Written Communication Jul 1989

An Engineer's Writing and the Corporate Construction of Knowledge

DOROTHY A. WINSOR

Abstract

Previous research on the writing process in the workplace has given inadequate attention to the collaborative nature of work in an organization. Examination of the processes an engineer goes through as he writes a routine and a non-routine document shows that those processes are strongly affected by the degree to which his company has previously accepted the claims he makes as given or as knowledge. Claims are established as knowledge in an organization by being “inscribed,” that is, by having a series of increasingly general symbolic representations assigned to them by a series of writers at work. The inscribing process both resembles the writing process and affects it.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1989-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088389006003002
Open Access
Closed
Topics
affect and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (24)

  1. Read (2020)
    How to Build a Supercomputer: U.S. Research Infrastructure and the Documents Th…
    Written Communication
  2. Bivens et al. (2018)
    Coordinating Distributed Memory
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Steiner (2011)
    The Communication Habits of Engineers: A Study of How Compositional Style and T…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Hovde (2010)
    Creating Procedural Discourse and Knowledge for Software Users: Beyond Translat…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Angouri et al. (2008)
    This Is Too Formal for Us...
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 24 →
  1. Jones (2005)
    From Writers to Information Coordinators
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Dannels (2003)
    Teaching and Learning Design Presentations in Engineering
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Hovde (2000)
    Tactics for Building Images of Audience in Organizational Contexts
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Smith (2000)
    Strength in the Technical Communication Journals and Diversity in the Serials Cited
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Dannels (2000)
    Learning to Be Professional
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  6. Smart (1999)
    Storytelling in a Central Bank
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  7. WINSOR (1998)
    Rhetorical Practices in Technical Work
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  8. FABER (1998)
    Toward a Rhetoric of Change
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  9. GUNNARSSON (1997)
    The Writing Process from a Sociolinguistic Viewpoint
    Written Communication
  10. MEDWAY (1996)
    Virtual and Material Buildings
    Written Communication
  11. ORNATOWSKI (1995)
    The Writing Consultant and the Corporate/Industry Culture
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  12. WINSOR (1994)
    Invention and Writing in Technical Work
    Written Communication
  13. HAAS (1994)
    Learning to Read Biology
    Written Communication
  14. BLYLER (1993)
    Theory and Curriculum
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  15. WINSOR (1993)
    Owning Corporate Texts
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  16. Burnett et al. (1993)
    Collaboration in technical communication: A research continuum
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  17. Blyler (1992)
    Narration and knowledge in direct solicitations
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  18. DUIN (1991)
    Computer-Supported Collaborative Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  19. HAAS (1990)
    Composing in Technological Contexts
    Written Communication

Cites in this index (3)

  1. DOHENY-FARINA (1986)
    Writing in an Emerging Organization
    Written Communication
  2. LaROCHE et al. (1985)
    Rhetoric and Rational Enterprises
    Written Communication
  3. Pianko (1979)
    A Description of the Composing Processes of College Freshman Writers
    Research in the Teaching of English
Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2307/357914
     ↗
  2. 10.1177/030631285015004002
     ↗
  3. 10.2307/356586
     ↗
  4. 10.2307/357405
     ↗
  5. 10.2307/356588
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 50 View in citation network →

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