The Emergence of Technical Communication in China—Yi Jing (I Ching): The Budding of a Tradition

Daniel D. Ding Ferris State University

Abstract

To promote intercultural understanding in technical communication, this article studies Yi Jing as a technical instructions manual, the first technical communication book in China. After examining the information in Yi Jing and its organization as well as a modern Chinese instructional manual, the author claims that Yi Jing developed the theory that context and individual objects should be seen as a unity and thus established a tradition that Chinese instructional manuals observe: focusing on contextual information instead of action-oriented instructions for task performance. The author compares the Chinese manual and an American one to support his claim that Yi Jing 's philosophy helps us uncover a pattern of meaning in modern Chinese instructional manuals.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2003-07-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651903017003003
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (15)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 15 →
  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  6. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  7. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  8. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  9. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  10. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

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