Recommends including an introductory public relations course in technical communication programs to dispel the widely held but inaccurate view that technical communications and public relations are entirely different endeavors. Stresses that including the public relations course would help eliminate misconceptions regarding both fields, and…

Suggests general principles for developing assignments where students prepare portfolios that reveal their overall communication skills in addition to the usual job search tools. Emphasizes that students should concentrate on including works in the portfolio with the criteria of quality, variety, professionalism, and maturity in mind. (SKC)

Describes a number system of commenting on technical writing assignments, where students must look up the comment number on a photocopied key. Provides a sample of the comment numbers and their translations, which cover both general grammatical errors and specific style, information content, and specific assignment difficulties. (SKC)

Based on the results of research concerning the characteristics of adults as learners and theory of individual learning styles, suggests that software documentation should be organized with a flexible format, and with content that relates each piece of software to the user's relevant past experience. (SKC)

Proposes that by incorporating concepts derived from contemporary genre theory, textbooks and courses in business writing might move away from categorical production rules for the manufacture of specific genres and move toward a more dialogic and reader-centered pedagogy. (SKC)

Isolates the variable of research writing as a means of defining an "advanced composition program." Concludes that advanced composition courses should focus on specialized writing. (MS)

Traces the epistemic trend in rhetorical theory through the literature of four disciplines: new physics, reader response criticism, history of classical rhetoric, and composition theory. Sheds light on the philosophical and pedagogical implications of the epistemic trend for teaching scientific writing as a subjective and social process. (SKC)

Offers tips for teaching technical and business writing to corporate employees, including (1) using writing samples from the host organization, (2) keeping technical requirements simple, and (3) teaching in clearly stated blocks of time. (JC)

Describes problem definition in academic writing as existing on a continuum, with literary interpretation near one end and scientific writing near the other. Examines the consequences of this for undergraduate literature and composition assignments. (SRT)

Word processing software can accommodate the writing deficiencies of high-functioning, learning-disabled college students, but documentation frequently needs revision for increased user-friendliness, better instructional layout, less complex syntax, and repetition of key concepts. A sample revision of one program is presented, focusing on switch…

Presents a descriptive exercise, also useful for technical writing, that provides a real reader and a strong sense of the nature of descriptive writing. Students are given sketches of an art piece that they must describe for a museum for identification. (HTH)

Describes a technical writing assignment designed to teach (1) audience awareness, (2) strategies for analytical problem solving, (3) an understanding of the patterns of organization that make the information clear to the intended audience, and (4) a mastery of the editing skills needed to make writing correct and concise. (SRT)

Provides a method of classifying and exemplifying the types of discrepancies which are commonly found after comparisons of the content of scientific papers with their bibliographies. Lists and explains some of the major discrepancies and offers strategies for dealing with the problems. (ML)

Presents highlights from a panel discussion by well known San Francisco Bay area documentation writers, instructional designers, and human performance technologists. Three issues on user performance and documentation are addressed: whether people avoid reading user manuals and why; major human factors influencing documentation use; and…

Presents a set of descriptive models for teaching paragraph development in English as a second language (ESL) writing classes based on the "given/new contract," a theory of information distribution developed text linguists. Discusses applications of the models to ESL composition classes, particularly scientific and technical writing classes. (SED)