Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2015

Mapping a Space for a Rhetorical-Cultural Analysis: A Case of a Scientific Proposal

Isidore Kafui Dorpenyo Michigan Technological University

Abstract

This article analyzes a proposal submitted to a funding unit in Michigan Technological University by a PhD Forestry student. A rhetorical-cultural approach of the text provides evidence to argue that scientific writing is rooted in a cultural practice that valorizes certain kinds of thought, practices, rituals, and symbols; that a scientist’s work is grounded and shaped by an ideological paradigm; hence, scientific texts have material existence. We find out that science writing is kairotic, selective, and persuasive. The results of the analysis provide enough insights for technical communicators to think about the role that institutions and disciplines play in knowledge production. Thus, technical communicators will not only think about rhetorical moves when they are composing, they will also think about the articulations between contexts and ideological practices and how they shape the identity of writers and communicators.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2015-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0047281615578845
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism technical communication scientific writing
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Gerding et al. (2017)
    When Is a Solution Not a Solution? Wicked Problems, Hybrid Solutions, and the R…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

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