CFP: Research Network Forum at CCCC

I strongly recommend applying for this, especially if you don't yet have any conference experience. Scholars of all levels participate, but it's a particularly nice entrée into the conference world for newbies -- a (more) gentle way to present your ideas-in-progress and get feedback, while also getting a line on your CV. I participated as a grad student one year, and last year I took part in the Journal Editor presentations and talked to participants about submission guidelines and recommendations for TheJUMP. Ask me if you have questions.

Research Network Forum 2011 in Atlanta
Wednesday, 6 April 2011

The October 31st deadline to propose a Work-in-Progress Presentation
at the Research Network Forum is quickly approaching.

Don’t miss out on the excellent opportunities to network with other
researchers in your area, to discuss your ideas with fellow scholars,
and to learn from our plenary speakers Kathleen Blake Yancey and Mike
Palmquist.

In order to participate as a Work-in-Progress Presenter, Discussion
Leader (established scholars), and/or Journal Editor please go to
http://www.rnfonline.com/blog/.  Once there, please fill out the
Participation Form, and for those participating as a Work-in-Progress
Presenter also fill out the Proposal Form.

Participation in the RNF is free to all registrants of CCCC, and you
may have a speaking role at RNF in addition to one at CCCC.

Most attendees present or discussion lead in both the morning and
afternoon sessions.  If you are only able to attend one session,
please make sure you let us know when you fill out the e-form so we
can schedule people correctly.  We are happy to accommodate people so
that they may attend a 1/2 day workshop in the morning or afternoon
and spend the rest of the day with RNF.

If you have any questions, please contact us at chairs@rnfonline.com.

We are looking forward to seeing you in April!

Risa Gorelick and Gina Merys
Chairs, RNF at CCCC 2011

CFP for Technical Communication

Call for Proposals:

Technical Communication, the journal of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), is soliciting article proposals for an upcoming special issue that will examine current issues surrounding our struggle for professionalization.  This special issue will be published in November 2011, and the guest editor is Nancy W. Coppola, New Jersey Institute of Technology. 

SPECIAL ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Studies show that professions emerge in processes of struggle for market control and closure, for definition of a coherent body of knowledge, and for development of a professional history that will give the field a unifying identity. These ideological, economic and political processes for professional identity are already in play for technical communication – but are we there yet?

No one has articulated the issues and strategies for professional status in any meaningful way since Theresa Kynell-Hunt and Jerry Savage’s volumes Power and Legitimacy in Technical Communication in 2003 and 2004. No one has picked up a researched perspective of certification since Ken Rainey’s last work in 2004. Much of the discussion regarding professional status is now taking place sub rosa in conference hallways and on professional organization listservs.

Yet, exigency for examining professional status exists anew.  STC is already developing two elements of professionalization:  its certification program for practitioners, and sponsorship of a body of disciplinary knowledge for technical communication. Some scholars have argued against professionalization as an outdated or elitist path for legitimacy and status. However, all call for critical engagement of the full cultural, political, and sociological implications of professionalization.

This special issue of Technical Communication will provide an opportunity for public debate as it incorporates a range of contending perspectives and voices.

POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR THIS SPECIAL ISSUE

The guest editor invites proposals for papers on applied research or theory, case histories/studies, tutorials, and/or annotated bibliographies that address these or other issues:

• Why should technical communicators attend to professionalization issues? Why not?

• Is professional status necessary or desirable? Why or why not?

• Who should set standards and minimum qualification for practice? How should the standards be established? Should the knowledge base be determined by experience of practitioners and/or academic research?

• What are the cultural, political, and sociological implications of professionalization?

• What does our history predict about professionalization?

• How can our professional organizations come together to create consensus for both academics and practitioners and build political support for professionalization?

• Should students in technical communication programs be taught how to be public advocates for their careers? If so, how?

• What can we learn from other professions that have achieved a professional identity?

• How can we resolve the contradiction of ethical practice for the good of society and elitism based on controlling knowledge and restricting access?

• What impact would professionalization have on academic programs and academics? Is accreditation of technical communication programs tied to certification? How?

• What might be the complementary research questions that could lead to a coherent body of knowledge?

• What can we learn from international organizations that have already set standards and established a code of good practices?

• What theories inform our authority and professional status? Is rhetoric the only model that we can apply to our role as professional?

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Proposals should be no more than 400 words in length.  All proposals should include submitter name, affiliation, and email address as well as a working title for the proposed article.  

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

The schedule for the special issue is as follows:

30 October 2010 – 400-word proposals due

30 November 2010 – Guest editor returns proposal decisions to submitters

15 February 2011 – Draft manuscripts of accepted proposals due

30 March 2011 – Guest editor returns reviewed manuscripts

16 May 2011 – Final manuscripts due

November 201l— Publication date of special issue

CONTACT INFORMATION

Completed proposals or questions about either proposal topics or this special issue should be sent to Nancy Coppola atcoppola@njit.edu

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: RESEARCH NETWORK FORUM AT CCCC

CALL FOR  PROPOSALS: RESEARCH NETWORK FORUM AT CCCC
April 6th, 2011, Atlanta, Georgia
Proposal Deadline: Friday, October 31st, 2010
HOMEPAGE: _http://www.rnfonline.com/blog/_
Questions?  Email chairs@rnfonline.com

CFP: Please join us in Atlanta to present a Work-in-Progress
presentation or serve as a Discussion Leader (for those who are
experienced, established researchers) and/or Editor (for those who
edit journals/presses).
Electronic proposal forms are available at www.rnfonline.com.
Deadline: Oct. 31, 2010
You may appear on the RNF Program in addition to having a speaking
role at the Conference on College Composition & Communication.

If you would like to present a Work-in-Progress, please fill out the
Contact Information Form http://rnfonline.com/11/2011eform.html as
well as the Proposal Formhttp://rnfonline.com/11/WIPP_Proposal_2011.html.

If you would like to participate as a Discussion Leader and/or as an
Editor, you need only fill out the Contact Information formhttp://rnfonline.com/11/2011eform.html. Discussion Leaders and Editors
are also welcome to fill out the Proposal Form and participate as
Work-in-Progress Presenters.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Research Network Forum was founded in 1987 as a pre-convention
workshop at CCCC. The RNF is an opportunity for published researchers,
new researchers, and graduate students to discuss their current
research projects and receive responses from new and senior
researchers. The forum is free to CCCC convention participants. You
need not be a work-in-progress presenter to attend.

As in past years, the 2011 RNF will feature two plenary speakers; this
year’s distinguished speakers will be Kathleen Blake Yancey and Mike
Palmquist.

At the subsequent roundtable discussions, Work-in-Progress Presenters
discuss their current projects (in an eight-minute presentation) and
gain the responses of other researchers, including the Discussion
Leaders.  Work-in-Progress Presenters are grouped by thematic
clusters, in which they will discuss their projects with other
researchers and a Discussion Leader who is a senior researcher.
Participants also include editors of printed and electronic journals
of composition/rhetoric who will discuss publishing opportunities of
completed works-in-progress.

Work-in-Progress Presenters should bring three typed questions that
they should copy and distribute to participants at their table (15
copies for the two sessions will do).
We encourage participants to bring a copy of the journals they
edit/publish, any other publications, and announcements, which will be
displayed at the RNF meeting.


SEE YOU IN ATLANTA!