Points out the advantages of special technical writing courses for foreign graduate students and describes successful approaches used in teaching such a course. (GW)

Reports the results of a survey of prominent and successful engineers regarding the importance of courses on technical writing. Results indicate that 24 percent of an engineer's time is spent writing and 31 percent of his time is spent reading technical writing. (SL)

Presents an exercise which teaches students a systematized procedure for evaluating their own term papers in order to improve and rewrite them. (MB)

Presents guidelines for teaching grammar and business communication theory and principles in a basic course in business-letter writing. (KS)

Incorporates writing a journal article into a business report writing course as a coassignment to the analytical report. Argues that the business article lends "real-life" relevance to the report assignment and allows students to make double use of their reports' research, findings, and analyses. (MS)

Claims the primary trait scoring method offers an efficient and effective way to grade student papers. Also suggests primary trait scoring can be useful for commenting on rough drafts, and for evaluating assignments throughout the business communication curriculum. (MS)

Examines commonly held notions about writing negative messages and suggests that these notions could be improved by incorporating research in audience analysis and interpersonal communication. Argues that letter writing is not simply information transfer. (MS)

Suggests that the loss of early American rhetorical traditions encouraged approaches to writing that emphasized prescriptive rules without acknowledging the art involved in the process, but that current "practical rhetoric" is more aligned with the art of composing and is both theoretically and empirically based. (SKC)

Stresses the importance of teaching prospective technical writers to develop, organize, and present a technical communications portfolio. Provides a checklist on portfolio construction for students. (ARH)

The current state of research into augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems is reviewed, and four dimensions of the study of communication handicap are described: structural, developmental, pragmatic (interaction), and technological. Recommendations regarding standardized research reporting procedures are offered in light of the…

Claims that the controversy about whether writing is a process or a product is largely unnecessary because writing is clearly both. States that the real argument in the profession regards what constitutes (1) useful research, (2) the tools needed to do it, and (3) the vocabulary within which it should be conducted. (JD)

Discusses the appropriateness of the process method for the business writer. Describes how the method might be taught in a business communication course. (JD)

Describes a writing assignment for which students must write a letter of application and a resume based on a fictitious biography and the text from an job advertisement. (SRT)

Discusses some problems academics must grapple with if they decide to consult--problems with opinions of departmental administration and colleagues, loyalty toward clients, the law, client loyalty, and family. (EL)

Presents a method for teaching report writing that first establishes the order followed when writing a good business report and then presents, in reverse order, the steps of gathering information, interpreting information, and organizing information. (SRT)