The Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC) is the UK's largest professional association for those involved in
technical communication
Technical communication (or tech comm) is communication of technical subject matter such as engineering, science, or technology content. The largest part of it tends to be technical writing, though importantly it often requires aspects of visual ...
and
information design
Information design is the practice of presenting information in a way that fosters an efficient and effective understanding of the information. The term has come to be used for a specific area of graphic design related to displaying information ...
. It encourages professional education and standards, provides guidance about the value of using professional communicators, and provides research resources and networking opportunities for its members and affiliates.
History
The ISTC as it is today was created in 1972 from an amalgamation of three associations: the Presentation of Technical Information Group (founded in 1948), the Technical Publications Association and the Institute of Technical Publicity & Publications. The institute was incorporated as a limited company on 19 July 1972.
Presidents of the ISTC
* 2021-2025: Linda Robins
* 2017-2020: Carol Leahy
* 2014-2017: Alison Peck
* 2010-2014: Paul Ballard
* 2007–2010: Simon Butler
* 2002-2007: Gavin Ireland
* 2000-2002: Iain Wright
* 1998-2000: Anke Harris
* 1996-1998: Gerry Gentle
* 1995-1996: Dave Griffiths
* 1993-1995: Peter Greenfield
* 1991-1993: Ray Green
* 1988-1991: Dennis Reeder
* 1985-1988: Ray Burgess
* 1982-1985: Ted (E N) White
* 1980-1982: J D McIntosh
* 1978-1980: Allen Finch
* 1976-1978: Graham (R G) Martyr
* 1972-1976: Major Horace Hockley
Governance
The ISTC is managed by its Council, with day-to-day running handled by a professional administration company. Members have the opportunity to contribute their ideas, skills and time to specific Steering Groups and can stand for Council.
The ISTC is a member of the Professional Associations Research Network (PARN). This organisation provides a network for professional bodies and offers services and events on subjects such as governance,
Continuing Professional Development
Professional development, also known as professional education, is learning that leads to or emphasizes education in a specific professional career field or builds practical job applicable skills emphasizing praxis in addition to the transferab ...
, ethics and standards, and member relations. The ISTC was one of the sponsors of a project in 2006 to explore the issues affecting professional associations as they grow.
The ISTC has a Code of Professional Practice, with which it expects its members to comply. This was developed in accordance with research carried out by PARN and its author was cited in PARN's third book on ethics.
Membership
Technical communication encompasses a wide range of activities, all with the common thread of communicating complex or important information in the most effective way for the reader. Technical communicators create information that affects people in virtually every industry and area of society. Examples of roles that may be involved in technical communication are:
*
Technical writing
Technical writing is a specialized form of communication used by many of today's industrial and scientific organizations to clearly and accurately convey complex information to a user. An organization's customers, employees, assembly workers, engin ...
*
Technical illustration
Technical illustration is illustration meant to visually communicate information of a technical nature. Technical illustrations can be components of technical drawings or diagrams. Technical illustrations in general aim "to generate expressive ...
*
Indexing
*
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written language, written, Image editing, visual, Audio engineer, audible, or Film editing, cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing p ...
*
Instructional design
Instructional design (ID), also known as instructional systems design and originally known as instructional systems development (ISD), is the practice of systematically designing, developing and delivering instructional materials and experiences, ...
*
Information architecture
Information architecture (IA) is the structural design of shared information environments; the art and science of organizing and labelling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability; and an emerging ...
*
Single source publishing
Single-source publishing, also known as single-sourcing publishing, is a content management method which allows the same source content to be used across different forms of media and more than one time.[Environmental
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...]
,
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
and
health
Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
communication
*
Management
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...
The ISTC offers several grades of individual membership. There are two corporate grades, Member (MISTC) and Fellow (FISTC), and two non-corporate grades, Associate and Student. Corporate grades are entitled to vote at the ISTC's AGM. Members cite a sense of community as an important factor in their continued membership.
Organisations can join the ISTC as Business Affiliates.
Publications
The ISTC publishes periodicals and books:
* a quarterly journal, ''Communicator'' (ISSN 0953-3699)
* a monthly newsletter, ''InfoPlus+''
* a handbook comprising essays from a range of practitioners, ''Professional Communication and Information Design'' ()
* an overview of the role of XML in the profession, ''XML in Technical Communication''.()
Events
The ISTC organises an annual conference, Technical Communication UK, which is held in September.
Awards
The ISTC makes annual awards:
* UK Technical Communication Awards (formerly the ISTC Documentation Awards) for deliverables in five classes
* Horace Hockley Award for contribution to the profession
* Mike Austin Award for contribution to the ISTC
International
The ISTC participates in the international technical communication profession through its membership of two umbrella organisations:
*
INTECOM
*
TCeurope
The ISTC was one of the founder members of both organisations, INTECOM in 1970 and TCeurope in 2002.
[Fisk, A: "Communicator", Spring/Summer 2002, page 28. ISTC, 2002.]
References
External links
Institute of Scientific and Technical CommunicatorsTechnical Communication UK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Institute Of Scientific And Technical Communicators
Technical communication