A case study examined how a basic writer read, identified, and proposed solutions to textual problems in two drafts of texts that she wished to improve. The subject engaged in a modified form of a think-aloud protocol and an open-ended interview. Data generated from the participant were analyzed to determine the degree of miscue, the kinds of…

A study examined how often basic writers miscued, the kinds of miscues they made, the possible factors related to why they made miscues, whether they corrected their miscues, and the degree to which miscues may have prevented them from seeing textual problems. Subjects, three female basic writers (part of a larger study) participated in four taped…

A study examined whether student-constructed grading criteria complicate or reduce teacher or programmatic standards and determined whether written criteria actually drive students' writing and revising processes. Published criteria for evaluating compositions in 22 college and university writing programs across the nation were analyzed. In terms…

Analyzes the editing behavior of skilled and less skilled writers. Results show that while the more skilled writers almost always corrected more errors than the less skilled, the two groups performed similarly on their own essays where neither corrected many errors at all. (SRT)

This study is the seventh in a series of reports from the Reading-to-Write Project, a collaborative study of students' cognitive processes at one critical point of entry into academic performance. This part of the study examines whether students could make more significant revisions in their writing if they were merely prompted to examine and…

Using protocol analysis, a study concluded that high school and college writers have similar writing styles. Also asserts that protocols are an excellent research tool for analyzing the composing process. (SRT)

Develops a model for the news writing process based on research conducted with both professional and student journalists in their normal work environment over the past six years. Finds evidence indicating that leads do more than grab the reader's attention, and that reporting and writing are not separate acts. (MS)

Based on the Protocol Aided Revision (PAR) system, this series of instructional units employs user protocols to provide the writer with feedback about a reader's response to a text and to help the writer become more sensitive to textual problems that may interfere with a reader's understanding. Geared to professionals who write on the job, the…

Reports a protocol study of a freshman composition student to examine how significant a problem it actually is to learn to operate a computer, how influential students' expectations about computers are, whether the use of a computer promoted the importance of invention strategies, and whether computers encourage revision. (MS)