Re: Writing in the workplace

[Mike Keene <mkeene@utkux.utcc.utk.edu>]

Howdy folks,

Seconding two points already made:  

*Barry's about what people who hire writing consultants often want
(grammar) vs. what they need (less tangibles, like purpose, coherence,
etc.). I have no problem with people hiring me to help with their writing,
_including_ (but not limited to)  their grammar, and I am interested in
their own analysis of their problems. But I do my own analysis, too, and
what I "deliver" is guided by mine (which is, um, "informed" by theirs).
(Yes, it seems I do less and less consulting....) 

*James's point about invibility of prose. Sometimes yes. What I like, tho,
is to have the prose (the whole design of the document, in fact) to be
done so well that it _is_ noticeable--the set of instructions where the
reader goes "Wow, someone really worked hard to make these easy to
follow!" or the report where the boss goes "This really gets to the heart
of the problem." Sometimes, visibility is a plus. So maybe there's
negative visibility, transparency, and positive visibility to be
considered?

If you want to read interesting work on workplace writing, check out what
Carolyn Miller et al. have at <http://www.chass.ncsu.edu/ccstm/pubs/no2/>;
it's a nice piece of work.

Here's a mini-bib. of books on the subject; I'd be interested in
book-length additions to the list :
*Anderson, Paul V., R. John Brockmann, and Carolyn R. Miller, eds. New
Essays in Technical and Scientific Communication: Research, Theory,
Practice. Farmingdale, N.Y.: Baywood, 1983.
*Bazerman, Charles, and James Paradis, eds. Textual Dynamics of the
Professions: Historical and Contemporary Studies of Writing in
Professional Communities. Madison: Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1990.
*Blyler, Nancy Roundy, and Charlotte Thralls, eds. Professional
Communication: The Social Perspective. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage, 1993.
*Couture, Barbara, ed. Functional Approaches to Writing: Research
Perspectives.. London: Francis Pinter, 1986
*Duin, Ann Hill, and Craig J. Hansen (Eds.). Nonacademic Writing: Social
Theory and Technology. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Press, 1996.
*Lay, Mary M., and William M. Karis, eds. Collaborative Writing in
Industry: Investigations in Theory and Practice. Amityville, N.Y.:
Baywood, 1991.
*Matalene, Carolyn B., ed. Worlds of Writing: Teaching and Learning in
Discourse Communities of Work. New York: Random House, 1989.
*Odell, Lee, and Dixie Goswami, eds. Writing in Nonacademic Settings. New
York and London: Guilford Press, 1985.
*Reynolds, J. F., Matalene, C. B., Magnotto, J. N., Samson, D.C. Jr., &
Sadler, L. V. (1995). Professional Writing in Context: Lessons from
Teaching and Consulting in Worlds of Work. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
*Spilka, Rachel, ed. Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives.
Carbondale: Southern Illinois Univ. Press, 1993.
*Sullivan, P., & Dautermann, J. (Eds.) (1996). Electronic literacies in
the workplace: Technologies of Writing. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
*Winsor, Dorothy A. Writing like an engineer : a rhetorical education.
Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996.

On another level (more specialized, more detailed) there's _Knowledge
Diffusion in the U.S. Aerospace Industry: Managing Knowledge for
Competitive Advantag_ (two volumes), edited by Thomas Pinelli et al.,
Ablex, 1997. 


Mike

Mike Keene
mkeene@utk.edu

Office Phone: 423-974-6969
Department Phone:  423-974-5401