College Composition and Communication Sep 2001

Ethos and Error: How Business People React to Errors

Larry Beason

Abstract

Errors seem to bother nonacademic readers as well as teachers. But what does it mean to be “bothered” by errors? Questions such as this help transform the study of error from mere textual issues to larger rhetorical matters of constructing meaning. Although this study of fourteen business people indicates a range of reactions to errors, the findings also reveal patterns of qualitative agreement—certain ways in which these readers constructed a negative ethos of the writer.

Journal
College Composition and Communication
Published
2001-09-01
DOI
10.58680/ccc20011441
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Campbell et al. (2026)
    Augmenting Technical Editors: A Quasi-Experimental Study of AI-Assisted Copyediting
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Baker et al. (2025)
    Business Communication and Editing Students’ Evaluations of Written Error: An E…
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. McDonough et al. (2021)
    Instructor Evaluation of Business Student Writing: Does Language Play a Role?
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  4. Xie (2019)
    Error analysis and diagnosis of ESL linguistic accuracy: Construct specificatio…
    Assessing Writing
  5. Coffelt et al. (2016)
    Business Communication Practices From Employers’ Perspectives
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Show all 6 →
  1. Anson (2009)
    The Promise of Eye-Tracking Methodology for Research on Writing and Reading
    Open Words: Access and English Studies

References (0)

No references on file for this article.

CrossRef global citation count: 90 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related articles

  1. Res Rhetorica Oct 2026
    Inclusive leadership as a discursive-rhetorical practice: A conceptual framework of discourse, identity and power ↗
    Zita Komár
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument
  2. Poroi Feb 2026
    Using Stasis Theory as a Heuristic for Examining Epistemological Dilemmas in a Post-Truth Landscape ↗
    Bruce Bowles
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument
  3. Res Rhetorica Jan 2026
    Ethos – between vir bonus and VIA: Virtue ethics in contemporary rhetorical education ↗
    Agnieszka Budzyńska-Daca
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism genre theory argument
  4. Philosophy & Rhetoric Oct 2025
    The Intellectual and Cultural Origins of Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca’s New Rhetoric Project: Commentaries on and Translations of Seven Foundational Articles, 1933–1958 ↗
    Christopher W. Tindale
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism genre theory discourse analysis revision argument collaborative writing editorial matter
  5. Rhetoric & Public Affairs Sep 2024
    Populist Rhetorics Case Studies and a Minimalist Definition ↗
    Arthur E. Walzer
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument digital rhetoric social media disability studies public rhetoric editorial matter