#theory

In her first chapter, Liza Potts (2014) laid the groundwork for much of the ANT theory she later applied as a research method for the case studies presented in chapters 3, 4, and 5. Because her audience is cross disciplinary—predominantly from technology studies, sociotechnical systems, and technical communication fields—actors are sometimes referred to as users or participants. The conflation of these might prove confusing for any mind heavily steeped in ANT, but the interchangeability of these terms is well-intentioned, bringing together more closely related fields of study. Most technical communication scholars will probably move comfortably through the ANT references, particularly those familiar with her 2009 article in Technical Communication Quarterly—an earlier seedling for this larger book project (Potts, 2009).