Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 2001

Communicating Style Rules to Editors of International Standards: An Analysis of ISO TC 184/SC4 Style Documents

Thomas L. Warren Oklahoma State University

Abstract

Committees within international standards organizations write standards. Prior to approval, these standards must pass through several reviews for technical accuracy and stylistic appropriateness. The style considerations are based on documents published by both the umbrella organization (International Organization for Standarization, or ISO) and the various committees and subcommittees within it. Because authors and editors who use these documents frequently do not have English as a first language, the documents must explain unambiguously just how committees should prepare their documents. This study looks at a sample of those instructional documents using Restricted and Elaborated Code and metadiscourse analysis to determine how easily users can read and understand the material. The findings suggest that the documents do not send a clear message to authors and editors and can be stylistically hard to understand. Consequently, the approved standards themselves are hard to read and interpret.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2001-04-01
DOI
10.2190/ud05-tm4k-nf7w-2kwx
Open Access
Closed
Topics
discourse analysis multilingual writers voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Frith (2020)
    Technical Standards and a Theory of Writing as Infrastructure
    Written Communication
  2. Warren (2004)
    Increasing User Acceptance of Technical Information in Cross-Cultural Communication
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Warren (2002)
    Cultural Influences on Technical Manuals
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (2)

  1. Warren (1996)
    An Informal Survey of Technical Writing Textbooks: 1950–1970
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Mao (1993)
    I conclude not: Toward a pragmatic account of metadiscourse<sup>1</sup>
    Rhetoric Review
Also cites 1 work outside this index ↓
  1. 10.4324/9780203014035
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 6 View in citation network →

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