Peer review practices of scholarly journals were examined through a survey of 215 members of a professional society in the field of mass communication. Both researchers and referees had mixed feelings about peer review and specific journals and dissatisfaction with the direction and content of research published. (SLD)

Brigham Young University's first-year legal writing course uses professors of small sections to develop and grade assignments and shifts primarily to others the tasks of lecturing on legal writing and teaching legal research. It also provides teaching assistants to lighten the workload. Dividing duties avoids burnout and interference with other…

Describes an experiment designed to determine the reaction of employment interviewers to local lexical and syntactic errors in business and technical writing of non-native speakers of English. Reports that these judges find local syntactic errors more serious than local lexical errors. (MM)

Discusses how readers process text and the implications this processing has for technical writers. Presents guidelines for designing documents so that readers can better understand and apply what they have learned from text. (JAD)

Describes a major reorganization and revision of policies and procedures manuals for Federal Express ground operations employees, occurring as a result of a field study and subsequent usability testing. Finds that usability increased substantially, users were satisfied with the quality of the new manuals, and Federal Express experienced…

A text production model is considered as an instrument for researching the writing strategies of abstractors. Within this framework, abstracting is a subtype of the writer's activities, which are described in terms of text actions. A computer system can be constructed that evaluates and/or supports human text production. (Author/AEF)

Twelve groups of business students met face to face to complete a report; 10 groups used groupware (computerized decision support system). Overall report quality did not differ, although groupware users needed more time. Appearance and appropriate format were rated higher for the face-to-face group, and students found this method easier, faster,…

Describes an assignment in writing documentation that turns the classroom into a laboratory for usability testing, giving students a clear sense of the reader responding to their text. (SR)

Guidelines for creating competency statements for competency-based dental education are offered. They include steps and considerations in defining competency, gaining and organizing information gained from experts, and formatting statements efficiently and clearly. A glossary explains significant terms common in competency-based education and…

Presents a study of the grammatical subjects as used in scientific discourse. Provides evidence that the grammatical subjects in a sample of scientific discourse are markedly long. Identifies three pressures that operate on scientists to produce such markedly long grammatical subjects. (HB)

Reviews James Paradis's analysis of expert knowledge in technical operator's manuals. Demonstrates how professional discourse embodies images of violence and domination. Describes the relationship between ethos and logos in professional discourse. Provides a feminist critique of sex codes in technical communications. (HB)

Describes the current practices in public environmental debate and reform movements as relevant to technical communicators. Reviews a case in which the Mohawk community clashed with the Environmental Protection Agency. Explores the clash of worldviews and shows how a feminist perspective might aid in such a conflict. (HB)

Presents a hand-out given to students at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, concerning expectations and guidelines for finishing laboratory reports. Topics covered are accuracy, data collection, and write-up format that includes introduction, materials utilized, procedures, results, discussion, conclusion, tables and illustrations, units…

Describes a unified case method for teaching professional writing wherein the writing assignments for a semester occurred within and were constrained and shaped by the context of one particular situation. Observes that students were more interested and enthusiastic about their assignments, and the work they produced was more successful. (NH)

Presents bibliographic information on over 600 books, journal articles, review essays, and reviews that treat technical communication within higher education, some postsecondary training, and actual practice. Notes that nearly all entries were published in 1992. (RS)