An Ideal Design for an Idea Processor.

This thesis determined requirements for an idea processor, a computer program that supports the process of composition by helping the user generate, organize, translate, and review ideas as they are prepared for written or verbal communication. These requirements were derived from theories and models of composition found in a review of current literature. An initial design for an idea processor was developed to meet these requirements, based on features of existing software packages and on the hardware capabilities of microcomputers in use in the Air Force, such as the Zenith Z-100. To implement this initial design, a prototype idea processor was developed on the Burroughs B-26 microcomputer system at AFIT. The original requirements and design were validated in an exploratory experiment. Eight graduate students--identified by communication instructors as expert communicators--performed example ideas processing tasks using the prototype idea processor. These participants verbalized any perceived obstacles to their own preferred style of composition.