Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 1991

History, Rhetoric, and Humanism: Toward a More Comprehensive Definition of Technical Communication

Russell Rutter Illinois State University

Abstract

Recent research suggests that pragmatic emphasis on writing proficiency alone does not produce a good technical communicator. Attention must also be given to the technical communicator as liberally educated generalist who writes well and feels an affinity for science or technology. To this end, technical communication needs to be studied in the larger context of evolving science and technology, developing trends in technical education, and the oratorical tradition of broad learning applied to the active life. Recent studies of the collaborative culture of the workplace should be supplemented by increased attention to humanistic questions of what a person needs to be and know in order to cooperate effectively as a practicing technical communicator.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1991-04-01
DOI
10.2190/7bbk-bjyk-aqgb-28gp
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Topics
rhetorical criticism collaborative writing technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (21)

  1. Henning et al. (2016)
    Reconsidering Power and Legitimacy in Technical Communication: A Case for Enlar…
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  3. Zhang et al. (2015)
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  4. Evia et al. (2012)
    Beyond Compliance: Participatory Translation of Safety Communication for Latino…
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  5. Northcut et al. (2010)
    Resisting the Lure of Technology-Driven Design: Pedagogical Approaches to Visua…
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  1. Rife (2010)
    Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos: Using a Rhetorical Heuristic to Mediate Digital-S…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. Malone (2007)
    Historical Studies of Technical Communication in the United States and England:…
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  3. Spigelman et al. (2006)
    Why We Chose Rhetoric: Necessity, Ethics, and the (Re)Making of a Professional …
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  4. Todd (2003)
    Teaching the History of Technical Communication: A Lesson with Franklin and Hoover
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  5. Smith (2000)
    Strength in the Technical Communication Journals and Diversity in the Serials Cited
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  6. Grobman (1999)
    Beyond Internationalization: Multicultural Education in the Professional Writin…
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  7. Ding (1998)
    Marxism, Ideology, Power and Scientific and Technical Writing
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  8. Savage (1997)
    Doing Unto Others through Technical Communication Internship Programs
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  9. SMITH (1997)
    Intertextual Connections to “A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing”
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  10. Markel (1997)
    Ethics and technical communication: a case for foundational approaches
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  11. MOORE (1996)
    Instrumental Discourse is as Humanistic as Rhetoric
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  12. HAGGE (1995)
    Early Engineering Writing Textbooks and the Anthropological Complexity of Disci…
    Written Communication
  13. Valletta et al. (1995)
    “In-Determinacy” in Science and Discourse: A Rhetoric of Disciplinary Levels
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  14. Blyler (1994)
    Habermas, empowerment, and professional discourse
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  15. RIVERS (1994)
    Studies in the History of Business and Technical Writing: A Bibliographical Essay
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  16. Bosley (1992)
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CrossRef global citation count: 26 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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