naming professional writing and technical communication? In their survey of Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW) members, David Dayton and Stephen A. Bernhardt (2004) asked respondents to select their preference from a list of common names used for academic programs in professional and technical communication. Their results, Dayton and Bernhardt observed, confirm the enduring debate over what to call the field, a question they suspect will not be settled any time soon. One participant responded:
The respondent makes two observations that are particularly relevant to this webtext: (a) names confer (or detract from) value by virtue of the associations they conjure up and (b) innovation—including technological innovations like wireless—complicates naming. Jump back to naming.
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