Dr Roslyn Petelin
Honorary Associate Professor
School of Communication and Arts
Researcher biography
Associate Professor Roslyn Petelin initiated and designed the post-graduate Writing, Editing, & Publishing (WEP) Program in the School of Communication and Arts. Prior to launching the program at UQ in 2000, she taught Literature and Film at the Brisbane Kindergarten Teachers’ College and Communication in the Faculty of Business at Queensland University of Technology and in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
Associate Professor Petelin edited the internationally refereed Australian Journal of Communication from 1988-2013 and is on the editorial boards of Business and Professional Communication Quarterly (USA) and Corporate Communications: An International Journal (UK). She is a past President and Honorary Life Member of the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association and has consulted extensively on writing, editing, and information design to public and private sector organisations in Australia, the UK, the USA, and S. E. Asia. In 2014, she developed and launched WRITE101x, a massive, open online course for UQx, which has attracted more than 330,000 registrants in its four offerings to date (end of 2016).
Research
Classical and contemporary rhetoric, academic writing, scholarly editing, writing about the arts, writing in the disciplines and the professions, University Writing Programs, publishing, knowledge management, information design, blended learning, and digital publishing futures.
Current research includes: Plain language, writing and editing in the disciplines and the professions, editing scholarly journals, e-Learning, and e-Publishing.
Books
Petelin, Roslyn (2022). How writing works: a field guide to effective writing. 2nd ed. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003179344
Petelin, Roslyn (2016). How writing works: a field guide to effective writing. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Putnis, Peter and Petelin, Roslyn (1996). Professional communication: Principles and applications.. Sydney: Pearson Education.
Petelin, Roslyn and Durham, Marsha (1992). The professional writing guide : Writing well and knowing why. South Melbourne: Longman Professional.
Journal Articles
Petelin, Roslyn (2016). Flexible frameworks for ‘unruly’ formats. Text: journal of writing and writing courses, 20 (2).
Petelin, Roslyn (2014). The Australian Journal of Communication (1976–2013): tracing the trajectory. Review of Communication, 13 (4), 302-315. doi: 10.1080/15358593.2013.867069
Petelin, Roslyn (2013). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 40 (3), iv-v.
Petelin, Roslyn (2012). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 39 (2), vi-vii.
Petelin, Roslyn (2012). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 39 (3), vii-vii.
Petelin, Roslyn (2010). Considering plain language: Issues and initiatives. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 5 (2), 205-216. doi: 10.1108/13563281011037964
Petelin, Roslyn (2008). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 35 (1), vi-vii.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2007). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 34 (2), 1-1.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2007). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 34 (1), vii-viii.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2007). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 34 (3), 1-2.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2006). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 33 (1), vii-viii.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2006). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 33 (2 & 3), 1-2.
Petelin, Roslyn (2005). Editing from the edge: De-territorializing public relations scholarship. Public Relations Review, 31 (4), 458-462. doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2005.08.002
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2005). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 32 (3), 1-1.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2005). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 32 (2), 1-1.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2005). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 32 (1), 1-1.
Petelin, Roslyn (2004). Academic journal publishing: Desiderata for the digital age. Australian Journal of Communication, 31 (3), 117-123.
Colen, Kerryn and Petelin, Roslyn (2004). Challenges in Collaborative Writing in the Contemporary Corporation. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 9 (2), 136-145. doi: 10.1108/13563280410534339
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2003). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 30 (1), vii.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2003). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 30 (2), 1-1.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2002). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 29 (2), vii-viii.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2002). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 29 (3), vii-viii.
Petelin, R. M. (2002). Managing Organisational Writing to Enhance Corporate Credibility. Journal of Communication Management: An International Journal, 7 (2), 172-180. doi: 10.1108/13632540310807304
Petelin, R. M. (2002). Another Whack at WAC: Reprising WAC in Australia. Language and Learning Across the Disciplines, 5 (3), 98-109. doi: 10.37514/lld-j.2002.5.3.09
Petelin, R. M., Turner, G., McKee, A., Pearson, M. S., Zorn, T., Greenfield, C. and Weiss, E. (2002). Editing and Publishing Symposium: Taking Submission Seriously. Australian Journal of Communication, 29 (2), 103-107.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2002). Editorial. Australian Journal of Communication, 29 (1), vii-viii.
Conference Papers
Petelin, Roslyn (2017). Writing as an editable feast: being an editee. Advancing our profession: Iped 8th National Editors Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 13-15 September 2017. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute of Professional Editors.
Coulter, Beverly , Petelin, Roslyn , Gannon, Justine , O’Brien, Kate and Macdonald, Corrie (2017). Enhancing technical writing skills for undergraduate engineering students. 28th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2017), Sydney, Australia , 10-13 December 2017. Sydney, Australia: School of Engineering, Macquarie University.
Proellocks, Dorothy and Petelin, Roslyn (2014). Legal Aid decision letters and plain language: advice for the vulnerable. Conference on Corporate Communication 2014, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, 3-6 June 2014. New York, NY, United States: Corporate Communication International.
Petelin, Roslyn (2013). Transforming lives through a postgraduate writing, editing, and publishing program: the pleasure dividend. QAA10: International Conference on Enhancement and Innovation in Higher Education, Glasgow, Scotland, 11-13 June, 2013. Glasgow, Scotland: Quality Assurance Agency.
Petelin, Roslyn (2013). Enhancing the quality of corporate writing: the efficacy of editing software?. Conference on Corporate Communication 2013, New York, United States, 4-7 June 2013. New York, United States: Corporate Communication International.
McKinnon, Caroline and Petelin, Roslyn (2012). Taking plain language seriously: "That's a really big ask". Conference on Corporate Communication 2012, New York, United States, 5-8 June 2012. New York, NY, United States: Corporate Communication Internationa.
McKinnon, Caroline and Petelin, Roslyn (2010). Complying with plain language guidelines in the corporation: If not, why not?. Conference on Corporate Communication 2010, Wroxton, Oxfordshire, U.K., 4-7 June 2010. New York, NY, United States: CCI - Corporate Communication International.
Petelin, Roslyn (2009). Writing pedagogy: Pluralism required, but rhetoric rules. ANZCA09 Conference, Brisbane, Australia, July 8 - 10 2009. online: Australian and New Zealand Communication Association.
Petelin, Roslyn (2009). Plain language in the contemporary corporation. Conference on Corporate Communication 2009, Wroxton College, Wroxton, England, 5-8 June 2009. CD Rom: Corporate Communication International at Baruch College/CUNY.
Petelin, Roslyn and McKinnon, Caroline (2008). The corporate gardener: Respecting the 'Wiki way'?. Conference on Corporate Communication 2008, Wroxton College, Wroxton, England, June 6 - 9, 2008. USA: Corporate Communication International at Baruch College/CUNY.
Petelin, R. and Ryan, J. (2007). Selling Strategy to Empower Employees: Preliminary Observations. Conference on Corporate Communication 2007, Wroxton College, Wroxton, England, 1 - 4 June 2007. UK: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
Petelin, R., Ryan, J. and Tokody, C. (2007). Initiating a Coaching and Mentoring Program in an International Organization. Conference on Corporate Communication 2007, Wroxton College, Wroxton, England, 1-4 June, 2007. UK: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
Petelin, R. M. (2006). Organizational outsourcing of writing and editing: Acceptable alternative or 'panicked priority'?. Conference on Corporate Communication 2006, Wroxton College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, England, June 2 - 5, 2006. USA: Corporate Communication Institute, Fairleigh Dickinson Uni.
Petelin, Roslyn M. (2005). Consulting (in Writing) to the Corporation: Principles and Pragmatics. Conference on Corporate Communication 2005, Wroxton College, Campus of Fairleigh Dickenson University, Wroxton, UK, 10 - 13 June, 2005. New Jersey, USA: Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Petelin, R. M. (2004). The corporate style guide: Every company should have one. Conference on Corporate Communication 2004, Wroxton College, Wroxten Abbey, Wroxton, England, June 4 - 7, 2004. New Jersey, USA: Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Colen, K. and Petelin, R. M. (2003). Collaborative Considerations for Corporate Writers: Insights from the Academy and the Corporation. Conference on Corporate Communication 2003, Wroxton College, Wroxton Abbey, Wroxton, England, Jun 28 - July 1, 2003. Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey, USA: Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Taylor, K. and Petelin, R. M. (2003). Considering Content Management in a Software Development Company: Taking Single-Sourcing Seriously. Australian & New Zealand Communication Association International Conference, 2003: Designing Communication for Diversity, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, July 9 - 13, 2003. Brisbane, Australia: Australian & New Zealand Communication Association & the Bry.
Rounsefell, B., Crosthwaite, C. A. and Petelin, R. M. (2002). Written Communication Skills - A Graduate Outcome of Process Engineering Education?. Leadership in Learning: Learning in Leadership, Rydges Canberra, ACT, 30/09/02 - 02/20/02. Canberra, ACT: Australasian Association for Engineering.
Newspaper Articles
Petelin, Roslyn (2021, 11 30). 'Strollout' has gathered pace, romping home as the Macquarie word of the year. I'd have gone for 'vax' if on the list The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2021, 03 04). Youse wouldn't believe it: a new book charts the 11-year making of a 'people's dictionary' for Australia The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2020, 11 19). Renaming of Redskins and Chicos is a shaky step towards leaving discriminatory ideas in the past The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2020, 04 08). Book review: The dictionary of lost words The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2020, 01 29). Comma again? Philip Pullman's Oxford comma rage doesn't go far enough The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2019, 12 05). All hail apostrophes-the heavy lifters who 'point a sentence in the right direction' The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2019, 12 02). Cancel culture, cleanskin, hedonometer . . .I'm not sure I like any of Macquarie Dictionary's words of the year The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2019, 07 29). Wordslut: a new book aims to 'verbally smash the patriarchy', but its argument is imprecise The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2018, 10 31). Apostrophes are members of the English alphabet, not punctuation, and too important to lose The ABC News
Petelin, Roslyn (2018, 04 18). From 'opening the kimono' to 'incentivising', the war against corporate buzzwords rages on The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2018, 01 17). When we needed a new word, Twitter gave us "milkshake duck" The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2017, 06 01). In defence of grammar pedantry
Petelin, Roslyn (2017, 03 21). Grammarians rejoice in the $10-million comma The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2016, 12 12). The fine art of scorn from Twain to Trump The Conversation
Petelin, Roslyn (2016, 10 27). Crimes of grammar and other misdemeanours