The Case Against Defining Technical Writing

Jo Allen East Carolina University

Abstract

Ongoing attempts to define technical writing are inevitably confounded by problems caused by an excessively broad focus, which obscures the basis and usefulness of the definition, or by an excessively narrow focus, which arbitrarily-and sometimes oddly-relegates samples of writing as in or out of the realm of technical writing. Technical writers have been doing their jobs for far too long without a definition to be satisfied with a one- or two-sentence catch-all definition, and such a definition may result in dividing technical writing into two (or more) cultures.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
1990-09-01
DOI
10.1177/105065199000400204
Open Access
Closed
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (15)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Rhetoric Review
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 15 →
  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
  6. Technical Communication Quarterly
  7. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  8. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  9. Technical Communication Quarterly
  10. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (4)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. College English
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Also cites 1 work outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2307/375964
CrossRef global citation count: 22 View in citation network →