Visual elements such as graphs, tables, and diagrams are essential components of scientific writing. Although scientific writing textbooks and guides often contain information on how to design such visuals, little has been written on how to effectively discuss those visuals within the text. This article offers a novel heuristic for teaching…

Describes an approach to generating graphs that represent the relationship between pieces of quantitative information and play upon the reader's perception of those relations. (AEA)

Explains format, style rules, and lexicographic conventions that improve clarity and precision in a technical glossary. Discusses general rules, rules of style, rules of grammar and syntax, and rules for figures. Describes the computer display techniques and file management system used to develop such a glossary. (SR)

Demonstrates several different ways to visually display patterns of data. Discusses how the different graphics highlight different information in the data. (SR)

Describes work performed under the Spelling Error Detection Correction Project (SPEEDCOP) at Chemical Abstracts Service to devise effective automatic methods of detecting and correcting misspellings in scholarly and scientific text. The trigram analysis technique developed determined sites but not types of errors. Thirteen references are listed.…

Perhaps because the United States is undergoing a video revolution, perhaps because of its increasing sales of goods to non-English speaking markets where graphics can help explain the products, perhaps because of the decreasing communication skills of the work force, graphic aids are becoming more and more widely used and more and more important.…

Describes a worksheet used by the author to help business communication students get the most out of a set of quantitative data. Describes how the worksheet walks students through a sequence of four activities (orientation, generalization, explanation, and exploration) that help them present and interpret visual data. Discusses benefits to…

Argues that current approaches to computer graphing practices are ill suited to meet the complex needs of real users. Offers an overview of work in two major areas of graphing theory and research: the sociology of science and the educational research of mathematics and scientific students. Suggests what technical communicators can do to improve…

This monograph is a guide to effective presentation of report data and information from institutional research. The work focuses on several types of presentation: the written report (alternative ways for presenting information, appearance, and the audience); graphic displays or charts (to present words or data in an organized or symbolic fashion;…

Because reporting the results of a program evaluation requires an effective presentation, this booklet contains prescriptions and hints for formal and informal reporting, either written or oral. Chapter 1 discussed the evaluator's role and presentation of formative and summative evaluation reports. Chapter 2 is a detailed and standard outline for…