Reviews recent articles focusing on the controversy surrounding the appropriateness of readability formulas for technical writing. Suggests that further research should be conducted to study empirically how readability as a concept might be used to aid the technical writer since readability formulas are shaping computerized editing programs. (KEH)

Argues against both overly broad and excessively narrow definitions for the term "technical writing." Suggests that a definition would be useful for clarifying the bounds of technical writing. Argues, however, that it is better to keep the field intact with experience-based ideas of what technical writing encompasses. (SG)

Applies speech act theory to professional writing. Argues that speech act theory supports the use of an explanation in composing negative messages and also provides a useful classification of such explanations based on five universal strategies for politely refusing requests. Notes that this classification illuminates novice writers' problems in…

Offers suggestions for librarians with minimal knowledge of library system applications faced with the task of writing technical specifications for various phases of online catalog procurement and implementation. The discussion covers the preparation of technical specifications and the formulation of requirements to be included in a library's…

Describes the University of New Mexico's undergraduate writing program which provides a concentration in professional writing, offering students vocational and humanistic preparation by teaching skills and critically examining the contexts of their writing. Concludes that the English curriculum should accept the complementary importance of writing…

Describes a model of visual communication which provides a framework for teaching students to analyze and design technical documents as visual systems. Notes that by integrating the writing and design processes, students can adapt visual language to the rhetorical variables of each communication task. (MM)

Describes how creating "mythical machines" can develop students' technical writing skills. Describes how students work in groups to produce documents for various purposes related to their machine. (MM)

Unmotivated and/or slow learning high-school students learned to effectively use consumer information sources by writing reports that justified the hypothetical purchase of a particular automobile. Presented are procedures for setting up the project, a timeline/lesson plan for the unit, grading system, and outcomes. (JDD)

Urges English teachers in community colleges to be familiar with and participate in core program curricula, and to design assignments tailored to students' professional needs, thus improving students' motivation and learning. (SR)

Examines how amplification (rhetorical techniques by which discourse is extended to enhance its appeal and information value) tends to increase and improve the coverage, rationale, warnings, behavioral alternatives, examples, previews, and general emphasis of technical manuals. Shows how classical and modern rhetorical theories can be applied to…

Describes elements in a teacher-training program for graduate assistants teaching business and technical writing at Miami University in Ohio, including preparatory seminars, apprentice-teaching with mentoring by master teachers, and supportive evaluation. Notes that these strategies can be adapted to other programs in which graduate students teach…

Explores the writing model developed by Linda Flower and John Hayes, examining its usefulness in studying workplace writing from the social perspective. Finds that the model is a valuable tool from the cognitive perspective of composition research but notes its limitations in describing the group processes of collaborative writing. (MG)

Describes the process and consequences of switching from a career in college English to the technical writing profession. (MM)

Relates problems of law text comprehensibility to the legislative writing process. Describes the drafting of three pieces of Swedish consumer legislation at different stages. Summarizes and analyzes the results in relation to rhetorical and sociolinguistic theories of writing. (SR)

Reports on the results of survey research designed to determine how students feel about peer assistance and group writing. Finds that results were generally favorable, although more problems surfaced regarding collaborative projects than peer criticism. States that statistical analysis of objective and open-ended items yielded suggestions for…