Introduction Immediately following the doctoral defense, the newly-affirmed, "Dr." Rearick, exclaimed, "Thank goodness, the dissertation is done. That has been enough writing to last me a lifetime!" Little did she know that eight months later she would accept a tenure-track position in an institution of higher education which necessitated a change of attitude about the art of writing. In actuality, the day she defended was the day that the professional responsibility of researching, writing, and contributing to the educational field had truly begun.
