Does the reputation of technical communication reflect its actual significance? Are technical editors well trained enough to perform their important tasks adequately? What are their salaries? What are the conditions set by the national legal framework? What are the prospects of technical communication?

For the first time answers to these and other important questions have been put into an international perspective. Competent authors offer a survey of the status and prospects of technical communication for 17 countries in Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

Technical Communication exists in all the countries of the world that produce technical products. The documentation required for such products is created by Technical Writers.Under what legal and economic conditions do they do their jobs, what education have they had, and how well are they paid?

The situation of Technical Communication is described in detail for the EU and for 17 individual countries: Germany, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Romania, Spain, Russia, Israel, India, China, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

All the authors are proven experts in Technical Communication in their respective countries. They first briefly explain the history of this specialized area in their country. Based on this, they then present the legal background, the state of research and education or training, and the market situation. At the same time they also touch upon topics such as the organization of work and the cost of Technical Documentation in their country. The different needs for translation and localization, which are strongly dependent on each country's language situation, are also described in the articles, as are the software tools currently being used.

The career development opportunities for Technical Communication are rated differently by the individual authors but are on the whole thought to be positive. The authors are in agreement that the demand for Technical Writers will continue to grow, and so further professionalization of this occupation through permanent continuous training is a must.

Some will view the contributions in this book as a recognition of the value of their own work, while others will see them as a call for an increased effort to improve Technical Communication. For anyone concerned with Technical  Communication, this book will provide an opportunity to compare their own situation with those of colleagues in other countries.

Last but not least, this easily-readable book is also a contribution towards raising the visibility, and improving the reputation, of the Technical Communication profession.

This book is part of a regular series of publications of tekom in Germany. Due to its international relevance, this issue was translated and is now also available in English. tekom has a special offer for members of Intecom and TCeurope societies. Save more than 30% of the regular price of 36.00 EUR! tekom offers this highly informative lecture for 24.00 EUR*. Order now !