Understanding the Rhetoric of Research

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Composing an original document for hypertext format is different from writing a paper text document. As mentioned earlier, information need not be presented linearly in a hypertext format. Lule points out that "writing changes when technology changes" (1998).

Hypertext technology enables the writer to approach the writing project with a somewhat modified arsenal of choices at his or her disposal. What this means for the writer is basically more tools in the toolbox. The ability to include links in the document enables the writer to give the reader the option of pursuing information that need not be included in the main body of text. For instance, in traditional print publications a section suggesting further reading might be added at the end of the main text. In hypertext documents, further reading may be accessed instantaneously through the use of links. Background information and definitions of technical terms need not be included in the main body of the document. Instead, links can instantly connect the reader to any supplemental information needed.

Another distinction between print and hypertext documents of is that once a research text has been published in print, the writer's ability to revise and update the work is limited. This revision involves printing new editions that can be occasional at best, or entirely cost prohibitive at worst. After publication in print, the text may be viewed as inert for all practical purposes. These restrictions are no longer an issue in hypertext. The writer (who could very well be the publisher, due to the relative low cost and accessibility of Web publishing) can now revise and update on an ongoing basis. In ongoing research projects, new findings can be published at various stages during the life of the study. As the writer becomes aware of new, pertinent information, this information can be added to the text at any time.

Another consideration for researchers publishing on the Internet is the increased speed of the presentation, discussion and debate of research findings afforded by hypertext and Internet technology. In the print model, the author submits a research report or some other form of scholarly publication and patiently awaits publication. Then the slow process of formal response to the work begins. The discussion can take months or even years to evolve. With Web technology this process can expedited.

Simply pasting a text as it exists in print form into hypertext is no longer the standard for online publication. The Internet was once nothing more than a clearinghouse for greater accessibility to previously printed research. Currently, Internet publication is moving towards a links-based presentation of research texts that cannot exist in print. In the field of English research, the Internet has moved toward original online journals that do not necessarily have -- or need -- a print counterpart.

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