The Frank R. Smith outstanding journal article award recognizes the authors of exceptional articles appearing in Technical Communication during a calendar year. The award, named after then-editor Frank R. Smith when he retired in 1995, has been a mainstay of STC’s annual recognitions of excellence.
This year’s winners of the Frank R. Smith Award are Darina Slattery and Aileen Cudmore for their piece, “An Analysis of Physical and Rhetorical Characteristics of Videos Used to Promote Technology Projects, on the Kickstarter Crowdfunding Platform” (November 2019). Slattery and Cudmore found, per their conclusion, that:
Kickstarter project videos are an important feature on the main project page and may influence potential supporters’ decisions to fund projects. While other factors can also contribute to project success, an awareness of physical characteristics and rhetorical appeals of successful videos can help project campaigners, technical communication practitioners, and educators create more effective videos.
Congratulations to Darina and Aileen on their achievement!