Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2002

Technical Communicators as Purveyors of Common Sense

Pete Praetorius Montana Technological University

Abstract

In this article I argue that technical communicators are in the position to foster users' commonsense understanding of products. The notion that technical communicators can increase the common sense of users is absent in the field of technical communication literature. Reasons for not recognizing the legitimacy of common sense range from its unexamined nature to a belief that it cannot be taught. After discussing different definitions of common sense, I suggest that including scenarios, common metaphors, and language that promotes procedural knowledge in product information can strengthen users' commonsense understanding of the products they use. Moreover, in failing to make use of commonsense appeals, technical communicators are ignoring a sound persuasive strategy.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2002-10-01
DOI
10.2190/5dvl-pb4e-pvgr-nvc4
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
technical communication
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (29) · 2 in this index

  1. 10.2307/4612512
     ↗
  2. Stokes A. (1997)
    Naturalistic Decision Making
  3. Reid T. (1983)
    Thomas Reid's Inquiry and Other Essays
  4. Vico G. (1990)
    The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present
  5. 10.5840/philtoday199438228
     ↗
Show all 29 →
  1. Schaeffer J. D. (1990)
    Sensus Communis: Vico, Rhetoric, and the Limits of Relativism
  2. Gramsci A. (1971)
    Selections From the Prison Notebooks of Antonio Gramsci
  3. 10.1177/001139295043002010
     ↗
  4. Manders D. W. (1979)
    Wisdom and Mystification in Everyday Life: Critical Investigations into American Common Sense
  5. Langer S. K. (1957)
    Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art
  6. Bernhardt S. A. (1990)
    Computers and Composition
  7. 10.1037/0003-066X.50.11.912
     ↗
  8. Zsambok C. E. (1997)
    Naturalistic Decision Making
  9. Norman D. A. (1988)
    The Design of Everyday Things
  10. Oelschlaeger M. (1991)
    The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology
  11. Steiner (1999)
    Getting Personal: Individuality, Innovation, and Technical Communication
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  12. Michaels J. W., Editorial, Extra Strength Warning Labels, Forbes, p. 12, January 1998.
     ↗
  13. Aristotle (1991)
    On Rhetoric
  14. Cooper (1996)
    The Postmodern Space of Operator's Manuals
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  15. Dewey J. (1938)
    Experience and Education
  16. Flower L. (1983)
    New Essays in Technical and Scientific Communication
  17. Dragga S., Invisible Victims: The Peculiar Ethics of Accident Reports, paper presented at the Conference Coll…
  18. Kynell T. C. (1999)
    Scenarios for Technical Communication: Critical Thinking and Writing
  19. Lay M. M. (1999)
    Narrative and Professional Communication
  20. Broze M. (1997)
    Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble: True Stories and Their Lessons From Sea Kayaker Magazine
  21. Praetorius P. (2001)
    10.1145/504776.504783
    ACM Journal of Computer Documentation  ↗
  22. Praetorius P., Professional and Technical Communication: The Humanities Degree for the 21st-Century, proceedi…
  23. Praetorius P., An Interview with George Hayhoe: The New Editor of Technical Communication, Intercom, pp. 26–3…
  24. Praetorius P., In the Workshop: A Time to Retool, Communication Across the Curriculum (A Clemson University N…
CrossRef global citation count: 0 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Written Communication May 2026
    Leveraging Human-Centered Design and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Rural Healthcare: Wicked Problems, Design Thinking, and Mutable Methodologies ↗
    Richard Johnson-Sheehan; Thomas Rickert; Paul Thompson Hunter; Adrianna Deptula
    technical communication artificial intelligence
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication May 2026
    The User Experience of Virtual Reality for Longitudinal Writing: A Diary Study of Immersive Graduate Dissertation Composing Experience ↗
    Jason Tham; Rich Shivener; Niveditha Pookkottuvariam; Sarah Riddick
    rhetorical criticism graduate education technical communication archival research empirical research qualitative research
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 2026
    Visualizing Heat Risk: Infographics, Memorability, and Design ↗
    Preksha Mysore; Kathryn Lambrecht
    technical communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 2026
    Developing Intercultural Socioemotional Communication Skills: A Hybrid Student Exchange Project Between Kenya, Ireland, and Germany ↗
    Belinda Oechsler; Yvonne Cleary; Sissi Closs
    technical communication professional writing
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 2026
    What Video Games Can Tell Us About Interactive Technical Communication ↗
    Emily Kuzneski Johnson
    technical communication multimodality