Considers how the emergency medical service's run reports are important analytically because they represent the practices and interests of the multiple professions engaged in caring for critically ill or injured patients. Examines the historical evolution of a shared medical form and its impact on the professionals who use it. (SC)

Offers a fanciful dialog between Socrates and his followers to present findings about spelling development. Discusses the work of two scholars (Frank Smith and Steven Krashen); then discusses various hypotheses. Concludes that effective spellers get to be that way because they read as if they were writers; and a strong relationship exists between…

Responds to an article by Ellen Barton against negative argumentation in a prior issue of this journal. Examines how the debate on empirical versus non-empirical research is a product of different, but not mutually exclusive, historical narratives of research in and around composition. Includes a reply from Barton. (SR)

Argues against the use of negative arguments about methodological approaches in the field of composition. Suggests negative argumentation exacerbates the tension concerning the place and value of empirical studies in research; it potentially limits the field's ability to ask certain kinds of research questions; and it risks impoverishing the…

What are the most effective methods for teaching writing across grade levels and student populations? What kind of training do teachers need to put research-validated methods into practice? This unique volume combines the latest writing research with clear-cut recommendations for designing high-quality professional development efforts. Prominent…

Situated at the intersection of two of the most important areas in educational research today -- literacy and technology -- this handbook draws on the potential of each while carving out important new territory. It provides leadership for this newly emerging field, directing scholars to the major issues, theoretical perspectives, and…

This article critically explores the value of ethnography for enhancing context-sensitive approaches to the study of academic writing. Drawing on data from two longitudinal studies, student writing in the United Kingdom and professional academic writing in Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, and Portugal, the author illustrates the different contributions…

A study examined topic selection and spelling development in kindergarten students' journal writing. Subjects, 19 kindergarten students enrolled in a middle-class school, were informally interviewed about their writing. The students' writing topics were categorized and their spelling analyzed. Results indicated that the children were able to…

This paper discusses self-reference in the text, in order to examine its rhetorical intentions, and the writing strategies it offers an author. Following a brief introduction, the first section deals with definitions, and classifies self-reference "markers." The second section discusses intentions and self-reference, while the third…

A study was conducted to determine the technical writing style that scientists prefer. The respondents--l089 scientists from agricultural experiment stations, 20 station editors, and 59 editors of scientific publications--completed a questionnaire requesting biographic information and reactions to a simplified style of writing and a difficult…

To determine whether scientists and science students would accept a simplified writing style, two studies were conducted. In the first study, respondents--1,089 scientists from agricultural experiment stations, 20 station editors, and 59 editors of scientific journals--answered a questionnaire requesting biographical information and reactions to a…

Following a brief discussion of the heightened academic interest in writing and writing instruction, this paper presents a review of recent theories of the composing process. It next reviews case studies on the composing process. Finally, the paper offers conclusions about the relevance of the research for education. (Author/FL)

Argues for a cognitive-based curriculum which ensures that students participate fully in using writing as a mode of learning. Discusses Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive skills: (1) knowledge; (2) comprehension; (3) application; (4) synthesis; and (5) evaluation. (RAE)

Reports an investigation to assess praiseworthy grading versus traditional grading. With praiseworthy grading, finds improvement in the quality of student writing, and argues that teachers give balanced and focused commentary on the strengths and weaknesses in students' writing. (JAD)

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)