Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos: Using a Rhetorical Heuristic to Mediate Digital-Survey Recruitment Strategies

Martine Courant Rife Lansing Community College

Abstract

How might the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos play a mediational, intervening role in the successful administration of online surveys? What are the general costs and benefits of conducting survey research? Based on the activity of administering an online survey ( <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">N</i> = 334) testing knowledge and understanding of US copyright law among digital writers (both students and teachers) in US technical and professional writing (TPW) programs, I blend Rhetorical Theory with Activity Theory by conducting a rhetorical analysis within an Activity Theory paradigm. I posit that a rhetorically informed heuristic mediates between the researcher and potential participants when the researcher attempts to recruit individuals to respond to an online survey.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2010-09-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2010.2052856
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Cites in this index (9)

  1. Computers and Composition
  2. Rhetoric Review
  3. Written Communication
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 9 →
  1. Argumentation
  2. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
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