An essay on publishing standards for rhetorical criticism

Managing private health information in the workplace has become a salient communication issue for employees, supervisors, and organizations. The primary objective of this investigation is to explore employees’ perceptions of and preferences for communicating about health information in the workplace. A qualitative focus group study was conducted using Communication Privacy Management Theory (CPM) as a framework to organize the questions employees face about sharing personal health information. Forty-nine workers were recruited to participate in nine focus groups. The results demonstrate a variety of contextual influences and behaviors relating to employees’ preferences for discussing health information at work. Specifically, the researchers identified five emergent themes in the data: rules for sharing private information, boundary coordination, reasons for permeable boundaries, reasons for impermeable boundaries, and organizational environment and conditions. The data parallel CPM and have practical implications for managers aiming to improve the regulation of health information in the workplace.     

Barriers and opportunities for research in publishing studies

This paper reports findings from an international survey into the research involvement and support of university teaching staff in a relatively new profession‐orientated discipline, publishing studies (PS). It uses these findings to consider barriers and opportunities for academic research both specifically in PS and more broadly in other profession‐orientated disciplines. Greater understanding was felt to be of value as universities internationally are increasingly being pressurized to create close links with the wider economy, produce employable students, and encourage relevant and implementable research. The survey suggests that while there is strong agreement among respondents that it is beneficial for those teaching PS to be research‐active, there was considerable variation in current levels of research activity. Respondents rated their research activity highest in departments with an active research culture and effective research support processes. Lack of time was the main reason cited for reduced or non‐involvement in academic research and while this is a common issue for academics, PS respondents isolated a number of exacerbating factors. Suggestions are offered for addressing identified barriers and pursuing new opportunities for research. The paper argues that as research outputs of academics are increasingly monitored it is important to consider how the full range of disciplines housed within institutions can be accommodated within research support. Overall, the research has a strong relevance for interdisciplinary areas, and other profession‐ and practice‐orientated subjects within universities.     

The impromptu rhetorical situation

ABSTRACT

Courses: Public Speaking, Rhetorical Criticism, Persuasion, Political Communication, and Media Communication.

Objectives: By the end of this activity, students should be able to: explain the key components of Lloyd Bitzer’s rhetorical situation; assess and navigate various conditions affecting various speaking situations; conduct audience analysis as it relates to given speaking situations; and adapt messages to cater to specific rhetorical situations.     

The edifice metaphor in rhetorical theory

The literature of rhetorical theory reveals a persistent sense of relation between the arts of rhetoric and architecture. The following essay looks first to assumptions of a germinal relation of force between the arts; and next, to assumptions of an analogical relation of form. The latter relation, developed primarily in terms of the “edifice metaphor,” is traced chronologically to the point of its decline among rhetorical theorists of the present century. Concluding suggestions are offered in explanation of the decline of the metaphor, and in affirmation of the need for viable new figures to express the processes of rhetorical disposition.     

Technical documents as rhetorical agency

This research argues that documents can become intermediaries which affect the relationships between disparate groups. Through a critical analysis of materials distributed during an online protest, the author traces the life of a single technical document, simultaneously describing how it was described during deliberation between several groups. Marcusean critical theory and rhetorical criticism framed the analysis. It is suggested that certain documents act as a locus between otherwise unaffiliated groups and that those documents become agents who can mediate deliberation. Further, it is suggested that document analysis can become an important aspect for interpreting group relationships. Future research examining the agency of documents is suggested.     

Semantic publishing: the coming revolution in scientific journal publishing

Recent developments in Web technology can be used for semantic enhancement of scholarly journal articles, by aiding publication of data and metadata and providing ‘lively’ interactive access to content. Such semantic enhancements are already being undertaken by leading STM publishers, and automated text processing will help these enhancements become affordable and routine. Publisher, editor, and author all have primary roles in that process; an incremental approach is needed. Publication of data and metadata to the Web make possible added‐value ‘ecosystem services‘; semantic publishing will bring substantial benefits to scholarly communication.     

专家办刊结合专业办刊双管模式的实践和成果

以《中国科学:物理学力学天文学》(英文版)[Science China:Physics Mechanics&Astronomy》(SCPMA)]期刊为例,结合办刊模式的转变,介绍编委会工作重心的调整,以及编辑在稿件审理中的作用.通过将专家办刊调整为专家办刊结合专业办刊的双管模式后,编委的更多工作侧重于约稿和宣传,而编辑部在稿件的评审过程中,尤其是初筛过程中的作用更为明显.模式转变后,期刊的约稿比例明显上升,约稿质量带动期刊的影响力提升,影响因子由2013年的0.864提升至2015年的1.575.同时,编委的宣传带动期刊的品牌效应,使期刊越来越多地展示于各大学术会议,为期刊带来更多关注和高水平投稿.由此可以看出,新形势下模式的转变可促进期刊的更快发展,提升期刊的稿源质量.     

我国数字出版标准化现状及对策

数字出版标准化是数字出版各个环节和相关行业为了实现最佳秩序而对数字出版发展中实际的或潜在的问题制定共同的和可重复使用的条款的活动.数字出版标准化有利于数字出版链条上的参与各方实现利益均衡,分工合作,整体降低成本,用有限的资源实现效益的最大化,实现技术兼容、数字内容的互联互通和共享.     

Teaching publishing in France

In France, publishing education has developed through the efforts of industry, labor, the universities, technical schools, and government agencies. This article reviews the history of publishing education and describes current postgraduate programs. The bibliography lists the basic French periodicals that cover publishing. Nadia Laham received an M.A. in French Studies from Carleton University. She continued her studies at the Information and Communication Sciences Institute at the University of Bordeaux III, where she completed her doctoral thesis on the evolution of book production as an indicator of sociocultural mentality. She currently works for the Department of Communications, Canada, in the area of book publishing policy.     

Government publishing in Brazil

Brazil's size, federal structure, and extent of government intervention in the economy mean that its official publishing output is considerable: some 6.000 books and pamphlets a year and about 1,000 serial titles. The development of official publishing since de facto independence in 1808 reflects the country's administrative history. Bibliographic control, at least of federal level publishing, is now at last being achieved, but distribution is still poorly organized, and edition size often fails to correspond with demand. The range of material is vast, although publishing trends tend to reflect the importance of personalism in government in Brazil. Technical and esthetic standards are briefly touched upon.