Transitioning from service providers to information managers and product innovators: evolving roles for professional technical communicators

Professional technical communicators are often viewed in the field as service providers, with the primary responsibility for the design, development, and production of product support manuals. With the emergence of the information society, however, business organizations are beginning to emphasize the effective management and use of abstract information and knowledge rather than directly processing, manufacturing, or delivering tangible products. To achieve increased recognition, status, and legitimacy in this new environment, practitioners must begin to be perceived as information manipulators. Both academia and industry practitioners need to combine efforts to identify educational strategies that expand the traditional boundaries of the technical communication discipline and prepare technical communicators for multidisciplinary value-added contributions.