In contrast to the considerable coverage of research methods and report writing, relatively little attention has been given in the professional literature to the steps that should be taken and issues which may be borne in mind by a researcher seeking to have his or her work published. By addressing ten broad questions reflecting common concerns,…

While the importance of "expressive writing," or informal, self-directed writing, has been well established, teachers underutilize it, particularly in technical writing courses. We introduce the term expressive/exploratory technical writing (XTW), which is the use of informal, self-directed writing to problem-solve in technical fields. We describe…

Although most programs in technical communication reside in English departments where the focus is on writing, rhetoric, and exposition, the graduate certificate program in interactive multimedia at Mercer University is being developed for the Technical Communication Department within the School of Engineering. As a result, many of the…

This book can help those who wish to get ahead in the writing field to chart a course for success. The book outlines job prospects, including new ones relating to computer technology and the "information superhighway," along with completely updated sections on salary and opportunities for advancement. Information is provided about more…

During a year-long ethnography in a workplace setting (a non-profit job and literacy training agency), a study examined how managers learned new genres required in their jobs. There were 2 research questions: (1) what are the specific aspects of a genre to be mastered for effective written communication? and (2) what is the developmental process…

This "Manual of Style" is offered as a guide to assist Nebraska State employees in producing quality written communications and in presenting a consistently professional image of government documents. The manual is not designed to be all-inclusive. Sections of the manual discuss formatting documents, memorandums, letters, mailing…

Position papers and reports from workshop groups in this proceedings are based on the theme of articulation goals for technical communication programs. Papers in the proceedings included two position papers prepared to initiate discussion: "Education or Training? Issues for Certificate Programs in Technical Communication" (Henrietta…

Based on the theme of recruiting, tenuring, and promoting technical communication faculty, this proceedings presents the agenda for the 1989 annual meeting of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTSC), a report on the annual business meeting, and a proposal to create a CPTSC Program Review Board. Appendixes present…

Intended for the average American beset by rising costs, this handbook/manual/guide to proposal writing for grants is designed to help individuals and groups develop a game plan to get a grant to finance a wide array of ideas and projects. The guide takes the individual step-by-step through each stage of the fund-raising process, so that even the…

It is argued that expressive writing strategies, particularly those used by New Journalists, may eventually serve as models for case reporting in social science research. New Journalism refers to a movement begun in the 1960's that strives to reveal the story hidden beneath surface facts. It involves the use of fictive techniques applied to the…

At New Mexico State University, technical communication teachers have developed a course to teach editing processes to graduate students who take the advanced workshop in technical and professional communication. In this seminar group, students work on writing processes; editing processes; written, edited, and tested products; and oral processes…

Analyzes science textbooks and their writing assignments. Suggests that teachers introduce students to different writing styles and demonstrate diagramming (explained in the article) or some other method for organizing materials. (LS)

Describes a course required for Mayo Medical School students that includes a self-instructional test on 15 common writing faults, a minithesis, and a clinical laboratory research project prepared as a paper submissible to a scientific journal and critiqued by professional editors. (JT)

Efforts to simplify language used in consumer documents come from the consumer movement and a public disillusioned with big business and government. Even before President Carter's 1978 executive order mandating simplification in government regulations, some agencies were revising regulations for clarity. However, these efforts were based on too…

An ethnographic study used M. M. Bakhtin's language theory of socially rooted multiple voices to compare the group-writing processes of two corporate documents. Data were collected during a 5-month participant observation of the production processes of a 504-word executive letter, which took 55 days from first draft to approval, and a 1,851-word…