Negative attitudes toward collaborative writing are common, especially in the humanities, and some people view it as a form of plagiarism or cheating. Plagiarism, or the borrowing of ideas from other writers, can be both conscious and unconscious, and can stem from a variety of motives. Even single-authored works are products of many minds,…

Reports findings from a three-year study by a composition researcher and a psychiatrist of the revision of an important mental health book: "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders." Examines the revision using three methodologies. Concludes that the revision functions to achieve certain social and political effects. (HB)

Outlines a collaborative writing exercise designed to help students develop position statements for persuasive essays. Notes that this exercise helps students adopt the discursive style and language of the academic community, as well as develop reader-based arguments. (MM)

This article, using data from a year-long study of writing processes in an institutional context, looks at the demands made on writers in workplace environments as they make requests of their colleagues. Building on Brown and Levinson's politeness theory, the study takes a view of context as being a key factor in framing requests, in addition…