Notes that recent work in argumentation has emphasized social and disciplinary influences on argumentative discourse, that rhetoricians have also been debating the role of good reasons in argument, and that the informal logic movement has shown increasing awareness of the rhetorical dimensions of argument. (SKC)

Investigates the effectiveness of the prose communication in contemporary corporate annual reports. Indicates that a sample of 65 Canadian annual reports for 1984 were classified as "difficult" to "very difficult" and beyond the fluent comprehension ease of 92 percent of the adult population and 56 percent of the investor…

Discusses the term "process" using definitions from a small desk dictionary. Claims that communication theory reflects a process point of view. Describes how most models of the communication process are similar to that delineated by Aristotle. Discusses current business communication texts in light of these models. (JD)

Suggests that those who feel the need for competency testing in their program should find or construct a test that reflects the faculty's expectations, locate a coordinator to put the test into the curriculum, and find ways to bring the marginal student up to expectations. (EL)

Discusses the binder method approach to teaching business report writing, explains its basic procedures, its organizational advantages, its time saving qualilty, and its adaptation to more than one user at different locations or different times. (EL)

Encourages business communication teachers to consider teaching a consulting course to people already in business and industry. Provides a set of directions for planning the first consulting course and suggestions for the course content. (EL)

Describes a game-like writing exercise that uses the principle of "divide and conquer" to teach technical description. (PD)

Suggests that technical writing teachers can use the "classics" of scientific literature to discuss science as rhetoric, effectively challenging major assumptions concerning the objectivity of science. Explores several sources on the relationship of the philosophy, history, and sociology of science to technical writing and rhetoric and how to…

Compares successive versions of research proposals prepared by two different biologists to show how, in revisions of their texts, they altered their personae and their relations to the literature of their fields. (FL)

Focuses on computers and adult learners and (1) establishes the need for addressing the use of computer technology with adult learners; (2) reports on a survey that addressed computer access, interest, and experience; and (3) offers some perceptions about special needs of adults as new computer users. (HTH)

Describes the experiences of the director of translation services at a French engineering company specializing in nuclear power plants. English-speaking translators with technical training were recruited from British and U.S. universities. Collaboration is required between the translators and the French author of the engineering documents, and…

Reveals positive perceptions of business communication teachers toward the use of personal computers in the classroom. Discusses implications for efforts to integrate computers in business communication courses. (EL)

Presents the results of a nationwide survey to determine current conditions in the teaching of technical communication in two-year colleges. Discusses number of courses, teachers, and years offered as well as enrollments, prerequisites, purposes of courses, transferability, departments offering such courses, textbooks, and major units of study.…

Offers a plan for developing student editing skills in the beginning technical writing class. Suggests guidelines that parallel the revision-oriented heuristics of such scholars as Michael Flanigan and Linda Flower. (FL)

Compares what 17 early technical writing textbooks have to say about style and audience with three modern texts. Concludes that the field of technical writing has not progressed very far in these two areas and calls for an increased emphasis on rhetorical invention, audience analysis, and style selection. (FL)