Guidelines for Authors

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Technical Communication, the Society’s journal, publishes articles about the practical application of technical communication theory and serves as a common arena for discussion by practitioners. Technical Communication includes both quantitative and qualitative research while showcasing the work of some of the field’s most noteworthy writers. Among its most popular features are the helpful book reviews. Technical Communication is published quarterly and is free with membership.

Content

Technical Communication publishes the following types of original, peer-reviewed articles:

Because the primary audience of Technical Communication is informed practitioners, manuscripts reporting the results of research or proposing theories about topics in our field should include descriptions of or suggestions for practical application of the research or theory.

Style

The purpose of Technical Communication is to inform, not impress. Write in a clear, informal style, avoiding jargon and acronyms. Use the first person and active voice. Avoid language that might be construed as sexist, and write with the journal's international audience in mind. Our authority on spelling and usage is The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition; on punctuation, format, and citation style, The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition.

Manuscript Preparation and Submission

  1. Submit your manuscript in a double-spaced electronic file with one-inch margins. Don't attempt to mimic the format or layout of a published article. Microsoft Word files are preferred; if you use another word processor, a Rich Text Format (RTF) file is also acceptable.
  2. Provide the manuscript's title and the name(s) of the author(s) at the beginning of the text file.
  3. Include an informative abstract labeled "Summary" (150 words maximum).
  4. Use up to three levels of headings, and indicate them clearly.
    • First-level heading
      (all caps, bold, on a line by itself)
    • Second-level heading
      (first word only capitalized, bold, on a line by itself)
    • Third-level heading
      (first word only capitalized, bold, followed by two spaces, as part of the first line of the paragraph)
  5. Within the file, include each table, along with a descriptive title. Electronically paste a copy of each figure into the file, along with a descriptive caption.
  6. Do not use footnotes. Instead, use author-date citations within the text, and provide a complete list of works cited (labeled "References"). Avoid using multiple citations for ideas or approaches unless they demonstrate an evolution in thought or practice.
  7. Check all author-date citations and all entries in the reference list for both accuracy and conformance to The Chicago Manual of Style format (see pp. 593-754).
  8. At the end of the text file, include a biosketch for each author labeled "Biosketch" (100 words maximum for each author) describing your professional experience, education, institutional affiliation, professional organizations to which you belong, and any other helpful information. Include your e-mail address and a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours.
  9. If possible, transmit each file to the editor as an attachment to an email message, one attachment per email message. (Alternatively, files may be copied to a 3.5-inch diskette and mailed to the editor.) Include in the email message (or in a letter enclosed with the diskette) the article title, authors' names, the exact name of each file transmitted, and the platform and software used to prepare it (for example, "Windows XP/Word 2003" or "MacOS X/Adobe Illustrator 10").
  10. If your manuscript is accepted, you will be asked to submit one electronic file for each figure. These files should be in TIF format. Screenshots should be captured and output at 6 inches (width) by 4.5 inches (height) for full screens. Because illustrations will be reproduced in black and white, they are best rendered in grayscale rather than color.

Print Rights

The Society for Technical Communication requires that authors grant STC one-time print rights to articles appearing in Technical Communication and those authors grant STC permission to post the article on Technical Communication Online for an indefinite period. The Society also requests that authors give colleges, universities, and libraries the right to use their articles free of charge for educational purposes.

Editor-in-Chief:

Menno de Jong, PhD
University of Twente
P.O. Box 217
Faculty of Behavioral Sciences
Department of Technical and Professional Communication
7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands

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Phone: +31 (0)53 489-3313
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