Technical Writing: Past, Present, and Future.

This compilation of papers addresses the history, present status, and trends of technical and related writing. The first of the eight papers surveys the present environment of the technical report and assesses the effectiveness of the technical report format of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in transmitting information. The second paper examines the technical writing teacher's responsibility in teaching the problems faced by professional engineers, while the third paper explores scientific writing from its beginnings in the seventeenth century until approximately 1815. The fourth paper defines technical communication in an empirical way and discusses the implications of technical communication for a humanistic education in a technological age. The fifth paper considers ways in which writers are involved in the prevention and defense of product liability actions. The sixth paper examines how an interview model could facilitate communication, and the seventh paper relates how an English teacher might become a writing consultant. The final paper discusses the need for technical writers to assume responsibility for their reports. (HOD)