Journal of Writing Research Feb 2014 OA PDF

Writing in the workplace: Constructing documents using multiple digital sources

M. Leijten ; L. Van Waes ; K. Schriver ; J.R. Hayes

Abstract

In today’s workplaces professional communication often involves constructing documents from multiple digital sources—integrating one’s own texts/graphics with ideas based on others’ text/graphics. This article presents a case study of a professional communication designer as he constructs a proposal over several days. Drawing on keystroke and interview data, we map the professional’s overall process, plot the time course of his writing/design, illustrate how he searches for content and switches among optional digital sources, and show how he modifies and reuses others’ content. The case study reveals not only that the professional (1) searches extensively through multiple sources for content and ideas but that he also (2) constructs visual content (charts, graphs, photographs) as well as verbal content, and (3) manages his attention and motivation over this extended task. Since these three activities are not represented in current models of writing, we propose their addition not just to models of communication design, but also to models of writing in general.

Journal
Journal of Writing Research
Published
2014-02-01
DOI
10.17239/jowr-2014.05.03.3
CompPile
Open Access
OA PDF Diamond
Topics
professional writing qualitative research
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (15)

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  5. DeJeu (2024)
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  1. Liao et al. (2024)
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  2. Schneier (2023)
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  3. Conijn et al. (2022)
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  4. Latif (2021)
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  5. Bowen et al. (2020)
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  6. Smet et al. (2018)
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  7. Bivens et al. (2018)
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  8. Ranalli et al. (2018)
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  9. Waes et al. (2015)
    Fluency in Writing: A Multidimensional Perspective on Writing Fluency Applied t…
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  10. Spinuzzi et al. (2015)
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References (0)

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