Thesis (M.A.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / Title from PDF file main screen (viewed on Feb. 19, 2010). A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, [Department of] Humanities Computing, University of Alberta. Includes bibliographical references.

Twenty-five computer scientists representing thirteen language groups at a highly respected university in Japan were surveyed and interviewed to identify the English writing products and processes characteristic of their professional work. Twenty-two major genres were identified and grouped according to purpose. Fourteen significant contextual factors that affected writing production and, ultimately, success in the field of computer science were also identified. Several models were proposed to provide an overview of the writing practices and products potentially illustrative of writing in the computer science field.In the second research phase, two detailed case studies were conducted involving one native and one non-native speaker of English to identify how English language proficiency affected professional practice. Efficiency was a major concern for both subjects but employed different strategies to make their work as efficient and productive as possible.The native speaker, for example, employed skillful use of the computer to gather, create, and store data that could be efficiently "chunked" and assembled into papers, either for publication or for obtaining valuable feedback from other professionals. The subject also thought a great deal about the expectations of his readers as well as the referees and editors who judged the quality of his work. He also revised his work extensively and recruited other professionals locally and abroad to assist him in refining his texts.The non-native speaker employed many of the same computer strategies for gathering and managing information; however, the added difficulty of functioning professionally in English severely limited his work pace and left too little time before deadlines to revise or solicit the amount of feedback he desired from his peers. His most effective strategy was co-authoring papers with native speakers of English who could handle most of the final editing and revising.In the final chapter, results of the surveys, interviews, and case studies were illustrated graphically in an algorithmic flowchart of professional writing practice, and educational applications for writing instruction as well as recommendations for additional research were also suggested / Department of English