Introduction

I’d like to start with a short story, one that provides the background to how

this volume was conceived, because the story makes an important point. Like

many universities that offer a Master’s degree in Technical and Professional

Communication (TPC), the University of Cincinnati requires a capstone course

as the students’ cumulative experience in the program. In the capstone, students

typically work with a community partner to help them solve various communi-

cation problems within their organization.