The Discourse Community in Scientific and Technical Communication: Institutional and Social Views

James P. Zappen Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Abstract

Theoretical studies in scientific and technical communication have begun to explore what they call discourse communities in the sciences and engineering on grounds that these communities provide the norms and practices for communication in these fields. The theoretical literature on which these studies are based develops two views of what a discourse community might be, an institutional and a social view. The first of these views has been the more influential, but both views may and should be brought to the study and the pedagogy of scientific and technical communication.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1989-01-01
DOI
10.2190/h6fn-3mkt-qab2-tan6
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation context

Cited by in this index (10)

  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 10 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

References (24)

  1. Writing in Nonacademic Settings
  2. Writing in Nonacademic Settings
  3. 10.2307/357716
     ↗
  4. 10.1177/105065198700100105
     ↗
  5. 10.1177/105065198800200101
     ↗
Show all 24 →
  1. 10.1080/10510977809367983
     ↗
  2. 10.2307/375964
     ↗
  3. 10.1177/004839318101100305
     ↗
  4. 10.2190/NETC8
     ↗
  5. 10.2190/NETC11
     ↗
  6. Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of Interpretive Communities
  7. 10.1086/448298
     ↗
  8. Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature
  9. Consequences of Pragmatism: (Essays: 1972–1980)
  10. Review of Metaphysics
  11. 10.1111/j.2041-6962.1984.tb00334.x
     ↗
  12. The Necessity of Pragmatism: John Dewey's Conception of Philosophy
  13. 10.1080/00335638609383764
     ↗
  14. 10.1177/105065198700100204
     ↗
  15. 10.1080/03637758109376063
     ↗
  16. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.1385
     ↗
  17. Technical Writing Teacher
  18. 10.1177/105065198700100204
     ↗
  19. New Essays in Technical and Scientific Communication: Research, Theory, Practice