Effective writing happens when the values of a genre and the desires of a writer match. Studying the blog entry as a genre has strengthened the author's assumptions about the possibility of using blogs as examples of emplaced, agency-granting writing and as bridges to academic writing. Because blogs are a relatively new form of communication, the…

Explains the need for teachers of technical writing to understand many terms unique to proposal writing. Provides brief definitions for the more common terms used in proposal preparation, including slang and abbreviations, focusing on practical rather than legal definitions. (HTH)

Argues that reference to the term "real world" among technical writing professionals damages the field's pedagogical, political, and intellectual credibility. Supports replacing "real" with a more accurately descriptive term like "practical" to eliminate the pejorative meanings of the present usage. (MM)

Explores the use of metaphor and personification in the "classics" of scientific and technical writing, and the current resistance to creativity in scientific writing. Suggests familiarizing students with the role of metaphor in scientific creativity. (HTH)

Introduces the idea of a smart documentation system (SDS). Argues that an SDS will be more useful for providing interface that allows the user to describe problems using natural language. Describes a computational linguistic system that could provide the basis for such an interface, and the basic design of an SDS that would incorporate such an…

Argues that judgments about scientific or technical facts are no more objective than any other judgments. Characterizes the objectivity of such judgments, exploring the consequences of that characterization for writing instruction, and concludes that objectivity is not particularly important in technical writing but is symptomatic of a deplorable…

Discusses research on ethics and technical communication and examines specific methods that writers may use to manipulate language and to present information unethically. Suggests questions designed to teach students how to analyze situations that may involve such manipulation and misrepresentation. Concludes with two case studies illustrating…

Describes a course in which students learn to write rich, accurate, precise, objective description, develop a sensitivity to honest, uninflated language, and demonstrate these skills by producing an action proposal. Describes the three sections of the course: objective description, lessons in language, and grand proposals. (PRA)

A survey of literature on legal writing from 1969 through 1980 covers 45 journal articles and ERIC documents on needs for prelaw and law-school curricula and paralegal training. Highly technical materials are included only when they shed light on general issues of legal language. (MSE)

Notes that the basic elements of the English article system are best taught to foreign technical writing students over an extended period of time. Outlines a teaching method that emphasizes reducing errors that native English speakers perceive as wrong rather than teaching the nuances by which native writers fine tune their relationship with their…

Reviews James Paradis's analysis of expert knowledge in technical operator's manuals. Demonstrates how professional discourse embodies images of violence and domination. Describes the relationship between ethos and logos in professional discourse. Provides a feminist critique of sex codes in technical communications. (HB)

Explores how some contemporary language usage presents challenges for technical editing and how awareness of language theory can help students expand their context for (and critically assess) current editing textbook advice on language choice. Discusses what editors and teachers of editing can do to help produce technical documents that address…

These proceedings contain the following papers: "Corporate Conduct: The Importance of Proper Etiquette and Communication" (Glenna A. Dod and Susan L. Fay); "Establishing a System for Technical Editing" (Marlene A. Hobel and Kathy L. Urbach); "Office Technology in Business Communication Textbooks: Current Status, Future Recommendations" (Richard M.…

Intended for writing teachers, this paper shows how "pithy prescriptions" for writing, such as "use definite, specific, concrete language," can be misleading or wrong. To support this thesis, the paper examines a technical writing book advocating short sentences and finds that it has sentences averaging 27.8 words in one section and 30.18 in…

Presents a writing assignment that requires lawyers in a technical writing class to address the needs of a client who is unhappy with a lawyer and with the language used by the lawyer in a legal document. (FL)