Research in counseling has fallen far short of its goals. This is partly due to the inherent difficulty of doing research in counseling and partly due to attitudes toward research in counseling. The solution is not to relax the rigor but to show greater concern for sound research design. (Author)

Evaluation of a model of the dynamics of cumulative achievement, used to develop an instrument for predicting scholastic achievement, suggests that, while the instrumentation needs to be improved, reliability of the model-based approach warrants further work. (MJB)

Media research should be bases for choice of media rather than administrative or organizational requirements. (Author/JY)

The authors contend that the experimental psychology of mental retardation suffers from methatheoretical and methodological weaknesses, preeminently the failure to consider the ecology of mental retardation. (CL)

Considers the demands being placed on English departments for better teaching of writing and calls for a new emphasis on research in the teaching of writing. (AA)

Presents a conceptual model of administrative communication and describes possible alternative communication design considerations. (MH)

Uses conversational analysis to investigate how people accomplish a specific enactment of their everyday lives. (MH)

A program of research on the effects of institutional experience on retarded persons was described and the importance of such research for theory construction, use by clinicians, and construction of social policy was discussed, as was the value of both longitudinal and cross-institutional studies. (Author)

Argues that technical writing teachers will profit from linguistic research if they keep in mind that linguists set their own goals, develop their own trends, and establish their own priorities, because these facts force technical writing teachers to consider their linguistic requirements before they turn to linguistic research for answers to…

Reviews emerging findings applying self-efficacy theory to career-relevant behaviors, examines a number of conceptual and methodological issues arising from this work, and offers several directions for future research and theory on the career self-efficacy construct. Self-efficacy appears to offer promise in understanding certain career-entry…

The discipline of geography has become fragmented by narrow specialization and its boundaries blurred by overlap with neighboring disciplines. Suggestions for reorienting research include increased collaborative projects, more attention to environmental issues, and reemphasis on regional geography. (MSE)

Results from the Victoria Day Care Research Project, which focused on the research triad of parents-children-caregivers, indicate that there are significant differences between parents depending on whether they use licensed center-based day care, licensed family day care homes, or unlicensed family day care homes. (PCB)

Lists four areas identified by participants at the 1987 Resources and Technical Services Division Serials Section program as mandatory considerations in the study of serials automation within the context of linking public and technical library services. Four conference papers to be published in this and subsequent issues are introduced. (MES)

Argues that pragmatics should expand its research interest to include not only the study of how speakers perform speech acts but also the investigation of instances where they decide not to perform them, referred to as the "opting out" choice. (CB)

A review of the literature on the use of the self-efficacy model for weight control raised several areas of concern, including differences between losing weight and maintaining weight loss, ethical questions, and misguided interpretations of the model's effectiveness. The need for comprehensive, well-planned research is stressed. (CB)