Suggests having students write letters of inquiry to companies as a practical way to research a specific area and then write for a specific audience. Argues the benefits of this assignment, such as increased student motivation when writing for a real audience rather than a teacher. (SRT)

Describes an assignment for which students must respond in 20 minutes to a memo from their teacher announcing that their class projects are due a week earlier than previously announced. Argues that students learn about the real conditions of memo writing through this exercise. (SRT)

Illustrates how Allen-Bradley Company identified problems with manual writing, scheduling, and graphics and how the company solved those problems by using plain English and clear document design. (DF)

Presents an example of a poorly written memo that students must rewrite and edit for style and organization. The exercise works best with four or five students at a time. (SRT)

A project for Writing Across the Curriculum at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is described as a method to relate the process of writing to the process of learning hydrology. The project focuses on an actual groundwater contamination case and is designed to improve the technical writing skills of students. (JN)

Presents guidelines for reviewing manuscripts submitted for publication. Suggested criteria discussed include: (1) suitability; (2) adequacy; (3) balance; (4) emphasis; and (5) previous work. (DH)

Describes the four general categories of advanced technical writing courses: genre courses, general communication courses, rhetorical theory or history courses, and courses that use special pedagogical techniques or focus on a certain aspect of technical communication. Discusses implications for planning advanced courses. (HTH)

Describes an English instructor's gradual conversion to technical writing instructor and her antipathy toward the inevitable conversion to writing instruction using a computer. (HTH)

Suggests that technical writing students need to be introduced to four important job-oriented concepts: (1) sleuthing (to pinpoint and correct questionable materials); (2) diplomacy (to handle sensitive authors); (3) scheduling (to estimate the time involved to complete a job accurately); and (4) budgeting (to determine job costs). (HTH)

Microcomputers are used in a technical writing course to enhance instructor and student productivity, improve the quality of student writing performance, and prepare young engineers for future on-the-job communication tasks. Describes the microcomputer facility, software, and activities included in the course. Also provides information on the…

Many attempts to secure research funds fail not because the research proposed is itself unsound, but because of failings in the way the application is prepared and presented. Tips for preparing a sound research proposal are provided. (RM)

Notes that while American technical writing texts stress brevity and directness as important characteristics of business correspondence, British texts stress qualities of personality and courtesy, especially in the memo. Shows how to incorporate personality into correspondence, thereby building cooperation among colleagues. (FL)

Outlines five stops that can strengthen technical writing courses and programs within departments of English. (HOD)

Argues that judgments about scientific or technical facts are no more objective than any other judgments. Characterizes the objectivity of such judgments, exploring the consequences of that characterization for writing instruction, and concludes that objectivity is not particularly important in technical writing but is symptomatic of a deplorable…

Discusses several examples of "writing process" research indicating their shortcomings. Points to the work of I. A. Richards as an indication of the kinds of research that should be conducted. (FL)