Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jul 2008

Action Research and Wicked Environmental Problems: Exploring Appropriate Roles for Researchers in Professional Communication

Stuart Blythe Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne ; Jeffrey T. Grabill Michigan State University ; Kirk Riley Michigan State University

Abstract

The authors report on a 3-year action-research project designed to facilitate public involvement in the planned dredging of a canal and subsequent disposal of the dredged sediments. Their study reveals ways that community members struggle to define the problem and work together as they gather, share, and understand data relevant to that problem. The authors argue that the primary goal of action research related to environmental risk should be to identify and support the strategies used by community members rather than to educate the public. The authors maintain that this approach must be supported by a thorough investigation of basic rhetorical issues (audience, genre, stases, invention), and they illustrate how they used this approach in their study.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2008-07-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651908315973
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism genre theory
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (40)

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