Argues for a theoretical distinction between the act of composing and the act of transcribing. Examines early writing sessions and note-making patterns of writers working with traditional and computer writing tools. Finds individual writers have distinctly different strategies when writing in different technological contexts. (KEH)

Argues that the principles of stasis and kairos belie the reputation of classical rhetoric as obsessively individualistic and that they point toward a social constructionist foundation for classical rhetoric. These principles are strikingly similar; both act as controlling principles of rhetoric and determine both the generation and aim of…

Describes a study designed to identify indices of writers' varying conceptions of self, audience, and rhetorical situation in an evolving context. Concludes that older writers used situational strategies based on relationships, and younger writers used assertive strategies based on position. (JAD)

Analyzes as to style 200 samples of electronic mail memorandums gathered from 4 organizations. Counts systematically textual features such as sentence and paragraph length, grammatical sentence types, sentence openers, and diction to examine patterns of rhetorical choice common to electronic mail. Finds that writers combined elements of…

Views purpose in writing as a complex web of meaning which writers build and which readers in their own, independently constructive way infer. (JAD)

An exploratory study investigated how writers represent their task to themselves before beginning to write. Using data from verbal protocols, the initial plans of 12 writers (5 experts and 7 student writers) who were working on an expository writing task were examined. The protocols were coded for types of planning. Independent measures of the…

Delineates various conceptions of and arguments about problem solving and proposes a means for dealing with these conflicts. Argues that composition studies should strive to find a common language with which proponents of opposing views can communicate with each other. (MS)

This paper argues for a dialectical conception of theory that avoids the problem of trying to yoke together theories that embody conflicting epistemological and idealogical concerns in any unified way. Called a "cognitive-social epistemic," this dialectic is a theoretical construct that subsumes a family of cognitive and social theories…

Legal writing is a unique form of composition. The legal style is characterized by a reliance upon nominalizations, archaisms, jargon, and foreign (especially French and Latin) terms and a scarcity of verbs and adverbs. Twelve judicial opinions, all on the subject of whether an advance degree should be considered marital property upon divorce,…

Presents a study examining the effects of using pen and paper and word processing on planning processes. Results show that writers using word processing alone: (1) planned less overall; (2) planned less before beginning to write; (3) did less conceptual planning; and (4) did more sequential or local planning. (RAE)

An ethnographic study used M. M. Bakhtin's language theory of socially rooted multiple voices to compare the group-writing processes of two corporate documents. Data were collected during a 5-month participant observation of the production processes of a 504-word executive letter, which took 55 days from first draft to approval, and a 1,851-word…

Studies the speech act strategies of indirectness in professional letter writing through an analysis of statements which were evaluated by college seniors. Discusses indirectness strategies from the perspectives of (1) value index; (2) writer/addressee orientation; (3) linguistic characterization; and (4) location within sentences. Suggests that…

This book discusses and evaluates the implications of the theory of deconstruction for composition and pedagogy. The book analyzes the emerging field of composition studies within the epistemological and ontological debate over writing precipitated by Plato (who would abandon writing entirely) and continued by Jacques Derrida, who argues that all…

"Cognoter(tm)" and "CB" software, two new computer-based writing tools that rely on shared texts and real-time communication among participants and support collaborative invention, have implications for invention pedagogy and research. Cognoter improves on current invention aids by combining a brainstorming tool, a graphical…

Examines the relationship between two measures of individual differences in social cognition and the quality of eleventh grade students' persuasive writing. Indicates a significant relationship between interpersonal cognitive complexity, abstractness, and quality of writing, persuasiveness, appropriateness of tone, and level of persuasive strategy…