It is pointed out that if information science is to be considered a "true" science similar to physics or chemistry then it must have a set of concepts and analytical expressions which apply to the flow of information in a general way. Such expressions should be relatively independent of the particular context or application under consideration.…

Contends that the trouble with communication research is fragmentation and too much low-quality and very little high-quality work. (PD)

Using as a measure the magnitude of differences between the responses of believers and non-believers and between members of six academic fields it is evident that beliefs are generally a clearly better predictor of perceived conflict and of expressed concern than is academic field. (Authro)

One purpose of education is to produce well-integrated individuals. (CK)

Lauda debates the issues raised by Swanson in a previous article (EJ 257 477), which he believes present a misconception of technology education and its methods of inquiry. Lauda argues that the study of technology is a valid discipline base in today's technological culture. (SK)

Describes the growth of science as a twofold process: (1) the fragmentation of formal disciplines; and (2) a recombination of the specialties resulting from this fragmentation. Discusses the division of disciplines into specialized subfields that has led to the development of hybrid specialties, and maintains that the concept of hybridization is…

This project looks at the body of literature related to visual communication and the categories that emerge from the writings to develop a taxonomy of topics and some sense of the location of the most important, or at least the most frequently written about, areas of study. (Author/LRW)

Describes results of a content analysis of 1160 library and information science (LIS) articles published between 1993 and 1998 to examine the use of theory in LIS research. Findings imply that differences exist in the use of theory in LIS that are associated with the broad disciplinary content of the research. (Author/LRW)

Suggests that highest ideal of research seems to be truthfulness to the phenomenon under study. This philosophical examination looks at whether it is possible to attach these claims to professionalized and institutionalized research methods of academic disciplines, or if goals attainable through such means are of a completely different, neglected,…

Responds to a critique in this issue (itself a critique of earlier articles in this journal). Argues that to view business communication as a subarea of the bounded field of communication limits its future growth and is contrary to establishing the discipline as a legitimate field within academia. (SR)

The Blackwell Companion and Blackwell Guide to the philosophy of education, edited respectively by Randall Curren and by Nigel Blake, Paul Smeyers, Richard Smith and Paul Standish, are potentially field-defining volumes. The present essay moves back and forth between the two books to assess the overall impression they provide of the "state of the…

The notion that one can argue history "versus" social studies requires that one commit to a troublesome dichotomy resulting in a partitioning of the two subjects into separate entities. As practiced in the schools, the courses consistently overlap. In fact, the commonalities are so extensive that often the terms social studies and history are used…

The paper's goal is to propose a conceptual framework, a "knowledge infrastructure," demonstrating that social gerontology is at the point of becoming a distinct academic discipline. The various phases of gerontological development that have led to the current stage are outlined. The components of the framework are arranged vertically by three…

Sadly, amidst a vast profusion of knowledge, universities abrogate responsibility for showing young learners what is essential. Left to select for themselves, most students arrive late, if at all, to an awareness of what they want and need out of college. Thus, according to James Bernard Murphy, a well-constructed core of courses, presented in the…

GED (General Educational Development) testing candidates have many options available to them to prepare for the GED Test, including adult education (AE) classes, practice tests, and self-study. This study focused on candidates who voluntarily took the GED Test and could choose freely among preparation activities. We examined GED Test preparation…