The author discusses clear and persuasive writing techniques to be used in preparing training program proposals. Strategies include (1) using headlines, (2) analyzing the audience, (3) using positive and simple language, (4) maintaining credibility, and (5) making the proposal attractive. (CH)

Discusses writing indexes in computer documentation. Describes kinds of indexes, what subject matter to index, creating specific entries, design alternatives, and phrasing of entries. (SR)

Discusses how too much caution can lead authors to simple verbosity or to the overgeneralization of simple concepts. (SR)

Notes that reader analysis is essential in writing technical documents. Reviews several ways to analyze readers, and groups the ways into three manageable categories: demographic, organization, and psychological approaches. (SR)

Describes three principles of direct mail sales letters intended to entice readers to read them: the personalized look; an indirect arrangement of support; and readability ease. (SR)

Discusses the use of "there is" and "there are," and recommends notional agreement (agreement of a verb with its subject or of a pronoun with its antecedent in accordance with the notion of number rather than with the presence of an overt grammatical marker for that notion) as a useful approach to deciding which to use. (SR)

Discusses the use of "and" and "or" in technical writing. Suggests that the strict meanings of "and" and "or" are called for in technical writing much more than in ordinary prose. (SR)

Describes a model for content writing called "Writing as Transformation," which focuses on three facets of writing to learn: writing as intuition, writing as metacognition, and writing as change agent. (SR)

Describes a format for writing clinical investigator's brochures for the Food and Drug Administration summarizing information about a drug that is about to enter clinical trials. (SR)

Discusses the architectonics of four essays: John McPhee's "Travels in Georgia," Richard Rhodes'"Death All Day," and two by student writers. Diagrams each essay, showing how these writers built bridges of words over experiences. (SR)

Discusses Online Writing Labs--World Wide Web sites designed to support students' writing efforts by providing easy access to electronic resources and online tutoring. Describes three types of these services: resource materials, online tutoring, and information gateways. (SR)

Suggests that through commenting on their own papers, students gradually develop a sense of an imagined external audience and of themselves as writer and audience. (MM)

Offers a basic introduction and overview of the Internet, explaining what it is and how teachers and students can use it in the classroom. Discusses learning to use the Internet, and using the Internet to promote reading and writing. (SR)

Describes Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), cognitive strategy instructional approach in which students are taught task-specific strategies along with more general strategies for regulating strategy use and learning process. Focuses on how this approach has been used to help students with learning problems develop as writers. Explains…

Argues that, given the expanding audience of non-native readers of English and the need to translate technical writing, technical writing should be unambiguous and predictable. Explains what syntactic cues are and why technical communicators should use them. Discusses integrating this approach into established documentation processes, and provides…