Collaborative Writing in Industry: Investigations in Theory and Practice

Presents essays from academic and industrial experts on the theories of collaboration, industrial case studies of collaborative writing, classroom techniques for collaborative assignments, and gathering, verifying, and editing strategies.

"Collaboration is a hot topic in both the classroom and the workplace. Collaborative Writing in Industry is a collection of engaging essays and studies that present vivid pictures of workplace collaboration...important reading for educators and workplace professionals in technical communication." -- Rebecca E. Burnett, Iowa State University, Technical Communication Quarterly

"Collaborative Writing in Industry is a major contribution to the field of technical communication and specifically to the subject of collaborative processes. Together the twelve essays offer a compelling and comprehensive treatment of existing theory and practice, as well as raise important questions and give direction to new research." -- Sam Dragga, Texas Tech University, Journal of Advanced Composition

"Editors Lay and Karis have compiled a superb group of substantive, scholarly articles that are certain to become frequently cited sources in the rapidly growing study of collaborative writing. Researchers and theorists in business communication, as well as in composition studies and technical communication, should definitely read this book. The editors have done an especially commendable job balancing a variety of approaches to the study of collaboration and selecting authors with both academic and industry experience. The annotated bibliography is a very useful final touch." -- Daphne A. Jameson, The Journal of Business Communication

"From theory to practice, the twelve essays and selected bibliography in this volume represent the most comprehensive effort to address the nature and scope of collaborative writing and editing since the practice attracted the attention of educators in the early 1970s. This volume enhances the already significant resource value that Baywood's Technical Communications Series has become for educators and practitioners. In this long-awaited, sorely needed and gladly received book--whether manager, writer/editor, teacher, group leader, or collaborator--anyone will find not only the theoretical foundations of effective collaboration but also effective, useful direction for the workplace, for the training class, and for the classroom." -- Kenneth T.

"Lay and Karis's collection emphasizes the advantages of pursuing connections between the workplace and classroom. Because the book offers so many persuasive reasons for fostering these connections, the book would be an excellent text for graduate students interested in exploring the debate about industry-university collaboratives in professional communication. With its detailed case studies of collaborative writing teams and tasks, the book would also be of considerable interest to teachers who employ collaborative assignments in their classrooms and to practitioners in industry wanting to learn more about collaboration in document production and review. Finally, because the book illustrates just how sophisticated research on collaboration has become, Collaborative Writing in Industry should be of considerable value to anyone wanting to learn about the subject." -- Charlotte Thralls, Journal of Business and Technical Communication