Guest Editors' Introduction to the Special Issue

Why Editing and Publishing Programs?

Authors

  • Holly Baker Brigham Young University
  • Jacob Rawlins Brigham Young University

Keywords:

editing and publishing, technical and professional communication, curriculum development, professional identity, industry

Abstract

This special issue of Programmatic Perspectives explores the emerging field of editing and publishing (E&P) within technical and professional communication, highlighting its pedagogical, theoretical, and professional dimensions. While editing has long been a core communicative practice, E&P programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels remain diverse and largely unstandardized. The issue includes four research articles, seven program showcases, and a curriculum showcase. Research examines interdisciplinary program design, freelance editorial practices, and the integration of industry engagement, highlighting challenges and opportunities in program sustainability and professional identity. Program showcases reveal curricular diversity across certificate, undergraduate, and graduate offerings, emphasizing interdisciplinarity, faculty expertise, and professionalization. A curriculum showcase illustrates innovative course-level strategies that balance institutional needs with disciplinary engagement. Collectively, these contributions demonstrate how research, programmatic innovation, and pedagogy can shape E&P as a rigorous, cohesive discipline. This issue fosters collaboration, dialogue, and shared practices, providing foundational steps toward a more unified and vibrant academic community in editing and publishing.

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Author Biographies

Holly Baker, Brigham Young University

Holly Baker is Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Brigham Young University. She teaches in the Editing and Publishing Program, which offers both a major and minor, and she is currently developing a graduate-level editing certificate program. She teaches courses in linguistics, copyediting, substantive editing, book publishing, and English usage. Her research interests center on E&P program administration, linguistic prescriptivism, and editing pedagogy. She has worked as a professional editor for over twenty years and is one of the founding members of the Research in Editing and Publishing (REAP) group.

Jacob Rawlins, Brigham Young University

Jacob Rawlins is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Brigham Young University, where he teaches courses in editing, publishing, and grammar. He earned his PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication from Iowa State University. His research interests include applied rhetoric, the history of the book, and professional communication.

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Published

2026-01-19

How to Cite

Baker, H., & Rawlins, J. (2026). Guest Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue: Why Editing and Publishing Programs?. Programmatic Perspectives, 16(2). Retrieved from https://programmaticperspectives.cptsc.org/index.php/jpp/article/view/154

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025): Programmatic Perspectives

Section

From the Guest Editors

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Holly Baker, Jacob Rawlins

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.