Explains chaos theory; compares a conventional instructional systems design (ISD) approach with chaos theory and dynamic nonlinear systems, including deterministic predictability and indeterministic unpredictability and negative and positive feedback; explores theoretical implications for developing an alternative ISD model; and recommends future…

Describes an exploratory study that was conducted to identify the per-page price of a small sample of popular fiction and nonfiction books reviewed by "Booklist." Highlights include a brief literature review; prices analyzed by subject category, type of binding, and presence of illustrations; value; and suggestions for further research.…

Offers an overview of research in public relations ethics. Notes two primary investigative techniques used, lists some findings, and notes further research needed. (SR)

Distinguishes between document-oriented and user-oriented indexing and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of request-oriented and automated indexing. Request-oriented indexing is difficult to implement with human, a priori indexing. Automated indexing can be tailored to individual requests, but most research in this area focuses on global…

Exploration of the social function and cognitive significance of acknowledgments in scholarly articles focuses on a study that bibliometrically analyzed all formal acknowledgments in research articles in the "Journal of the American Society for Information Science" from 1970-90. The use of acknowledgments in addition to citations in…

Reviews work from 1980s on causes of divorce, focusing on findings under the headings of macrostructure, demographics and the life course, and family process. Also reviews trends in methods, samples, and theory. Notes growing body of conclusive empirical findings in areas of demographics and life course factors; need for more work in areas of…

Notes that nearly all existing empirical work on stepfamilies has been published in 1980s. Describes demographic context for this work and surveys research on stepchildren, remarriage, and stepfamily functioning. Identifies problems in extant research and suggests areas for future research. Emphasizes explicit and implicit theories that guided…

Proposes a reconceptualization of problems and processes of developmental group supervision as occurring in three different but interesting domains. Asserts that a more thorough understanding of developmental assumptions upon which supervision models are built will help to identify deficiencies in existing models and to facilitate development of…

Investigates the Leimkuhler curve and the Gini index from a probabilistic viewpoint for studying the concentration of bibliometric distributions. The importance of the time parameter and the special nature of the "nonproducers" in bibliometric studies are examined, standard models of bibliometric processes are described, and further…

Addresses some theoretical, logistical, and methodological problems involved in researching the numbers of females in educational administration. The primary problem is absence of reliable national database and systematic data-gathering processes on national and state levels. Without such data, the research is incomplete, less reliable, and…

Promotes application of research findings to consultation and suggests directions for practice-relevant consultation research. Discusses three approaches to consultation research: naturalistic studies, single-case designs, and alternative means of determining significance. Reviews representative research in three areas of interest (consultant…

Focuses on communication and organizational socialization, first briefly describing common assumptions. Discusses several assumptions that undergird extant socialization models, taking an ambivalent stance toward their value for future research. (RS)

Uses a typology to characterize the situation in communication research in 1993 as compared to the situation in 1983. Compares previous predictions to the present situation and makes new predictions. Argues that a cause for the fragmentation in communication studies is the lack of a basic precondition for cumulative growth--formal models. (SR)

Reviews methods of text segmentation for Chinese text retrieval systems, including single character-based approaches and multicharacter-based approaches; discusses problems of Chinese text segmentation, including morphological complexities, ambiguity of segmentation, and natural language parsing problems; and suggests further research. (Contains…

Asserts that research has not been integral role in identities of mental health counselors, and yet this role is critical to advancement of the profession. Addresses personal and organizational barriers to research in mental health. Offers proposal for preservice and in-service training in research, with particular attention to relevant research…