The Web Portfolios of Independent Technical Communicators... and the Documents of Their Clients

摘要

Purpose: This empirical study examines whether independent technical communicators' Web portfolios are worthwhile and how technical communicators manage to post work for clients on their own Web sites. Method: The study surveyed 240 independent contractors, consultants, and principals of small businesses that maintain Web sites to market their technical communication services, briefly interviewed half of them, and analyzed posted samples of their work. Results: Results reveal the extent to which posted work samples are useful in marketing technical communication services, and how the numbers of such samples are associated with their overall usefulness. Results also reveal how independent technical communicators overcome such challenges as clients' concerns about proprietary information, confidentiality, and intellectual property in order to post their work. Conclusion: These results carry implications not only for how independent technical communicators disseminate a portfolio of their work but also for how any technical communicators would develop portfolios of their work for employment, academic credentials, or professional certification.