International Journal of Business Communication

This article challenges several long-established principles of organizing written communications. Aids to easy reading or ready reference may rather be æsthetic preferences. Neither logical nor psychological order has any statistically signifi cant superiority.

This study of audience reception of four kinds of claim adjustment letters shows a significant difference in the reception of negatively and positively treated messages.

This study shows that scientists and engineers perceive differences between themselves as groups, perhaps occasioned by differences in the forms of their written communication. Actual differences between scientists and engineers, however, may be over-emphasized.

Last year the JOURNAL published the 1970 report of the ABCA Research Com mittee. It was so well received by members that we have decided to share the 1971 report of the committee also. Hopefully a number of the suggested areas of investigation will stimulate the research work of our members in the next few years.