Abstract
Since its inception in 1971, the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (JTWC) has positioned primary research as a prominent aspect of its mission, and over the decades, numerous articles have been recognized by outside professional organizations for their contribution to the theoretical foundation of our discipline. That commitment continues to this day and is featured in the first article of the present issue.
Lisa Meloncon and Kirk St. Amant review the past 5 years of published empirical research across technical communication and make a compelling case for the sustainment and expansion of it. As we take on important learning from other, related disciplines, it is important to analyze carefully, with time-tested procedures, the methodology in which this learning was developed, especially since in our discipline virtually all of it will be applied in academic and professional settings.
And while the commitment to empirical research is increasingly important in an advanced technological global society, it does not preclude the equal importance of narrative, history, and other qualitative means of understanding. JTWC has always provided a balance between stories and mathematics in the manuscripts that are accepted for publication.
It is certainly my wish that such a balance continues.