Abstract

Although effective public policy depends upon accurate post‐accident reports and investigations, accident reports in a large government agency reflect a linear, sequential model of cause and effect that fails to account for the multidimensional nature of accidents in tightly coupled technologies. As a result, unions, agencies, and operators engage in fiercely contested public debates over responsibility and authority when disasters occur. In proposing a three‐dimensional model of accident analysis (both visual and verbal), this article illustrates how underlying models of causality influence the structure of technical reports and the nature of the argument over responsibility and authority in largescale technological disasters.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
1994-09-01
DOI
10.1080/10572259409364579
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (7)

  1. Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 7 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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