Book Review: Editing in the Modern Classroom by Suzan Flanagan, & Michael J. Albers (Eds.)

Abstract

Editing in the Modern Classroom is an edited collection written by some of the “leading researchers and scholars in the field” (p. ix) of technical and professional communication. Underscoring that there has been a dearth of empirical research on technical editing, the book promotes more experiential research in the practice and pedagogy of technical editing. The editors, Suzan Flanagan and Michael J. Albers, strive to show what programmatic changes need to be made to teach students more than just copyediting, which usually lands them in “clerical positions” (p. 5). Divided into nine chapters, the “collection is solidly based on research and a comprehensive knowledge of the literature in the field” (p. ix). Chapter 1 is an overview of the book written by the editors, and the other eight chapters start with takeaways and end with insights into pedagogical practices based on the chapters’ topics, thus giving the chapters a common framework that makes them easier to follow. In Chapter 2, “The Current State of Technical Editing Research and Open Questions,” Flanagan situates the book in the field by looking at the previous empirical research in technical editing. In doing so, she “pinpoints knowledge gaps” (p. 16) and raises open research questions about workplace editing, classroom editing tests, various types of audiences, and so on. This chapter leaves the reader with thoughtful questions, such as “How do classroom assessments align with workplace assessments?” or “What are the best practices for editing and responding to documents written by nonnative speakers?” (p. 37). Overall, the chapter serves instructors as a reflective guide for checking how their pedagogy needs to be adjusted for Book Review