What Do You Recommend to Students for a Reference Book for Technical Writing

[Dr. Lisa J. McClure]

Hello,

I'd like to chime in on this conversation.  I'd like to return 
to the differentiation made between textbooks (rhetorics) and 
handbooks, but first two caveats:

1) I've only been scanning the messages so if I repeat something 
already said, I apologize.

2) I've worked with Paul Anderson and Thomson on the website and 
prepared the instructor's manual on the last two editions of 
Paul's textbook.  I mention this because I don't want to be 
perceived as speaking from my biases.  (I _was_ delighted to see 
Paul's text metioned earlier.)

Here's my comment:

Although I use Aldred et al.'s handbook, I do not necessarily 
find it a better resource for my students.  In fact, I think I 
want to argue that handbooks are a dime a dozen; there aren't 
that many specifically targeted to technical communications but 
they are zillions of "generic" ones and they all cover the same 
basic material.  I'll grant that the generic ones don't address 
specific tech-comm based issues.

I want to argue that a good rhetoric is a far better reference 
source for students and non-students because it offers 
discussions about the communication not just the technical (non-
specialized use of the term) aspects of language use.  I'm not 
saying that usage is not important but that resources about 
language/usage can be found in many, many places (including the 
Internet).  Discussions of audience, superstructures, purpose, 
of how to communicate technically (specialized use of term) is 
not.  That's why I think that we do need to see rhetorics as 
potential resources that students (technical communicators) can 
use beyond the classroom.

So, I'd recommend Anderson's _Technical Communication_ as the 
resource I would recommend.  (This statement is not to be read 
as Anderson's being the only rhetoric that would be useful.  It 
happens to be the one I use and with which I am most familiar.)

Apologies for rattling on but I find this "issue" interesting 
because of the reflection it gives of what and how we teach as 
well as our conceptions of writing comptence/growth occurs.

Lisa

Dr. Lisa J. McClure
Associate Professor,