Improving models of document cycling: Accounting for the less visible writing activities of an annual reporting process at a supercomputing facility

摘要

Conventional models of document cycling for periodic report writing in large organizations limit what is represented to the final stages of document manufacturing, such as drafting and editing, usually within an annual timeframe. This paper proposes a model of document cycling that represents a more diverse range of work activities across a broader range of timeframes, from hourly to annual. These activities include the inscription of data and the generation of reportable information. A more inclusive model of the document cycling process ascribes value to the less visible aspects of document cycling and visualizes how report writing activities are submerged into the regular operations of the facility. The data in this study was drawn from a larger ethnographic study of technical documentation and reporting processes at a federally funded supercomputing facility for scientific research.