Examines the controversy surrounding a 1983 government research report that found that male commanding officers in the United States Navy customarily wrote differently in fitness reports about women than in fitness reports about men. Critiques the writing of several groups, including male and female commanding officers, male newspaper editors, and…

Surveys and critiques what has been written about style checkers and text-editing capabilities of the computer to assist in revising technical writing. Finds the literature inconclusive largely because it is anecdotal and methodologically flawed. Suggests a new research agenda and focus. (KEH)