Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 1989

Moving beyond the What to the Why: Differences in Professional and Popular Science Writing

Katherine E. Rowan Purdue University West Lafayette

Abstract

This article argues that an understanding of professional and popular science writers' goals provides a basis for both explaining and evaluating their language use. Rhetoricians fault scientists for unnecessarily stilted language; scientists fault popularists for inaccuracy and sensationalism. Although these charges are sometimes justified, they deflect attention from the obstacles writers face and the ways in which they use language to overcome these obstacles.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1989-04-01
DOI
10.2190/2v4e-g0xu-2k4p-uqh0
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
scientific writing
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. MacDonald (2005)
    The Language of Journalism in Treatments of Hormone Replacement News
    Written Communication
  2. Fahnestock (2004)
    Preserving the Figure: Consistency in the Presentation of Scientific Arguments
    Written Communication
  3. Charney (2003)
    Lone Geniuses in Popular Science: The Devaluation of Scientific Consensus
    Written Communication
  4. Hirst (2003)
    Scientific Jargon, Good and Bad
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Lott et al. (1996)
    Implications of Professional Writing Experiences of Academic Veterinary Scienti…
    Technical Communication Quarterly

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    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 13 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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