Baywood Publishing Co.

Outsourcing technical communication; issues, policies, and practices.

Technical communications, including print and electronic manuals, marketing materials, and supporting documentation have joined virtually every element of highly technical products and services as a candidate for offshore outsourcing. Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and other venues are now providing a good share of technical communications, and these 11 papers describe the impact of communications from outside the US and Western Europe. Topics include technical communication outsourcing in India, and how US and Indian standards compare, outsourcing to Africa and Mexico, management and cross-cultural communication issues such as language and cultural barriers, the implications of outsourcing for technical editing. The collection closes with papers on and legal or ethical issues including as privacy, outsourcing policies, and intellectual property. This should be read by anyone attempting or intending to make a living in technical communications, those who train them, and those who hire them. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)