Discusses the typical form and content of 40 theoretical scientific papers chosen from the most-cited papers in the "Science Citation Index." Demonstrates that the form of these papers is similar to that of experimental and methods papers but that the content differs substantially. (HB)

Quantifies specific elements of technical writing style in five award winning technical manuals where combined averages for the style elements are calculated. Compares these results to common criteria of good technical writing. Claims that wide variations among these manuals show that defining "good" technical writing is difficult. (HB)

Describes the emerging subject in computer technology known as hypertext by employing the metaphor of a bazaar. Claims that hypertext as a mode of communication has distinct features that will prove fruitful for future users. Discusses the importance of narrative chronology in relation to hypertext. (HB)

Explores issues related to quality in document design. Gives an overview of the quality movement, discusses alternative definitions of quality, analyzes dominant approaches to measuring quality, presents results of a survey showing that consumers value quality in document design, offers examples showing that it is cost effective, and appends an…

Indicates a facilitation in undergraduate students' reading time for congruent text marking for both cohesion and textual structure that manifested itself at different points in the sentence. Suggests that readers are highly sensitive to coherence marking devices, and strictly local coherence models cannot completely account for what readers are…

Notes new Internet writing environments differ significantly from print forms: they allow texts to evolve--to change their purpose and audience over time. Suggests they allow for new forms of collaboration--texts organize themselves without an omniscient editor shaping them. Concludes that, as a profession, composition instructors need to…

Integrating metacognitive skills into classroom instruction can help students to develop into active, independent readers and learners. B. Armbruster, in a summary of research on metacognition, examined reading to learn from a metacognitive perspective as it related to four variables: texts, tasks, strategies, and learner characteristics.…

A writing teacher who teachers first-year college writing proposes a "different" approach to the teaching of academic discourse. It is an approach that includes the production of academic discourse and rhetorical analysis yet enables students to examine and often resolve their resistance against academic discourse. Through a critical…

A current trend in composition consider writing a social act where texts are produced because of and in response to social contexts. Classroom practices are just beginning to change and acknowledge the power that discourse communities assert on writers. Composition teachers must also acknowledge the importance of community-governed reading…

This study hypothesized that altering a news story to conform to a more familiar structure might increase comprehension and recall. Subjects, 104 undergraduate students, completed a Media Use Survey, a questionnaire for collecting demographic information, the WIRE test, a strength of text schema measure, and a comprehension questionnaire. Students…

Discusses design issues for interactive multimedia. Notes that technical communication instructors must consider navigational aids, the degree of control a user should have, audio cues, color and typographical elements, visual elements, and copyright issues. (RS)

Explores the centrality of genre to print-driven literacy teaching and learning. Discusses the disjunction for many people between the print and digital or media texts they read and write. Contends there is a need for genre-focused theories and practices of literacy education that explicitly attend to the characteristics of digital texts. (PM)

Argues that contemporary screenwriters have much to learn from journalism and from theater, especially in the move away from the linearity of the high-concept film to a richer, more complex screen story. Examines the writing skills and techniques of journalist and playwrights in developing both foreground and background stories. (KEH)

Examines the effects of sentence underlining on retention and recall. Finds that underlining helped below average students sort out superordinate ideas, and with review added, underlining subordinate sentences increased retention of subordinate without decreasing retention of superordinate sentences. (MS)

Discussion of learner preferences for text densities on computer screen displays highlights two studies of college students that compared preferences for multiple or single screen presentations with high-, medium-, or low-density screens from an actual course using computer-assisted instruction. Results are analyzed, and further research needs are…