A Research Primer for Technical Communication

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.

George F. Hayhoe is Professor Emeritus of technical communication at Mercer University. He has served as editor-in-chief of the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication since 2016, and was editor of the Society for Technical Communication’s journal, Technical Communication, from 1996 to 2008. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE and a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication.

Pam Estes Brewer is Professor and Director of the MS in Technical Communication Management program at Mercer University. She focuses on the communication of international virtual teams, online communication strategy, and usability research. Dr. Brewer is a Fellow in the Society for Technical Communication and authored the 2015 book International Virtual Teams: Engineering Global Success.