Written Communication Jul 1986

Writing, Jargon, and Research

DAVID W. GREEN

Abstract

Two hypotheses are outlined about the reasons for obscurity in expository writing. Neither accounts adequately for the general results of an exploratory study of the writing of postgraduates nor for the individual cases I present by way of illustration. A crucial factor, I suggest, is a person's implicit model of expository writing. Many of our subjects assume that the purpose of technical writing is to compress thought. I argue, on the contrary, that clarity is achieved through expansion.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1986-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088386003003005
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Open Access
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Topics
technical communication
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