Re: inquiry re research needs

[Peter Martin <peterm -at- FOXBORO -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

At 14:47 29/03/99 -0600, Dorothy Winsor wrote:
>The Association of Teachers of Technical Writing has recently formed a
>committee on research which I am chairing.  One of our goals is to
>encourage research that will meet the needs and interests of practicing
>technical writers.  We are concerned that academic research often seems
>remote from the daily practice of work in industry.   Can this group
>suggest areas in which they would like to see research conducted?  Can they
>suggest guidelines for how academic research can be made useful for
>practitioners?
>
Why not try to settle the whole fonts/layout bit once and for all and
sponsor research on comprehension factors (as opposed to "style"
and "feel-good" factors) in reading ?

Colin Wheildon's work (see "Type & Layout" , Strathmoor Press) seems
to have been the only work to have even attempted this.   Even a mere
replication of his methods in say, a US environment would be worthwhile,
although I personally would be more interested these days in seeing what
happens with computer displays, not just paper ....   and in factors
like images and sounds, not just type and layout.

Wheildon's book gives a reasonable run-down on his research methods,
which were initially supervised by one the toughest old nuts in
Australian academia and media research..   (g'donya, Henry! ..)
... and as they say in the classics:
   If yez knows a better 'ole, goto it !

Just don't give us all that stuff about what people say they +like+.

Tell us what they actually understand.








--
Peter Martin, Contract Tech. Writer            peterm -at- foxboro -dot- com -dot- au
+61 2 9818 5094 (home)  0408 249 113 (mobile)  peterm -at- zeta -dot- org -dot- au

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