Written Communication Jan 2026

Model as Missed Opportunity for Writing Transfer During Career Change

Jessica McCaughey George Washington University

Abstract

This article draws on narratives of 45 career-change professionals and explores the use of models as onboarding tools through the lens of writing transfer and the crucial rhetorical thinking and metacognition that it requires. These interviews show that the use of models often limits the opportunity for writing transfer for these professionals by deemphasizing the “invention” phase while they learn to write new documents in their new workplaces. The article argues that invention, rooted in rhetorical thinking, in the workplace can be a prompt for writing transfer, which is often difficult for new communicators in professional settings. The author suggests ways to position students as advocates of invention-related practices in their future workplaces, so that writing transfer might happen more seamlessly.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2026-01-01
DOI
10.1177/07410883251372211
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Topics
rhetorical criticism transfer
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