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Article
Writing and Women's Retention in Engineering
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  • Jennifer C. Mallette, Boise State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2017
Abstract

Engineering disciplines have focused on recruiting and retaining women, assessing factors that contribute to decisions to enter or exit the field at every level. While many studies have examined writing in engineering disciplines, few have looked at writing’s role in women’s decisions to remain in or leave engineering. Using a case study of a professional civil engineer, Katy, this study examines the role that writing played in her dissatisfaction with engineering and her ultimate decision to leave the field. The author analyzes two genres of writing, meeting minutes and a preliminary engineering report, to explore how Katy’s writing practices often ran counter to her coworkers’ or supervisors’ approaches. While a single case study makes generalization impossible, this work opens the door to future research that accounts for writing in recruiting and retaining women.

Copyright Statement

Mallette, J.C., Writing and Women's Retention in Engineering, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 31(4), pp. 417-442. Copyright © 2017, SAGE Publications. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications. doi: 10.1177/1050651917713253

Citation Information
Jennifer C. Mallette. "Writing and Women's Retention in Engineering" Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2017)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jennifer_mallette/6/