This special issue's editors invited discussion of three broad questions. Slightly rephrased, they are: How well do self-report data represent theoretical constructs? How should analyses of data be conditioned by properties of self report data? In what ways do interpretations of self-report data shape interpretations of a study's findings? To…

Since its first appearance in 1947, "The Diary of Anne Frank" has been translated into sixty-five different languages, including Welsh, Esperanto, and Faroese. Millions and perhaps even billions of readers, scattered throughout the globe and now spanning multiple generations, are familiar with the life and work of this young Jewish…

Looking in classrooms is one of the most basic requirements of school improvement, and yet it is one of the least practised skills of teachers and one of the most contentious methods of educational researchers. When it does occur, it is difficult to agree on what to look for and even more difficult to agree on what is seen. This paper outlines an…

Newsletters, websites, local access television and community newspapers serve as the typical media superintendents use to get the word out to parents and public. One might logically ask, "Isn't that enough to deal with?" School superintendents with so much to communicate need to move beyond a reliance on the traditional media outlets. These no…

In the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi civilians have witnessed their country descend into profound and often deadly chaos. HNK and Aunt Najma are two young voices from post-Saddam, post-invasion Iraq who write www-based diaries (blogs) on life in post-invasion Iraq. Through their voices, and via the voices of many other…

The aim of this paper is to share my perceptions and reflections on the experience of introducing elements of autonomy in a constrained educational setting in Argentina. I recorded these perceptions in teaching diaries written weekly after each class for the academic year 2005 (over 35 weeks). These teaching diaries are part of a larger,…

In the past decade, language memoirs, linguistic autobiographies, and learners' journals and diaries have become a popular means of data collection in applied linguistics. It is not always clear however how one should go about analyzing these data. The aim of this paper is to offer a critical review of analytical frameworks applied to second…

The authors review commentaries by J. E. Broderick and A. A. Stone (2006); H. Tennen, G. Affleck, J. C. Coyne, R. J. Larsen, and A. DeLongis (2006); and M. K. T. Takarangi, M. Garry, and E. F. Loftus (2006) on their original article (A. S. Green, E. Rafaeli, N. Bolger, P. Shrout, & H. T. Reis, 2006). The authors were pleased to find more agreement…

American Indian women's autobiographies recount a specific type of life experience that has often been overlooked, one that is equally important in understanding the genre and to develop ways of reading these texts that balance the recovery and recognition of the Native voice and agency contained within them with the processes of creation and the…

In this commentary, the authors discuss the implications of A. S. Green, E. Rafaeli, N. Bolger, P. E. Shrout, and H. T. Reis's (2006) diary studies with respect to memory. Researchers must take 2 issues into account when determining whether paper-and-pencil or handheld electronic diaries gather more trustworthy data. The first issue is a matter of…

Addresses the argument that private writing is not really private. Explores the role of empirical evidence. Offers arguments that acknowledge private writing as different from public or social writing. Discusses methods of researching private writing. (CR)

The authors applaud A. S. Green, E. Rafaeli, N. Bolger, P. E. Shrout, and H. T. Reis's (2006) response to one-sided comparisons of paper versus electronic (plastic) diary methods and hope that it will stimulate more balanced considerations of the issues involved. The authors begin by highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement with Green et…

Provides a public television executive's diary account of this two-week trip with a delegation of American television chief executives to the People's Republic of China at the invitation of the country's Central Broadcasting Administration. (CMV)

Through a diary and photographs the authors (a gifted student and G/C/T editor) recount their trip to Bulgaria to participate in an International Year of the Child World Assembly for children gifted in the areas of art, music, and creative writing. They describe their experiences and impressions of the country and the friendliness of its people.…

An elementary principal describes the physically exhausting, but professionally fulfilling process of opening a new school in Valparaiso, Indiana. High points included hiring faculty and staff, organizing volunteer parents, videotaping opening day, selling sweatshirts, taking an all-school picture, holding a school dedication ceremony, and burying…