Research Question in Technical Communication by Rude

          As the title suggests, this article is about concerns that have arisen within technical communication due to the fact that the field is a relatively new one that lacks the basic research guidelines that more established fields have. She argues that this is important because every professional and academic field is defined by the research it conducts. As new student of technical communication this struck home for me because I often find myself having difficultly explaining my major to people who ask what it is about. Nearly every person that I tell my major to inevitably asks this question because technical communication is a field that is so new that the majority of people do not even know what it is. In addition I found her point that English departments often clash with our field very relatable because when I tell people my major another common reaction is people assuming technical communication is a concentration in the English major which can become irksome because in my mind there is a big difference. Another reason why it I important to establish research questions is because the field is similar to other more established fields. This can make it difficult for professionals to distinguish themselves and what they can offer to potential employers. However I think this can be a good thing for technical communicators because it allows us to explore career opportunities in additional fields. Overall Rude’s argument is that as technical communicators it is important to continue to build a foundation for our field so that we can gain more recognition in the professional and academic world.