Notes that the field of communication is gaining momentum and respect. Points out that the task of definition for any field of study is one of process. Discusses the four position articles presented in this special issue. (PA)

Argues that a good procedure for starting an essay is to define the topic's central concept, looking up the word in reference books and looking carefully at what it means to the student personally. (SR)

Investigates the relationship between college undergraduate students' (N=102) beliefs about the definition of mental illness and their tolerance toward individuals with mental illnesses. Results show that students with broad and inclusive definitions of mental illness had more benevolent, less authoritarian, and less socially restrictive attitudes…

Describes a program evaluation system in which the review of programs' definitions of success serve as indicators of stated goals and changes in programs. Review of definitions of success of eight programs suggests information that programs want to use in making decisions across the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delinquency prevention services. (SLD)

Examines the prevailing definitions and responsibilities of product, network, and system integrators for building automation systems; offers a novel approach to system integration; and sets realistic expectations for the owner in terms of benefits, outcomes, and overall values. (EV)

Defines knowledge management, its components, processes, and outcomes. Addresses the importance of knowledge management for higher education in general and for institutional research in particular. (EV)

Considers how plagiarism continues to elude definition because teachers cannot possibly formulate and act on a definition of plagiarism that articulates both its textual and sexual work. Discusses linking sexual property to textual transgression and rejecting metaphors in relationship to rejecting plagiarism. Suggests educators stop using the term…

This rebuttal of a response to the author's original article on improved classification of stuttering in the context of disability, impairment, and handicap, stresses that the model originally proposed carefully distinguishes the two major aspects of stuttering and offers definitions of impairment, disability, and handicap consistent with the…

Inquiry refers to the activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world. Inquiry is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing questions; examining books and other sources of information to see what is already…

Objective:: The aim of this study was to explore influences that inhibit or promote child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure. Method:: Face-to-face in-depth interviews of 24 female and male survivors of CSA were conducted, using the Long-Interview method to trace disclosure processes. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed by hand and…

Pervasive though it is in modern life, the concept of self-esteem is often viewed with distrust. This paper departs from an idea that was recently aired by Richard Smith: that we might be better off without this concept. The meaning of self-esteem is explored within four homes: the self-help industry, social science, therapy and education. It is…

Suggest that the insistence on reporting in terms of performance standards in situations where they are not essential has been more harmful than helpful. Discusses variability in the definitions of proficient academic achievement by status for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. (SLD)

Despite its intuitive appeal and popularity, Thorndike's constant ratio (CR) model for unbiased selection is inherently inconsistent in "n"-free selection. Satisfaction of the condition for unbiased selection, when formulated in terms of success/acceptance probabilities, usually precludes satisfaction by the converse probabilities of…

"Social efficiency" is one of the most popular phrases in the fields of curriculum and educational history, but it often has been used without careful consideration of the various historical interpretations associated with it. This article challenges contemporary usage of "social efficiency" by explicating primary source documents from the early…

This article considers the future of professional educational psychology by addressing challenges and tensions, while presenting a positive view tempered by realism. It starts by considering recent definitions of the role but asks whether one needs to be a professional psychologist to use psychological knowledge and understanding. It is argued…