Document ownership attributions often have direct consequences for evaluation, in both classrooms and workplaces. But when writers work collaboratively, ownership attributions are not straightforward. This study, about how and why collaborative writers make such attributions, reports that interviewed workplace writers emphasized product criteria (quality and liability), while surveyed student writers emphasized process criteria (teamwork and workload). A review of previous research suggests that such a difference may result from cultural differences between the academy and the workplace. That analysis further suggests how both instructors and practitioners could help newcomers make successful transitions to professional writing, by foregrounding ownership attitudes.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Two recent books that extend the claim that scientific inquiry is rhetorical are compared and contrasted: Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers Through Society by Bruno Latour, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1987, and The Rhetoric of Science by Alan G. Gross, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990. Latour argues the importance of social networks in science: claims become facts when numerous resources and allies are gathered to support them. Gross applies rhetoric as defined by Aristotle to scientific texts and argues that the claims of science are solely the products of persuasion.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

It is shown that the state of the art in proposal preparation makes available a wide array of techniques and devices to help make the proposal compliant, clear, convincing, and appealing. The techniques discussed are modular format, topical outlining, topic thesis sentences, required figures for topics, graphics oriented (GO) charts, figure enrichment, expanded figure titles, phrased topic titles, action topic titles, key issues visuals and lead topics, topic level storyboards, group wall review of storyboards, proposal manager's win strategy worksheets and customer's requirements worksheets, section level win strategy worksheets, compliance control system and worksheets, and early red team reviewing. In particular, the Sequential Topical Organization of Proposals (STOP) system, which introduced the modular format and topical storyboarding, is described.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The author examines 22 experimental usability studies that appeared between 1980 and 1989. The discussion takes two directions: analysis of fundamental aspects of research coherence and unity by assessing the extent to which researchers jointly pursue a logical sequence of questions and the extent to which they integrate findings from prior studies into their own designs; and assessment of how trends in sample selection, size, and composition limit the strength of research conclusions. Ten years' worth of choices about samples show that a cumulative laxity in these choices has greatly constrained what one confidently can say experimental studies have proven about effective hard copy documentation. The author concludes by offering 13 recommended design strategies for future usability research.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The field of software documentation is reviewed by examining manual writing before and after 1985. Changes in the field include an increased emphasis on satisfaction of users, improved management strategies and improved design techniques. Three books on software documentation published since 1988 are surveyed, and it is argued that the trends after 1985 reinforce a social constructionist view of documentation.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Social constructionist theories suggest that scientific knowledge is the product of socially created conceptual frameworks. These theories have influenced the study of scientific writing because of their emphasis on persuasion and consensus. These issues are developed by the authors of three recent books: Gould demonstrates the social nature of science; Bazerman shows the social nature of the development of scientific genres; and Myers explores scientific writing as socially mediated narratives.

The author examines the fundamental conflict between controlling the dissemination of scientific and technical data and promoting openness and peer review of the data. She focuses on the control of unclassified scientific and technical data for national security purposes. She explains the reasons for such controls, the federal government's policies, and how some foreign governments deal with this problem. She summarizes and evaluates the arguments for and against controls and presents some recommendations for the current administration.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The problem known as bypassing is explored using a historical example, the medical term 'antiseptics', to show the impact that bypassing can have on communication of technical information. The term antiseptics was in use for over 150 years before Joseph Lister adopted it in the 1860s to describe his system of surgical treatment. A review of published responses of Canadian doctors to Lister's writings indicates that confusion arose because of the fundamentally different perceptions of the term for Lister and his audience.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

During the Iran-Contra hearings the following exchange occurred between Lewis A. Tambs, former Ambassador to Costa Rica, and Sen. George J. Mitchell:

A few years ago I attended the Technical Writing Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (that's TWIRP, unfortunately) which runs concurrently with the Technical Writing Institute for Teachers (TWIT, to double the ignominy). Although the Institutes share a foyer and a few major speakers, they have different directors (one of whom is Lee Odell, co-editor of the anthology above), and for the most part their respective attendees participate in separate sessions. When the coffee break is over, it's TWITs to the left, TWIRPs to the right.

Reviews of several electronic dictionaries are presented. As part of the review process, to determine how up-to-date these dictionaries are, the reviewer chose 50 words (such as artificial intelligence, backplane, digital switching, graded-index fiber, and virtual circuit) that he believed should be in a recent dictionary, even though a writing/publishing cycle could take up to 3 years. Then the dictionaries were checked against this list to arrive at a Current Factor for each.

By surveying a sample of 116 articles and six book reviews, the author shows how contributors described the purposes of engineering writing, the engineering writer's audience, and the engineering writer's task.

“The first edition emphasized techniques for sound writing and successful publishing that aid the professional development of the engineer. In the present edition I decided to add several chapters to serve the same purpose.” Engineers and teachers who are familiar with Herbert Michaelson's first edition might wonder about his motives for writing a second. The answer, as this statement from his new preface indicates, is that he decided to add some new content to the original. The result is to make a useful book even better.

Criteria are established that can be used to evaluate any book that promises to explain how one should go about writing documentation. Eight new books on the topic of computer user documentation were published in late 1984 and the first half of 1985. Only those new books that are either better than the books that have appeared previously or that offer something new and important are recommended. Comparing these books, the author considers the qualities that would constitute a perfect book on computer user documentation and judges which of those available come closest to the mark.

This issue's book review section features a review by R. John Brockmann, the author of eight books recently published on the topic of computer documentation. His article is especially noteworthy because it also establishes criteria we can use to evaluate any book that promises to explain how we should go about writing documentation.

Here is one aspect of technical communication that has seldom been explored in such revealing depth. Indeed, Sternberg makes a deep penetration of the ways to prepare a successful dissertation and still keep your sanity.

It is argued that, with today's growing emphasis on audience analysis in technical communication, there needs to be a sharper focus on the informational needs of various audiences; much empirical study is needed to provide a fuller definition and understanding of the nature of these informational needs and how they directly affect the writing done. Effective upward management communication is directly dependent on the quality of communication moving downward in the organization to the staff, and on how staff is made to understand the decision-making role and informational needs of the management reader. Of all the people involved in technical communications, the manager of the writers may be best equipped to determine the informational needs of readers, especially those of upper management. A brief review of two empirical studies conducted by the author demonstrates the value of such studies and encourages others to undertake similar studies.

Amidst the proliferation of books for the technical writer it is a pleasure to see an old tried and true favorite, Basic Technical Writing, re-enter the field in its Fifth Edition. The new version is handsomely produced and printed in beautiful typographical style.

I came to Holcombe's and Stein's new book, Presentations for Decision Makers, after having read and reviewed their earlier book, Report Writing for Decision Makers (IEEE Trans. Prof. Commun., 27(1):47). Therefore, before I opened it, I couldn't resist guessing about several features I thought I would find in the new book. It would have, I (correctly) predicted, a strong emphasis on • Careful audience analysis • The composing process • Visual techniques to develop and refine logical and effective organizational patterns.

Anyone is the business of soliciting, writing, or evaluating proposals should have a copy of this manual nearby; it addresses both proposals and feasibility studies.

Experience at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University indicates that students in engineering and science need a course in technical writing. A one-quarter course there begins with a review of general editing principles, based on Strunk and White's `Elements of Style', and an introduction to specific principles of organizing and editing technical material. Students then write a series of assignments using specific formats, such as technical descriptions, memos, instructions, letters, proposals, and formal reports or articles.

Edward Tufte states in his introduction, “Graphics are instruments for reasoning about quantitative information.” This book is for those who have never considered the combined use of points, lines, coordinate systems, numbers, symbols, words, shading, and color. It covers the two and one-half centuries of evolution since the legendary William Playfair began the development of a language of graphic design.

MY first PCS conference impressed me in several ways. I noticed especially the diverse backgrounds and affiliations of those attending the conference. And I was impressed by their interest in both sharing and gathering information.

The subtitle of this book is “Reference Guide and Workbook for the Design, Planning, Estimating and Production of Printing and Print Advertising.” Only 36 pages long, Graphics master 2 may well be the Strunk and White of the graphics world. A reviewer quoted in the book's foreword calls it “the best print production workbook ever published.”

Guidelines are provided for the preparation of book reviews of scientific and technical books. A comprehensive checklist of the principal issues dealt with in book reviews, developed from a survey of published book reviews, is included.

This book uses as a springboard the studies conducted by Roger Sperry and associates at the California Institute of Technology during the 1950s and '60s, who determined that the two hemispheres of the brain “employ different methods or modes of processing information.” Studies of the left and right hemispheres still abound, appearing in recent national publications and still affecting the teaching of cognitive theory. As Dr. Edwards searched for a better way to teach her students to learn to draw well, she settled on the premise that one can consciously learn a specific set of skills, such as drawing, by exercising the right hemisphere of the brain — the creative side we normally associate with intuition and talent rather than conscious learning.

The technical report and proposal are strategic documents that must cogently define, rationalize, and sell their high-technology products in the world of competitive procurement. Because these documents are created by group authorship, there is a need to coordinate the multiple engineer-authors, provide them with strategy information, and help them develop arguments that justify their design approaches. Conventional methods of subject outlining, trial-and-error writing, and post-manuscript reviewing do not cope with these needs. The Stop (Sequential Thematic Organization of Proposals) technique applies five principles to solve this problem: It (1) recognizes the passage unit of discourse to gain expository-descriptive coherence; (2) uses the essay (with thesis sentence) to enhance strategic discussion; (3) restricts outlining to establishing topical architecture and introduces prewriting (via storyboards) to discover and exercise argument, explanation, and visualization; (4) uses pre-reviewing (via real-time, walk-through group dynamics) to permit team/corporate review of the story plan prior to manuscript drafting; and (5) stresses group writing to infuse both the marketing and the technical strategy and design approach into the document. Twenty years of applying STOP has shown it to be a thoroughly practical system, even though intellectually demanding and unforgiving of lazy writing. This paper reviews the principles, practices (including misconceptions), and lessons of STOP as developed, refined, and learned during those years.

When reviewing someone else's document, the reviewer is supposed to help the writer achieve the major objective of the paper, i.e., to communicate effectively with the reader. This paper provides guidelines that enable a reviewer to make a positive contribution by raising questions that lead the author. Most of the paper is concerned with measuring readability and style with minor emphasis on grammar.

These four new books can be divided into basically two groups. The Skees and Van Duyn books are reference handbooks that give the reader a generalized view of good documentation. These books claim to enable the data processing documentation writer to handle any and all problems that can arise in the area of writing. They begin with a section on the mechanics of writing and some considerations of general document development, and they conclude with a quick overview of how to apply these general considerations in some specific documentation situations such as reports, procedures, manuals, proposals, or technical articles for publication.

Teachers who consider adopting Technically-Write! must make a crucial decision: Can a technical writing course thrive on a single, elaborate fiction? If the answer is “Yes,” this textbook is well worth considering.

A short review of the Fog Index shows how to determine the approximate reading-skill level required by your writing. Consciousness of word length and sentence length helps adapt writing to a particular audience.