Full Description
This fully revised edition provides a practical introduction to research methods for anyone conducting and critically reading technical communication research.
The first section discusses the role of research in technical communication and explains in plain language how to conduct and report such research. It covers both quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as surveys, usability studies, and literature reviews. The second section presents a collection of research articles that serve as exemplars of these major types of research projects, each followed by commentary breaking down how it corresponds to the information on that research type. In addition to five new chapters of exemplars and commentaries, this second edition contains a new chapter on usability studies.
This book is an essential introduction to research methods for students of technical communication and for industry professionals who need to conduct and engage with research on the job.
Contents
Part 1: Methods 1. Research: Why We Do It and Why We Read It 2. The Research Phases and Getting Started 3. Reviewing the Literature 4. Conducting a Quantitative Study 5. Conducting a Qualitative Study 6. Conducting Surveys 7. Conducting Usability Studies Part 2: Exemplars and Analyses 8. Analyzing a Literature Review 9. Analyzing a Quantitative Research Report 10. Analyzing a Qualitative Research Report 11. Analyzing a Report on the Results of a Survey 12. Analyzing a Report on the Results of a Usability Study
