Work is described on a National Science Foundation grant that supports the development, assessment, and dissemination of ldquomicro-insertionrdquo problems designed to integrate ethics into the graduate engineering curriculum. In contrast to traditional modular approaches to ethics pedagogy, micro-insertions introduce ethical issues by means of a ldquolow-doserdquo approach. Following a description of the micro-insertion approach, we outline the workshop structure being used to teach engineering faculty and graduate students how to write micro-insertions for graduate engineering courses, with particular attention to how the grant develops engineering students' (and faculty members') ability to communicate across disciplinary boundaries. We also describe previous and planned methods for assessing the effectiveness of micro-insertions. Finally, we explain the role that technical communication faculty and graduate students are playing as part of the grant team, specifically in developing an Ethics In-Basket that will disseminate micro-insertions developed during the grant.

Reviewers of technical documents must often work with nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English. Drawing on research in cross-cultural pragmatics and institutional discourse, we discuss linguistic patterns that document reviewers are likely to use when commenting on NNS writing. We anticipate miscommunications that may arise from some of these linguistic patterns, especially when a reviewer attempts to be both clear (so that the writer understands the comments) and polite (so that the reviewer maintains positive working relations with the writer). We recommend specific linguistic strategies that allow reviewers to balance clarity and politeness most effectively when communicating with NNSs.

"The seven habits of highly effective people" (S. Covey, 1989) has become a classic precisely because Covey's principles are applicable to both personal and professional responsibilities-from building a stronger relationship with one's family to becoming a more effective leader within one's business organization. I have tried to suggest some ways that Covey's paradigm might help us rethink the way that we approach the writing process. This article is my interpretation of how we can apply Covey's seven habits to writing. The habits are: (1) be proactive; (2) begin with the end in mind; (3) put first things first; (4) think "win/win"; (5) seek first to understand, then to be understood; (6) synergize; and (7) sharpen the saw (i.e. self-renewal).

Campbell argues that the perception of unity in written discourse is part of a more general perceptual phenomenon and is, in fact, analogous to the perception of visual unity. Specifically, she argues that Grice's Maxim of Relation operates analogously to the Gestalt principle of Continuity in visual perception. However, she also concludes that Grice's other three maxims have no analogs in Gestalt theory. We believe Grice's other maxims actually do have analogs in principles of visual perception, but the relationship between the two is opaque because they are stated in domain-specific terms. We suggest meta-principles that connect the two domains.

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