Technical Communication: sector and profiles between past and innovative future

Abstract

The aim of this master’s degree research dissertation is to analyse and describe the evolution of Technical Communication on many levels and consider different European regions. The analysis also explores and investigates the many professional figures that have arisen since Technical Communication was born. More specifically, this analysis is focused on how Technical Communication was born, how it evolved through the years to satisfy market needs and what professional profiles have developed in the meantime. The documents used for this dissertation are very varied: academic resources, articles, publications, videos, and extracts from online meetings and conferences, as well as some interviews that I had with some top experts in this field. This dissertation is divided in 5 main chapters: In the first one an analysis on what “Technical Communication” means per se is provided. In the second one, all the different professions and professional profiles that revolve around Technical Communication were analysed, as well as all the instruments used in this field such as CMS and CCMS, manuals, STE and ITS. In the third one an analysis on the Italian situation was carried out; it focuses on the academic and working background of people who work in the field of technical communication as well as on their current professional profiles and occupation. In the fourth one, a comparison between Italy and both the rest of Europe and the rest of the world was carried out. In the fifth one, an outlook on the future was provided, trying to figure out what the future holds for us, what challenges Technical Communicator may face and what problems Italy may have to deal with.