Geneva This is a one-time reminder (apologies for cross postings that make it more than that) that the deadline for Technical Communication Quarterly's special issue on "Visual Thinking, Online Documentation, and Hypertext" is approaching. Submissions NOT chosen for the issue will be forwarded onto TCQ's editors for consideration in a later issue, so readers are doubly encouraged to submit articles that seem appropriate. The CFP is below. Best, John Logie and Craig Baehr, special issue co-editors ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY: CALL FOR PAPERS Special issue on Visual Thinking, On-line Documentation and Hypertext Description As the work of technical communicators shifts from print to online documents, we are encouraged to reconsider our ideas of how texts and hypertexts are navigated, interpreted and used. To meet this new demand, our strategies for document development must now recognize ways in which our audiences think visually. Many guidelines for visual information design focus on stylistics, design principles, page layout, data displays and other aesthetic considerations. But the electronic composing space invites us to consider new elements such as information architecture, interface design and navigation systems, which all suggest the importance of how information is structured and interpreted from a combined visual-spatial perspective. This special issue, of Technical Communication Quarterly, co-edited by Craig M. Baehr (Texas Tech University) and John Logie (University of Minnesota) considers opportunities that become available when we incorporate visual thinking into processes of information design and document development. This topic is important in two ways: (1) it addresses new approaches to developing on-line documentation not previously considered at length in this field; and (2) it considers how the changing nature of hypertext challenges us to adopt new development strategies that acknowledge how our audiences act and interact in response to highly visual media. Possible Topics Some issues to consider for possible topics could include the following: - What approaches should we take when adapting print-based rhetorical techniques for on-line environments? - How might we encourage audiences to think visually? - How can visual thinking enhance usability and reader response in on-line documentation? - What visual and spatial principles and techniques can be incorporated into pedagogies for courses in hypertext publishing and/or on-line documentation? - What strategies can be used in the development of navigation systems, interface design, or site architecture that would address how audiences think in hypertext spaces? - What social, ethical or cultural issues govern our strategies for incorporating visual thinking theory into our Web design and/or instructional practices? - What on-line documentation practices must be reconfigured due to the visual and spatial nature of hypertexts? Types of Submissions This special issue will consider articles that address how visual thinking can be used to improve our methods of composing, teaching and interpreting hypertexts. Articles could include applications of theory, results of original research, case studies, and practical applications in both the classroom and workplace. Deadline Papers must be received via email no later than Saturday, January 31, 2004. Figures or graphics should be provided in electronic format (eps, tiff, or pdf) on disk (150 line screen for background, 133 lines screen for half-tones). Save using a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Send papers in .DOC or .RTF format via email to: Craig Baehr Email: craig.baehr@ttu.edu John Logie Email: logie@umn.edu Contact Information If you have questions or would like to be considered as a reviewer for this special issue, contact: John Logie (612) 624-4709 Email: logie@umn.edu