A recurring question in the study of the specialized English used in various technical disciplines is the degree to which contextual variables--including subject matter--account for the particular distributions of lexicogrammatical features in texts of different disciplines. Two contextual variables related to role relationships in the semiotic…

This report presents the results of internal and external surveys of engineers and scientists at Langley Research Center and in the academic and industrial communities concerning the format of technical reports of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After stating the purpose of the study and defining the terms, the report…

To assess the context in which information is presented to readers and to know what demands information being presented makes of an audience, IBM designed three procedures to help gather such material. First, customer sites are visited to interview representatives from the intended audience and see the environments in which the information will be…

A study was conducted to examine the collaborative writing process of a group of executives at a financially unstable computer software company as they wrote a business plan to encourage investment in the company and to determine how the process affected the corporate structure. Data were collected from field notes, tape recorded meetings, open…

These guidelines are directed to writers of United States Department of Housing and Urban Development publications intended for public distribution. The primary purpose of the guidelines is to improve writing style and to increase sensitivity to the consumer viewpoint. Section one discusses the following topics: looking at the subject from a…

The author presents a systematic format for reducing variations between numerous performance objectives to their component parts, with the view that the teacher, student, and/or administrator will be better able to understand all the possible combinations that develop in objective writing as each teacher teaches in a personal way. Writing course…

This handbook has been prepared for teacher educators involved in designing instructional modules in competency-based teacher education programs. Its contents present: (1) a rationale for competency-based teacher education and instructional modules; (2) an overview of the handbook; (3) explanation of the hierarchy of structure existing from single…

This bibliography lists and annotates textbooks that may be used in teaching technical and scientific writing, as well as a few select anthologies that may be used as supplements to a basic text. Each entry is coded to indicate the level or levels at which it may be used most successfully: secondary level, two-year college level, or junior/senior…

The material reviewed in the 37 articles and papers listed here suggests that responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards for writing among college students is a college-wide burden. The articles are of two kinds: some deal directly with the questions of interdepartmental responsibility for teaching writing; others touch on the…

This volume provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to writing an effective resume. It emphasizes the importance of expressing accomplishment in relation to job responsibilities and recommends a resume form and style which allow clear exposition of the subject's career. Discussion focuses on the ten basic types of resumes: basic,…

A new computerized interpretation system for the 16PF is described. (Author)

Membership in a technical writing consortium is advantageous both to the local university and to the neighboring community colleges because the consortium guarantees accreditation of the community college courses while increasing enrollment in the advanced technical writing courses and internship programs of the university. An area-wide consortium…

As part of an evaluation of its scientific and technical information program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted a review and analysis of structural, language, and presentation components of its technical report form. The investigation involved comparing and contrasting NASA's publications standards for technical…

Technical writing instructors at Drexel University (Pennsylvania) use computers to excite students about something they usually regard as a chore. Most of the students are engineering majors, but do not necessarily know how to use a computer. However, they accept the necessity of following a logical set of commands, and that every program must be…

Current training in writing for business and industry usually takes the form of short courses. However, the short course is an inappropriate way to teach writing because it is inefficient, represents writing behaviors or strategies inappropriate for some writers, rarely allows time for adequate criticism and revision, presents too much material in…