The purpose of this paper is to help prepare the teacher of technical writing who is thinking of becoming an industrial consultant. The paper surveys five areas that frequently pose problems for consultants: establishing goals, extracting information from technologists and from source materials, assimilating the information, translating the…

To understand the specific differences between technical writing and ordinary writing, it is helpful to consider five definitions cited by W. Earl Britton: (1) technical writing deals with subject matter in science, engineering, and business; (2) it demands a specialized vocabulary, particularly of adjectives and nouns; (3) it involves a tightly…

This glossary of over 800 environmental terms was prepared specifically for Bureau of Reclamation personnel who write and review environmental assessments and environmental impact statements. The document is designed to ensure that the terminology of various disciplines is understood by all specialists and is used in a consistent manner. Included…

This publication lists, by state, those science communication courses and programs that appear to teach science communication for general audiences. Institutions offering science communication courses or programs are identified and the courses or programs are described. Information given in description of the courses or programs includes: (1)…

A training program for technical writers, in which a specialized information focus is used to ask questions about a text in the process of writing and revising, is the subject of this paper. The unique aspects of technical writing are defined according to the process whereby readers extract information from text. Reader expectations are classified…

The purpose of this book is to teach technical writing to social scientists. The authors argue that too few social scientists take enough care with words that are outside the technical vocabulary of the social sciences. Chapters discuss such topics as: the need for better social science writing, planning what is to be written, writing sentences…

This paper examines technical writing at the high school level and suggests methods of teaching technical writing to students. Such topics are discussed as demonstration, mechanism description, causal analysis, detail, spatial order, and chronological order. It is argued that writing about objects can sharpen a writer's powers of observation and…

Guidelines for preparing monographs, short interpretive papers, and bibliographies for the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading are given in Part I. Special considerations which are discussed concerning monographs are (1) identification of the problem area, (2) focus, (3) audience, (4) research base, (5) treatment of the research, (6) comprehensiveness,…

The present dictionary is the first of a series of Chinese-English technical dictionaries under preparation by the Aerospace Technology Division of the Library of Congress. The purpose of the series is to provide rapid reference tools for translators, abstractors, and research analysts concerned with scientific and technical materials published in…

A game based on Parker Brothers'"Monopoly" provides a teaching device which helps technical writing students learn to arrange their scientific knowledge logically so that their report conclusions seem inevitable. Each of eight previously written reports is divided into four segments which are then substituted for the properties on the game board.…

Several articles present suggestions on how to prepare a sound proposal for foundation or government funding. The special characteristics of foundations are described, and information is given on matters of policy and personal relationships. A sample proposal serves to illustrate the basic sections found in most proposals. The university offices…

Research was conducted to show that the computer can assist human beings in determining which words in a Navy training manual need further clarification. The computer scanned a chapter of a training manual (9800 words long) and separated all words of two or more syllables into an "assumed audience vocabulary" (i.e., words the audience would be…

Summarizes the results of a conference at which program heads evaluated technical communications offerings. (RB)