In addition to its larger cultural context, hypertext theory broadly informs the processes and practices of technical communicators in the 21 st century. Hypertext theory, as written for the last 70+ years, contains close connections to poststructuralist and postmodern theories, and ultimately encompasses broader notions of content, collaboration, structure, design, and process in online and digital publications and environments (Bolter, 1991 Joyce, 1996 Landow, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2006 Moulthrop, 1991). In parallel, in critical theory, hypertext theory/hypertextuality (though not all theorists use the specific term) describes texts that refer (and link) to other texts in terms of intellectual impact rather than physical presence or proximity (Barthes, 1974 Foucault, 1972 Genette, 1982). The definition of hypertext itself is deceptively simple in computer science, it is simply text that acts as a link to other text, and the technology to enact this linking has been in existence since the 1960s it became widely available to the public in Apple’s HyperCard application in the 1980s. Hypertext theory, which is invoked by those in fields as diverse as computer science and literature to discuss the alphanumeric, later multimodal texts built in both print and digital environments, has a close connection to technical communication. However, our theoretical foundations have been just as influential in our evolution and have helped us articulate those core competencies, products, and processes. As our profession has expanded in its core competencies and roles, from technical writer to technical communicator, the nature of our work has been transformed from simple print-based writing and editing into developing information and content experiences for a wide range of users.
STORYSPACE BROWN UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL
Hypertext theory, as a theoretical foundation of technical communication, can help us, as professionals, better articulate our processes, practices, and professional identity as a field.Īs the field of technical communication has matured, we are constantly informed by newer theories, practices, and technologies that articulate and inform the value of the work we do.An understanding of hypertext theory as a foundational framework can help technical communicators learn and appropriate new communication tools, technologies, processes, and practices.Hypertext theory and its characteristics have influenced the development of the core competencies of technical communication as well as its wide range of products and practices, including how we create and manage content, design, structure, information development, and user experience.Specific characteristics of hypertext theory that inform technical communication include collaborative authoring, content focus, hyperlinking, hypermedia, intertextuality, and multi-path non-linear information modeling.Keywords: hypertext theory, technical communication, core competencies Practitioners’ Takeaway: Furthermore, they can be used to describe our daily work as well as to help us frame professional development, certification programs, and identify as a field. Given technological evolutions, technical communicators continue to work with content informed by hypertextual theories and practices, to create multi-pathed, user-driven, dynamic experiences.Ĭonclusions: Characteristics of hypertext theory have become essential parts of the core competencies required in the daily work of technical communicators. Results: Hypertext is a foundational theory which informs the processes and practices of contemporary technical communication, and in particular, core competencies in developing content, design, structure, and in the processes of information development and user experience design. From this literature, we developed a framework to examine correlations between characteristics of hypertext theory and compared those to skills, processes, and products in technical communication. Method: This article initially reviews the significant literature on hypertext theory as well as recent selections, which help situate or define technical communication in the 21 st century. This article discusses important characteristics of hypertext theory, developed over the last 70+ years, as a theoretical foundation that informs and defines the core competencies and practices of the field of technical communication. Purpose: As the field of Technical Communication adapts to changing conditions, new ways of describing the field are vital.
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