Describes a protocol study of 10 professional writers which examined the meaning and influence of purpose on writers in the workplace. Explores the interactions of various purpose considerations derived from situation, reader, and text. Suggests that professional writers have a range of meanings in mind when they think about purpose. (MM)

Offers practical guidelines for collaborative professional writing that are based upon current theory, research, and experience. Defines collaborative writing, lists criteria for selecting co-authors, presents a model for the collaborative writing process, discusses advantages and disadvantages, and offers precepts that will enable collaborative…

Describes the lack of disciplinary agreement regarding proposal writing. Proposes a generic structure for proposal writing that includes situation, objectives, methods, qualifications, costs, and benefits. Suggests that major advantages of such a structure include its "slots," which make it like a schema, and its "event…

Interviews farmers in Moshavim, Israel, to examine the need for efficient written communication channels between agricultural extension services and small farmers. Identifies the main problems as a weak distribution system and the necessity for authors of extension pamphlets and brochures to consider the special needs of small farmers. (KEH)

Describes technical writing as a career option, and delineates the most common technical writing positions in a large company: Technical Writer I and II, Senior Technical Writer, Copy Editors, Proofreaders, and Data Entry Operators. Entry requirements and potential for advancement are discussed. (TE)

Details writing problems technical students encounter when they fail to distinguish between model and example and between different kinds of models. Analyzes these problems with reference to inappropriate material in texts. Defines several writing models, and shows how understanding these models gives writers rhetorical flexibility while producing…

A technique for teaching children to gather new facts and ideas or to confirm previously selected information for the purpose of writing reports is described. Semantic mapping, a model for enhancing passage comprehension, is an entire process of reading, recalling, notetaking, organizing ideas, and paragraph writing. (JD)

Describes how project plans, report plans, and decision analysis matrices can help technical writing students analyze their research and develop strategies of presentation before their writing begins. (MM)

Describes how a request for proposals (RFP)--a solicitation of offers to perform a job or service--can be an effective tool to teach proposal writing to technical writing students. (MM)

Discusses creativity and the teacher's importance in providing a context that encourages creative thought. Contrasts the author's success in teaching technical writing to college juniors and seniors with her experiences in using the Macintosh personal computer to teach first year composition. Notes that computers alone cannot stimulate creativity.…

Discusses a preliminary study of the effect of ballot interface design on voting behavior. Finds significant problems related to human factors and the organization of information on the ballot on mechanical and electronic voting machines. (RS)

Suggests that the report for decision making shares some common ground with the proposal, the report of scientific experiment, and the persuasive essay, yet these genres differ. Argues that recognizing these differences is necessary for effective inquiry, pedagogy, and decision making. Claims that complex problems for decision making require a…

This statement of the National Institute of Mental Health Editors' Consortium discourages piecemeal publication of small amounts of data from the same study, requires study authors to inform editors about other manuscripts from the same study, and requires authors to submit copies of closely related manuscripts. (JDD)

Argues that, as the category of "technical products" has expanded and the public's enthusiasm for such products has lessened, marketing writers have begun to reconsider their approaches to technology in ads. Studies two technical ads in detail, and compares the ways in which they portray technology. (SR)

Suggests that it would be a great aid to making technical information usable if technical writers could acquire superpowers on the spot by uttering an acronym formed from the characteristics of USABILITY: User-centered, Sufficient, Accurate, Brief, Instructional, Logical, Informative, Task-oriented, and You, the technical communicator. (RS)