Finding and learning: Exploring the information management practices of a technical communicator

One of the key challenges of contemporary knowledge work is how to productively manage the information load created by the proliferation of information technologies in contemporary workplaces. Technical communicators are particularly affected by this challenge because they are often called upon to take a public role in managing information for their work teams and organizations in activities ranging from taking meeting notes to organizing network files. This paper explores the findings from a case study of a single technical communicator engaging in such information management work. This case was assembled as part of larger six-month case study exploring the contributions made by the memory practices of a team of technical communicators in a software firm to the inventional and creative work of the firm. The findings from the case reported here suggest that technical communicators do in fact spend a great deal of time and energy managing information, but that the tools they use to accomplish these activities may not always be effective and may in fact impede the completion of other important job responsibilities, such as researching and composing.