Barry L. Thatcher is an associate professor of rhetoric and professional communication at New Mexico State University. He has worked in international technical communication for more than 12 years. He has taught technical communications in South America for four years, and currently he is researching and teaching cross-cultural technical communication along the U.S.-Mexico border. His work in Mexico focuses on the issues of technical communications needed for outsourcing new technologies to maquilas (U.S.-owned manufacturing plants in Mexican border cities). Thatcher has published numerous articles on cross-cultural issues in technical and professional communication. Carlos Evia is an assistant professor of professional writing at Virginia Tech. He has conducted research and written about international technical communication and multicultural teams in workplace environments. He teaches and conducts research on developing user documentation and the intersection of writing and information technology. His research work analyzes communication in the workplace, specifically in workplace environments affected by globalization, diversity, and technology. Evia has workplace and academic experience in technical writing and localization of technological products.

"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." Book News Inc, (Annotation [copyright]2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)"

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: The Changing Face of Technical Communication in the Global Outsourcing EconomyCarlos Evia PART I: Outsourcing Practices by RegionCHAPTER 1 Technical Communication and IT Oursourcing in India— Past, Present, and FuturePrashant Natarajan and Makarand PanditCHAPTER 2 Defining Technical Communication in the United States and India: A Contrastive Analysis of Established Curricula and Desired AbilitiesCarlos Evia CHAPTER 3 Africa Goes for OutsourcingMichael Jarvis Kwadzo BokorCHAPTER 4 Outsourcing of Technical Communication Tasks from German-Speaking ContextsPetra Drewer and Charlotte KaempfCHAPTER 5 Approaching Outsourcing in Rhetoric and Professional Communication: Lessons from U.S.-Owned Maquilas in MexicoBarry Thatcher and Victoriano Garza-Almanza PART II: Management and Cross-Cultural Communication IssuesCHAPTER 6 The Information Developer's DilemmaJoAnn Hackos and William Hackos, Jr. CHAPTER 7 Language, Culture, and Collaboration in Offshore Outsourcing: A Case Study of International Training Team Communication CompetenciesJames MeltonCHAPTER 8 The Implications of Outsourcing for Technical EditingClint LanierPART III: Legal, Ethical, and Political IssuesCHAPTER 9 The Privacy Problems Related to International Outsourcing: A Perspective for Technical CommunicatorsKirk St. Amant CHAPTER 10 Outsourcing Technical Communication: The Policy Behind the PracticeKeith Gibson CHAPTER 11Obligations and Opportunities: Legal Issues in Offshore Outsourcing Technical CommunicationCharlsye Smith Diaz Conclusion Personal Reflection on Developing a Viable Trajectory for Outsourcing Technical Communications Barry Thatcher Meet the Contributors Index

Barry L. Thatcher is an associate professor of rhetoric and professional communication at New Mexico State University. He has worked in international technical communication for more than 12 years. He has taught technical communications in South America for four years, and currently he is researching and teaching cross-cultural technical communication along the U.S.-Mexico border. His work in Mexico focuses on the issues of technical communications needed for outsourcing new technologies to maquilas (U.S.-owned manufacturing plants in Mexican border cities). Thatcher has published numerous articles on cross-cultural issues in technical and professional communication. Carlos Evia is an assistant professor of professional writing at Virginia Tech. He has conducted research and written about international technical communication and multicultural teams in workplace environments. He teaches and conducts research on developing user documentation and the intersection of writing and information technology. His research work analyzes communication in the workplace, specifically in workplace environments affected by globalization, diversity, and technology. Evia has workplace and academic experience in technical writing and localization of technological products.

"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." Book News Inc, (Annotation [copyright]2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)"

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: The Changing Face of Technical Communication in the Global Outsourcing EconomyCarlos Evia PART I: Outsourcing Practices by RegionCHAPTER 1 Technical Communication and IT Oursourcing in India— Past, Present, and FuturePrashant Natarajan and Makarand PanditCHAPTER 2 Defining Technical Communication in the United States and India: A Contrastive Analysis of Established Curricula and Desired AbilitiesCarlos Evia CHAPTER 3 Africa Goes for OutsourcingMichael Jarvis Kwadzo BokorCHAPTER 4 Outsourcing of Technical Communication Tasks from German-Speaking ContextsPetra Drewer and Charlotte KaempfCHAPTER 5 Approaching Outsourcing in Rhetoric and Professional Communication: Lessons from U.S.-Owned Maquilas in MexicoBarry Thatcher and Victoriano Garza-Almanza PART II: Management and Cross-Cultural Communication IssuesCHAPTER 6 The Information Developer's DilemmaJoAnn Hackos and William Hackos, Jr. CHAPTER 7 Language, Culture, and Collaboration in Offshore Outsourcing: A Case Study of International Training Team Communication CompetenciesJames MeltonCHAPTER 8 The Implications of Outsourcing for Technical EditingClint LanierPART III: Legal, Ethical, and Political IssuesCHAPTER 9 The Privacy Problems Related to International Outsourcing: A Perspective for Technical CommunicatorsKirk St. Amant CHAPTER 10 Outsourcing Technical Communication: The Policy Behind the PracticeKeith Gibson CHAPTER 11Obligations and Opportunities: Legal Issues in Offshore Outsourcing Technical CommunicationCharlsye Smith Diaz Conclusion Personal Reflection on Developing a Viable Trajectory for Outsourcing Technical Communications Barry Thatcher Meet the Contributors Index

Barry L. Thatcher is an associate professor of rhetoric and professional communication at New Mexico State University. He has worked in international technical communication for more than 12 years. He has taught technical communications in South America for four years, and currently he is researching and teaching cross-cultural technical communication along the U.S.-Mexico border. His work in Mexico focuses on the issues of technical communications needed for outsourcing new technologies to maquilas (U.S.-owned manufacturing plants in Mexican border cities). Thatcher has published numerous articles on cross-cultural issues in technical and professional communication. Carlos Evia is an assistant professor of professional writing at Virginia Tech. He has conducted research and written about international technical communication and multicultural teams in workplace environments. He teaches and conducts research on developing user documentation and the intersection of writing and information technology. His research work analyzes communication in the workplace, specifically in workplace environments affected by globalization, diversity, and technology. Evia has workplace and academic experience in technical writing and localization of technological products.

"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." Book News Inc, (Annotation [copyright]2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)"

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: The Changing Face of Technical Communication in the Global Outsourcing EconomyCarlos Evia PART I: Outsourcing Practices by RegionCHAPTER 1 Technical Communication and IT Oursourcing in India— Past, Present, and FuturePrashant Natarajan and Makarand PanditCHAPTER 2 Defining Technical Communication in the United States and India: A Contrastive Analysis of Established Curricula and Desired AbilitiesCarlos Evia CHAPTER 3 Africa Goes for OutsourcingMichael Jarvis Kwadzo BokorCHAPTER 4 Outsourcing of Technical Communication Tasks from German-Speaking ContextsPetra Drewer and Charlotte KaempfCHAPTER 5 Approaching Outsourcing in Rhetoric and Professional Communication: Lessons from U.S.-Owned Maquilas in MexicoBarry Thatcher and Victoriano Garza-Almanza PART II: Management and Cross-Cultural Communication IssuesCHAPTER 6 The Information Developer's DilemmaJoAnn Hackos and William Hackos, Jr. CHAPTER 7 Language, Culture, and Collaboration in Offshore Outsourcing: A Case Study of International Training Team Communication CompetenciesJames MeltonCHAPTER 8 The Implications of Outsourcing for Technical EditingClint LanierPART III: Legal, Ethical, and Political IssuesCHAPTER 9 The Privacy Problems Related to International Outsourcing: A Perspective for Technical CommunicatorsKirk St. Amant CHAPTER 10 Outsourcing Technical Communication: The Policy Behind the PracticeKeith Gibson CHAPTER 11Obligations and Opportunities: Legal Issues in Offshore Outsourcing Technical CommunicationCharlsye Smith Diaz Conclusion Personal Reflection on Developing a Viable Trajectory for Outsourcing Technical Communications Barry Thatcher Meet the Contributors Index