Do you believe that it is useful for technical communicators to have
experience performing original research? Is the process of writing a thesis
valuable for the technical communicators that you hire?

5. Have you ever asked technical communicators, as part of their job, to
perform original research?

6. What skills do you think graduate programs in technical communication
currently over-emphasize or under-emphasize?

7. What series of activities do you think technical communication students
absolutely need to be introduced to while in school?

Please state briefly your title and the company or institution that you
work for:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughtful responses. They will be a
terrific help to us as we re-examine our program requirements. Please
reply to brad_m -at- unity -dot- ncsu -dot- edu -dot- 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>> Brad Mehlenbacher         Office Phone: (919) 515-4138        <<
>> Carolyn R. Miller         Fax:          (919) 515-7856        <<
>>                                                               <<
>> MS in Technical Communication                                 <<
>> English Department                                            <<
>> NC State University       E-mail:       brad_m -at- unity -dot- ncsu -dot- edu <<
>> Raleigh, NC 27695-8105                                        <<
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