Practitioners' perspectives of the technical communication field in Ireland

In Ireland, technical communication has developed as an academic and occupational field since the late twentieth century as a consequence of the location of software and telecommunications companies in the country. This paper describes a study of Irish technical communicators' perceptions of their field. The research methods include a survey, online discussions and interviews, and the findings are analyzed using the lenses of professionalization and community of practice theories. This study is exploratory, because no previous studies have examined the Irish context for technical communication. Considering the scope of both professional and communities of practice frameworks, the study is confined to four significant themes: education, technical communication practice, value and status, and professional and community structures. The findings indicate that Irish technical communicators exhibit traits of communities of practice (such as joint enterprise and shared repertoires). They also identify with their job title and practice. A key finding is that many Irish technical communicators have a keen appetite for community involvement. This enthusiasm notwithstanding, many barriers impede professionalization, not least the low visibility of the role in Ireland, limited evidence of professionalizing activity, and the potential for career stagnation.