Communication competency research and theory would benefit from a conceptualization that emphasizes competent communication rather than competent communicators. Such a conceptualization recognizes that competent communication is inherently both contextually bound and necessarily dependent upon the particular combination of people involved in an…

An overview study was sponsored by the Council on Library Resources to gather existing information on the extent to which fees are charged for library and information services, the percentage of libraries charging for any services, and the services for which fees are charged. The review panel that conducted the study found that there is little…

This chapter argues that political scientists have been more interested in studying political processes than in studying who receives what benefits from the political process. To illustrate his thesis that few political scientists have linked the political process to policy outcomes, the author briefly discusses four general categories of public…

Presented in the report on the Symposium on Child Abuse and Neglect Program Evaluation are the critical issues regarding evaluation and research needs which were addressed during the 2-day meeting and a brief description of the meeting's format. A child protective services model involving five stages (identification/reporting,…

To analyze the application of quantitative models to energy-employment issues, the energy problem was viewed in three distinct, but related, phases: the post-embargo shock effects, the intermediate-term process of adjustment, and the long-run equilibrium. Against this background eighteen existing energy models (government supported as well as…

Argues for increased financial support for scientific research by organizations such as the National Science Foundation as well as federal (Congress and the White House) promotion of the idea that science is an investment for the future. (PB)

Research supported by U.S. Office of Education Contracts OEC-3-10-032 and OEC-6-10-108.

Studies using human figure drawing as a measurement technique are reviewed as part of an inquiry concerning the effectiveness of instruction to improve children's body image. It is concluded that the findings reviewed are inconclusive as to whether instruction can improve children's perceptions and knowledge of body image, and that further…

This paper identifies major theories prevalent in recent feminist scholarship, discusses biases inherent in these theories, and offers an original theoretical explanation for women's social and economic status. The major objective is to contribute to the body of feminist thought by exposing the biased conceptual tools used by many researchers to…

In addition to problems of instrument selection and interpretation and problems associated with sampling procedures, psychologists' person-blame interpretations of social problems (interpretations that call for change in individuals and ignore needs for systemic change) and gender beliefs (such as assumptions about women and motherhood, men and…

Based on data drawn from a larger study concerning what people learn from television news broadcasts, this paper suggests ways that researchers might conceptualize audience comprehension of television news. Following a review of the information processing literature, the paper analyzes several conceptualizations taken from the literature and…

Educational research is designed to deal with problems. Some problems in American education cannot be understood outside their historical-philosophical contexts. This paper presents arguments concerning the limitations of standard empirical research in the field of education. This is accomplished by following developments in the culture that have…

Advertising and society courses have suffered from conflicting educational goals, superficial scholarly research, and a lack of critical intellectual perspectives. The institutional perspective on advertising research has the major strength that it elucidates structural and functional factors of advertising. However, it ignores cultural…

A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON CRITICAL READING INDICATES THAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO TEACH CRITICAL READING AT BOTH THE SECONDARY AND ELEMENTARY LEVELS, PARTICULARLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL. NATIONAL READING CONFERENCE YEARBOOKS AND REVIEWS OF REPORTED RESEARCH, HOWEVER, FAILED TO SHOW A SINGLE CONTROLLED STUDY ON CRITICAL READING AT THE COLLEGE…