Offers a select, 105-item bibliography highlighting research on technical communication published by, for, or about Canadians. Classifies Canadian research by form (books and articles) and by subject (translation studies, technology studies, graphics studies, historical studies, studies of the profession, specialty studies, genre studies, and…

Asserts that qualitative research is undervalued and cites evidence of its value, presents a definition of it, discusses how to evaluate the quality of a study, and suggests when and how qualitative findings can be applied to actual situations. Concludes with examples of two actual qualitative studies and two hypothetical situations where the…

Introduces the process of survey research, focusing specifically on the questionnaire method. Lists and discusses eight essential steps in the process, reviews the relevant literature, and ends with the hope that readers will become better consumers of research and possibly researchers themselves. (SR)

Collects several examples of technical and creative writing to examine whether the differences which have been assumed to exist between the two genres do in fact exist. Finds that their material causes--the tropes and devices of description--are the same and that their differences and similarities are governed by Aristotle's "final cause" (telos).…

Shows how accident reports in a large government agency fail to account for the multidimensional nature of accidents in tightly coupled technologies. Proposes a three-dimensional model of accident analysis to illustrate how underlying models of causality influence the structure of technical reports and the nature of the argument over…

Examines the amount and types of metadiscourse used by novice and expert writers in mechanical engineering design proposals. Finds that the expert took the stance of a member of a community of experts who added credibility by citing other work in his field, whereas students took the stance of agents talking directly to the reader. (SR)

Reviews the research literature to show that academics and practicing editors do not share the same view of the editing process: academics emphasize "intentional diagnoses," and practitioners perform "rule-based" editing. Discusses editing in the workplace, and notes that the editor can be of most service to the writer through involvement in the…

Tests the supposition that male and female writing styles differ, using 88 college students as subjects. Finds that the writing of men and women is far more similar than different. Finds that differences resulting from mode of discourse were more widespread than differences resulting from gender. (MG)

Looks at science essays by J. B. S. Haldane that attempt to show connections between Marxist political theory and Darwinian evolutionary theory, thus blurring the generic characteristics of political and scientific discourse. Explores the understanding of the cultural dimensions of scientific activities and the resulting redefinitions of concepts…

Compares several technical reports written by students showing the influences of a writer's identification with a community on features of the resulting document. Finds that features most affected were personal and community references within the document, writer's stance toward the reader, and definition of the rhetorical problem. (RS)

Groups responses of writing scholars to a question concerning what has been learned about the teaching and learning of writing in the elementary school into four categories: writing is a "gateway" to literacy; all children can write; understanding writers and writing means understanding complex influences; and writers write so that they…

Discusses the strengths of a qualitative study of the effectiveness of environmental impact statements. Notes that the study explores an ill-defined area and relates writing to the situation in which it occurs. (RS)

Investigates the contradictory terminological investments within the charges against Mina Shaughnessy's scholarship (i.e., "essentialism,""accommodationism," and lack of "materialist praxis") from poststructuralist, feminist, and Marxist quarters. Maintains, through close readings of Shaughnessy's texts, that the…

Discusses basic strokes, stroke sequence rules, and motor aspects of drawing in writing Chinese characters. Finds mastery of proper stroke sequence is low even for familiar characters. Discusses three main groups of errors children made. Explores educational implications for the teaching of stroke sequences in the teaching of handwriting based on…

Suggests that, although the benefits of word processing are widely acknowledged, writing is still perceived as a difficult activity. Considers the degree to which particular features of word processing might constitute new and significant impediments to individual writers. Discusses this issue with writers who expressed concerns that their…