Different types of writing

I think we would all agree that writing is a complex cognitive occupation. It is something that I very much enjoy in all of its different types: 1. descriptive writing which includes poems, memoirs, and diaries; 2. persuasive writing which includes editorials such as a letter to the editor of a newspaper or to a legislative; 3. expository writing which includes scientific research papers such as published in WORK; and 4. narrative writing which is storytelling. Along with expository writing, narrative writing has been a focus of mine.

In 2012, I embarked on the goal of co-authoring and self-publishing a children’s storybook. The first book, How Full is Sophia’s Backpack? was such a positive experience that I co-authored and self-published 21 books over the last 10 years. You can find the list of books on my blog at: https://blogs.bu.edu/kjacobs/.

One of my motivations for narrative writing was to accurately portray characters with disabilities and address challenging topics such as visiting the doctor, getting vaccinated, epilepsy, autism, and dementia in a meaningful manner for young children. Evidence research supports that children’s literature that includes individuals with disabilities enhances understanding of differences, how these children perceive themselves, how they are seen by their peers, and how they participate in their society. Pulimeno, Piscitelli and Colazzo [1] write that “Children’s storybooks not only provide new knowledge – by enriching children’s vocabulary and enhancing their communication skills – but also ensure emotional support during problematic circumstances of life”.

Although the books are available for sale, I typically give them away or donate them to libraries and community agencies. Two of my favorite activities connected with these books are participating in a book reading at my local library and working with children in creating their own books.

This issue of WORK contains 31 papers, five of which address the impact of COVID-19 on work. The papers’ topics are varied from teleworking, returning to work of employees with low and high levels of education, and career management to hearing protection behavior.

The Editor’s Choice paper is Ergonomics evaluation of virtual reality (VR): A review of the literature authored by Drs. Chen and Wu. They share that, “Many attempts have been made to study ergonomics issues of VR, mainly including pressure, muscle fatigue, thermal comfort, visual fatigue, and motion sickness. Ergonomics studies are very valuable for research related to virtual reality”. The paper gives three recommendations for trends in future research using VR from a human factor perspective: 1. “enhance the development of VR hardware”, 2. “refine design guidelines for VR software content”, and 3. “establish the design model based on human factors and a comprehensive evaluation system for head-up display”.

WORK has a new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JournalWORK. I hope you will follow us; and if you would like to receive news and updates on the latest publications of WORK, please sign up at: tiny.cc/WORKsignup.

With kind regards,

Founding Editor, WORK

Occupational therapist & ergonomist

workjournal.org

blogs.bu.edu/kjacobs/