Alliance for Computers and Writing (ACW)
ACW is a "free national, non-profit organization committed to supporting teachers at all levels of computer-enhanced, computer-supported, and computer-based instruction." It provides a variety of resources---some of which are available on its Website---to help writing instructors use technology.
American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
ASTD is "a leading association of workplace learning and performance professionals." Its more than 70,000 members are involved in the training and development of business, industry, education, and government employees. ASTD provides many resources for its members, including conferences, seminars, books, and periodicals on training and development issues.
American Society of Indexers (ASI)
ASI is the "only professional organization in the United States devoted solely to the advancement of indexing, abstracting, and database building." Its members include "indexers, librarians, abstractors, editors, publishers, database producers, data searchers, product developers, technical writers, academic professionals, researchers and readers, and others concerned with indexing." ASI holds annual conferences and publishes several publications about indexing.
Association for Business Communication (ABC)
ABC is an "international organization committed to fostering excellence in business communication scholarship, research, education, and practice." The association publishes two refereed journals: the Journal of Business Communication and Business Communication Quarterly.
Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW)
ATTW aims to advance the development of technical communication by encouraging technical communication educators and professional communicators to promote the discipline. The ATTW's international membership includes more than 1,000 teachers, students, and professional communicators. ATTW publishes materials on a wide variety of topics of interest to teachers of technical writing, including the refereed journal Technical Communication Quarterly. It also sponsors a discussion list, ATTW-L. (Access to the full Web site requires registration.)
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)
CPSR is "a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society." Its Web site features information on issues of concern to the organization such as online privacy, censorship, and domain name issues.
HTML Writers Guild (HWG)
The HWG was founded as a training organization for the Web design community; in 2001 the Guild joined with the International Webmaster's Association to form IWA-HWG, a "professional association for the growth of the professional Web design company and individual." Its Website offers a mailing list, opportunities for online classes, and a collection of links to Web resources.
IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS)
The primary mission of the IEEE Professional Communication Society is to "promote the arts and sciences of technical communication among professional communicators and practicing engineers." To that end, the PCS publishes two publications: a quarterly refereed journal, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, and the bimonthly PCS Newsletter. The society also holds an annual conference and publishes the conference proceedings, and the PCS Website offers a wide variety of resources for its members, including a virtual community through which members can communicate with each other.
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
IABC's members include communications professionals involved in public relations, employee communications, marketing communications, public affairs, and other forms of communication. The association offers many benefits to its members, including an online job board; a print magazine, Communication World; an annual international conference; an accreditation program; and an awards program.
Society for Technical Communication (STC)
The largest professional organization serving technical communicators, STC aims to "advance the arts and sciences of technical communication." Its 25,000 members include technical writers, editors, trainers, educators, graphic designers, multimedia artists, Web designers, translators, indexers, and others "whose work involves making technical information available to those who need it." STC regularly publishes several publications, including Technical Communication, the society's refereed journal; Intercom, the society's magazine; and Proceedings, the society's annual conference proceedings.
Special Interest Group for Documentation (SIGDOC)
SIGDOC is a Special Interest Group of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), the "world's first educational and scientific computing society." Members of SIGDOC represent various technical and scientific disciplines and include "those who create documentation in the computing community and those who use computers to create documentation in many styles and mediums." SIGDOC publishes a quarterly refereed journal, The Journal of Computer Documentation, and holds an annual conference.
Usability Professionals' Association (UPA)
Founded in 1991, the UPA aims to support "usability specialists, people from all aspects of human-centered design, and the broad family of disciplines that create the user experience in promoting the design and development of usable products." Its Website offers job listings, a reading list of usability-related publications, links to other usability Web sites, and more.
