Examines the process of review as a method of formative evaluation of texts. Bases the description on three empirical studies of professional writing practices including the goals of review, the actors involved in the process, the moments in the text production process that review is taking place, and the procedures followed. (SG)

Presents a review of the literature on reader-focused text evaluation. Gives an account of the document characteristics that can be evaluated and considers the possible functions of evaluations making a distinction between verifying, troubleshooting, and choice-supporting research. Presents an overview of methods appropriate for the various…

Advising student writers to think constantly about their readers, this book provides thorough instruction in the technical writing process, organizing most chapters around easy-to-understand guidelines, and providing numerous annotated examples of writing done at work. New to the second edition of the book are chapters on persuasion, using the…

Describes a small-scale experiment in which five professional writers were asked to revise brochure fragments based on the feedback from readers. Discusses the type of feedback collected from readers and how the experiment focused on the revision phase following formative text evaluation. (SG)

This book guides students through the entire writing process--prewriting, writing, and rewriting--developing an easy-to-use, step-by-step technique for writing the types of documents they will encounter on the job. It engages students in the writing process and encourages hands-on application as well as discussions about ethics, audience…

Designed to be a "road map," this guide introduces an approach to producing "electronic reports," documents that fuse computer-based methods with traditional research techniques. The guide emphasizes four stages--planning, inquiry, analysis, and expression. The chapter on planning discusses defining objectives, flowcharting,…