THIS ISSUE: The first four papers are a bonus from the September issue on Developing the Ability to Communicate.

WE are pleased to introduce a joint special issue of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION and the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION. The topic is Developing the Ability to Communicate, and the focus is on the engineering student.

THE third-quarter 1984 issues of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION and the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION will have a jointly prepared set of papers on education for communication from both the academic and the industrial points of view.

LIKE the man in the cartoon, I've been collecting little notes about items for this preface. But first, a quick look at the issue.

WITH the half-life of an engineering education today being between five and ten years, many industrial organizations are concerned with the technical proficiency and vitality of their engineering employees.

MANY engineers and scientists have or could have the opportunity (some would say responsibility) to interpret developments in engineering, science, and technology for non-specialists through community organizations and news media. Many such opportunities are missed or muffed, however, because it's not easy to shed jargon, simplify technical concepts at the risk of imprecision, and develop a public presence.

Many engineers and scientists have — or could have — the opportunity (some would say responsibility) to interpret developments in engineering, science, and technology for non-specialists through community organizations and news media. Many such opportunities are missed or muffed, however, because it's not easy to shed jargon, simplify technical concepts at the risk of imprecision, and develop a public presence.

IN September 1978 our special issue (PC-21/3) on the design of audio and visual information gave pointers on achieving clarity and communication in the individual pieces of artwork that are often included in technical reports and publications. In the March 1981 issue (PC-24/1), several authors discussed the prose-text aspects of making information usable, particularly instructional materials.

IN September 1978 our special issue (PC-21/3) on the design of audio and visual information gave pointers on achieving clarity and communication in the individual pieces of artwork that are often included in technical reports and publications. In the March 1981 issue (PC-24/1), several authors discussed the prose-text aspects of making information usable, particularly instructional materials.

These recommendations combine time-tested advice to writers with the Editor's preferences. Used with our Information for Authors (published in each issue of the Transactions) and the reference material in the June 1977 issue (PC-20/1), this miniguide to technical writing should help any author whisk his paper through the editorial process-provided, of course, that its technical content survives the refereeing process.

Heading the lineup this month are three papers on responsibility — the responsibility of engineers and scientists to communicate voluntarily, appropriately, and accurately with the public. Sir Bernard Callinan expects engineers to demonstrate their ability to communicate before being admitted to the “fraternity” and thereafter to demonstrate their concern with the effects of technology on the public. Robert Cowen deplores the fluffy and sometimes inaccurate “news” that technologists unknowingly or uncaringly allow to flow from their organizations. John Hanley calls for a planned counterattack on “instant experts” who are all too ready and willing to reply when the public has questions.

Last fall, as part of an ongoing evaluation of IEEE publications, a small-sample survey was made of U.S. subscribers to the various Transactions and Journals. Preliminary analysis suggests a small toot of our own horn. In terms of raw data, unadjusted for differences in content, size, and frequency among the publications, one question brought an outstanding response about this Transactions: Two-thirds of the readers read one-third or more of the papers! The overall range of response in this category was nine to 67 percent, with a median at 23 percent.

THE spectrum of public speaking ranges from dialog to formal, staged presentations. Although we may engage easily in casual conversation, almost any discourse that is scheduled or that involves more than a few people seems to give most of us cause for concern. Why?

Devices, machines, and systems are becoming more complex and sophisticated while at the same time they are being made available to more people. Unfortunately, the operation of these products — whatever their nature — is seldom self-evident. At best we turn to instructions simply to confirm our expectations and learn what is new. At worst we must depend on them to compensate for a lack of human engineering in the product. Most of the time, however, we need instructions to use all the functions and capabilities that have been provided to us at an acceptable cost. Information has to be part of the customer's package. In issue number one next year we will be looking at techniques for making printed information usable.

There is much needed but little heeded advice in the following paper (“Presenting Papers” by J. F. White, page 179) which I want to endorse and emphasize by paraphrasing here.

This paper describes in non-legal language the requirements for patentability of an invention, the process of patenting, the contents of a patent document, and how to obtain or retrieve patents for use as sources of technical information; and it provides a selected bibliography of 170 items on creative and business aspects of invention, general and specific aspects of patenting, and retrieval and use of patent information.

Although this is the March issue preface, it was composed in early January, a time which triggered two peripheral thoughts., One was simply that the shorter lead times envisioned by electronic publishing are very appealing. This preface had almost two months of lead time, but the rest of the issue's content required twice that. According to a book reviewed in this issue (page 41), electronic publishing not only shortens production time but also speeds dissemination. However, the “catch” in this “paperless information system” is that authors and editors/publishers and readers need to be members of an information network. While this is feasible, it is not yet practical. The emerging possibilities would be a good subject for discussion in our new Forum feature (page 37). Write to me at the address below.

THIS issue begins with three light-hearted and one serious poke at technical publishing and the human foibles that make it somewhat less than perfect. However, in addition to the material that is published and should be lost, there is much to be retrieved and Drott et al. discuss the problems of spreading the word about this kind.

This is an issue about nontextual aspects of communicating technical information. Included are eight articles and two book reviews on subjects ranging from what to put on slides, through graphic comparison of data, to attributes of multimedia.

Further indication of our interest in visual aspects of engineering/scientific communication is our introduction of a cover illustration for the TRANSACTIONS. This line drawing was created by Art Appel and Joan Musgrave using an experimental program at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. After creating a single arrow (or other object, symbol, or design), the artist can change its size, rotate it about any axis, replicate it, and superimpose images with the “hidden” lines being eliminated. If we view this assemblage of arrows not as a graphic design but as an ambiguous indicator of direction, we can immediately understand Wolf Von Eckardt's concern (page 63) with signs that don't guide and words that don't inform.

LAST year we devoted most of our pages to articles on technical writing and publishing. This year we will tip the balance toward audio and visual aspects of technical communication. In this issue, for example, we include some thoughts on lecturing. Though the four articles reprinted here range in time of origin from the first half of the 19th century to the second half of the 20th, they are remarkably consistent and provide some succinct guides toward the development of effective oral presentations.

THE United States will soon have in effect the first major revision of its copyright law since 1909. This revision was made necessary largely by the successful engineering of xerography into increasingly convenient and economic copying machines. The new law legitimizes most examples of single, personal-use copying but severely proscribes multiple and systematic copying without copyright-holder authorization.

DURING 1976 the IEEE Group on Professional Communication took stock of its members and redefined its goals as 1) helping engineers improve their communication skills and 2) informing them of new ideas and methods in communication.