Date of Award:
5-2026
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Communication Studies and Philosophy
Committee Chair(s)
Rebecca Walton
Committee
Rebecca Walton
Committee
Chen Chen
Committee
Jared Colton
Committee
Afsane Rezaei
Committee
Lacee Wilkey
Abstract
This dissertation investigates how international graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas navigate income tax filing in the U.S., focusing on the challenges they encounter, the strategies they use, and how institutions and technical and professional communication (TPC) programs can intervene to mitigate those challenges. I used a multi-serial method: survey, document-directed interviews, and a user experience (UX) study, to better understand the lived experiences of international graduate students with the tax filing process and the ways scholars can intervene. This research contributes to the field of TPC by arguing that, as scholars, we often research problems (some of which are "wicked problems") that we cannot solve, but we can always design interventions to mitigate them. In response to this, I designed a continuing education unit (CEU) course as part of this dissertation titled "Introduction to Filing Income Taxes in the U.S." to help international students navigate the process.
Recommended Citation
Anabire, Dorcas A., "Designing Workarounds for Justice: International Graduate Students' Experiences With Filing Income Taxes in the United States" (2026). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present. 785.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/785
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