Trading zones in technical and scientific communication

This paper uses the concept of trading zone to theorize sites of symbolic exchange in the field of biological engineering. Focusing on the communication of procedural information, the author specifically examines how expert and amateur communities use online spaces to share experimental know-how, reinforce communal identity, and coordinate resources in a way that facilitates collective knowledge making. The author suggests that scholars and practitioners of technical communication have yet to take a prominent role in shaping these developments but have the potential both to intervene in interdisciplinary negotiations and promote collaboration between diverse stakeholder groups.