Reports on an experiment concerning the effects of time and communication channel (asynchronous computer conferencing versus face-to-face meetings) on the development of interpersonal impressions. Finds that computer-mediated groups gradually increase in impression development to a level approaching that of face-to-face groups. (NH)

Compares and contrasts two studies representing diametrical approaches (Romanticism versus Realism) toward the issue of agency and media effects: P. Willis's "Common Culture" and W. A. Gamson's "Talking Politics." Argues that both studies find that people make their own uses of media. (SR)

Argues that an adequate analysis of current political, economic, and cultural changes requires a firm grounding in political economy. Argues for a holistic approach to the study of culture and communication, an approach firmly rooted in political economy. (SR)

Shows how communication instructors and departments might benefit by using teaching portfolios as a means of promoting the scholarship of teaching. Draws on Ernest L. Boyer's research in defining teaching as scholarship. Outlines how such portfolios would be constructed and used by faculty. (HB)

Distinguishes Q methodology from conventional hypothetico-deductive methodologies and from conventional communication approaches. Illustrates epistemological principles through a single-case study of cultural narcissism examined in terms of responses to pictures appearing in "Time" magazine. (RS)

Develops a conception of science as a complex series of cultural practices mediated in an through discourse. Uses a case study of the cold fusion controversy to demonstrate that internal scientific practices cannot explain adequately the eventual closure of the debate and that those explanations are found in the rhetorical practices of…

Examines the student and professional discourse within the same field through a set of case studies written for a third-year course in financial analysis. Reports on the distinct social actions undertaken by student writers as compared with professional practices. Shows commonalities of student and workplace writing. (HB)

Discusses (in a special issue on the topic of criteria for the admissibility of evidence) the contributions and limitations of conversation analysis and postmodernism toward the enterprise of ethnographic research. Proposes criteria for qualitative data to be admissible as evidence for claims about social life and for a qualitative study to count…

Discusses (in a special issue on criteria for the admissibility of evidence in communication research) the use of personal experience in feminist scholarship. Discusses two tenets of feminist scholarship: women's perceptions, meanings, and experiences are taken seriously; and such information cannot be understood within theories developed without…

Investigates how context exerts effects the meaning system that enables assessing meaning units, consisting of referent and meaning value. Reveals four kinds of effects of context on meaning. Analyzes the findings of the two studies undertaken, and discusses their implications. (HB)

Investigates the coherence of nonstandard discourse linguistic sources. Provides examples, such as experimental writing and schizophrenic speech, that establish the necessity of the coherence mechanisms. Emphasizes that, by ignoring nonstandard samples, researchers overlook powerful ways to test theories of discourse. (HB)

Studies the discourse competence of mentally retarded residents of a group home by examining their arguments. Shows how their arguments exhibited useful patterns and gave evidence of being an acceptable and sought after discourse genre. Outlines the features of the residents' argument patterns. (HB)

Presents a new methodology for studying children's and adults' metalinguistic knowledge of the cohesive, discourse-level properties of spoken language. Studies the abilities of subjects to detect and then to explain discourse repairs in narratives. Considers why the discourse-level functions of the markers are not open to reflection. (HB)

Discusses unique characteristics of Hebrew language and writing system in relation to a long historical tradition of bilingual texts. Explores present-day strategies of typesetting and translation and analyzes the "invisible" effects of Hebrew lexical and syntactic patterns on English speakers. Posits a blocking mechanism allowing the monolingual…

Finds in the "Lettres" (1895-98) of Marichette (a Franco-Acadian woman) graphic evidence of the effects of language contact with the socially and economically dominant English on her Franco-Acadian dialect. Explores her penchant for code-switching and relates this aspect of the writer's style to her political commentary. (SR)