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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to advocate for a clearer and less fragmentary use of qualitative research in the increasingly interdisciplinary research setting of information science. Design/methodology/approach -The paper performs a textual analysis of more than 500 peer-reviewed articles to assess information science's involvement with qualitative research. The paper undertakes historical criticism to trace qualitative research in the reviews of information science for the last three decades. Findings -Authors are unclear and lax in their uses of basic research terms. Authors do not account for qualitative research's characteristics, methods, and contributions to information science's bodies of knowledge. Only 4.3 percent of published articles mention their contributions to information science's literature whereas 5.6 percent mention qualitative method(s) in their abstracts. Publications do not show (intra-)collaboration between areas of information science. Information science's contributions to the theoretical discussions of the wider scientific community are lacking. Originality/value -The paper discusses afresh information science's qualitative research. The paper suggests a tighter and long-term investment of information science in qualitative research and the formation of the author's own theorists and theory-illumined practitioners. The paper puts forth some practical recommendations.

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This article investigates the status of orality in the history of technical communication. The article calls for orality as an integral part and driving force of technical writing. The article brings to light the misconceptions that have led to a diminished role of oral communication in technical writing. The article shows the implications of oral skills for improved effectiveness of technical communicators. The article outlines the challenges and promises of teaching oral communication in technical writing.