Investigates the feasibility of using sub-headings similar to those found in structured abstracts to facilitate the writing and reading of scientific papers. Claims the use of sub-headings: (1) forces the writer to make sure no issue is forgotten; and (2) enables the reader to search for and find information more easily. (NH)

Examines the changing role of the technical communication professional in the rapidly evolving environment of organizational life. Presents five principles that serve as an initial step in laying a foundation for the preparation of technical communicators for the challenges and opportunities awaiting in contemporary organizations and the…

Explains a writing assignment in which students select chemical reactions relevant to their lives and use them to write a critical analysis paper. (YDS)

By this time of the year, springtime rituals are blossoming like begonias, and that's true for higher education, too. Students move inexorably toward the end of another year; professors get ready for summer session; and in campus technology departments, CIOs and other decision-makers furiously set their plans to purchase hardware and software for…

This article presents evidence that, from selected spectroscopic articles in the earliest volumes of the Physical Review to other selected spectroscopic articles from the same journal in 1980, a shift in sentence style takes place. This shift is from what M.A.K. Halliday calls the dynamic style (which reflects happenings, processes, and actions)…

In this article, the author explains the importance of annual reporting on the status of professional development programs in the district. An annual evaluation report serves at least three functions: (1) it can help respond to a growing demand for data on results; (2) it provides historical documentation; and (3) it can be a powerful catalyst for…

Writing in its many forms is the signature means of communication in the 21st century. This simple truth heightens the urgency to help all of our nation's students become strong writers and effective communicators. The National Writing Project (NWP) pursues this goal by focusing the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of the nation's educators on…

This paper documents the beginnings of an effort to increase the diversity of technical communication in the Pacific Northwest. An ad hoc committee of technical communicators came together for this purpose because they believe that greater diversity will help technical communicators better understand and reach audiences from a wide variety of…

This book for doctoral students is designed to provide direct, in-depth support for learning about qualitative research. The data sources for the book are reflections of research correspondents who describe their experiences with choosing qualitative research methodologies for their thesis research. The book begins with a chapter about "the end,"…

Designed to be useful in the preparation of a research proposal, a culmination report of completed research, a thesis or a dissertation, this paper discusses each chapter of these various reports and offers samples of what is typically included under each subheading. Sections of the paper address the "problem" (including problem…

English is the second-largest major at the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Washington). Students may choose one of three emphases within their major: literature, creative writing, or professional writing. Puget Sound's professional writing program has grown gradually and slowly over the last 11-year period to include an array of 10 professional…

One of the more difficult elements to teach well in the introductory technical writing classroom is rhetorical form. Although textbooks have gotten much better than in the past at teaching this element, some still imply that structure is a matter of filling up a set form with content. One way to help students avoid this difficulty is to introduce…

Based on a collaboration between an instructor and an undergraduate student for two different documentation projects, this paper discusses the difference between the language systems of writers and supervisors designing or choosing training materials and documentation and what the research says about the real needs for the documentation. The paper…

This edition of the Public Relations Bibliography includes titles, citations, and annotations of literature with 1988 and 1989 publication dates classified under 26 different topics from business responsibility through writing. Selection of the approximately 600 journal articles and books included in the bibliography was guided by a broad…

This article analyzes post-accident investigation reports from a feminist perspective, showing how a feminist interpretation can change the way technical writers look at expertise and evidence. In comparing formal documentation of mine inspection reports with women's testimony about conditions in the mines, the article shows: (1) how the…