The introduction to a special issue on happiness and people with mental retardation identifies seven verities about supports for happiness such as: many external factors do not correlate well with happiness; there are significant internal or personal factors that do relate to happiness; and there is a need for studies on happiness in people with…

Review of the literature on happiness, or felicitude, in people with physical disabilities considers data showing that levels of happiness may be high despite severe levels of impairment. It concludes that for both physical and intellectual disabilities, the task is to overcome stereotypes and measure health-related quality of life in meaningful,…

Explores politeness theory by investigating the influence of nonverbal behaviors on facework in criticism of a friend. Finds that cues, such as vocal tone and facial expressions, influence participants' perceptions of politeness. Suggests that facework scholars should also consider how something is said as a salient for interpretation of what is…

Explores issues surrounding community-based literacy research. Suggests that, although well intentioned, literacy researchers risk overdetermining, essentializing, and romanticizing what it means to engage in community-based literacy if they do not define and question what is meant by community. Examines various definitions of community and argues…

Discusses what Complexity Theory (presented as a rubric that collects theoretical understandings from a number of domains such as ecology, biology, neurology, and education) suggests about mind, selfhood, intelligence, and practices of reading, and the import of these reconceptualizations to reader-response researchers. Concludes that developing…

Discussion of young adult library services focuses on the results of a survey of New Jersey public libraries. Highlights include job titles; population served; job responsibilities; young adult services; young adult staff; policy of information provision; young adult research preferences; and recommendations for future research. (LRW)

Provides results from a study that examined queries in question format submitted to two Web search engines, Ask Jeeves and Excite. Identifies four types of user Web queries: keyword, Boolean, question, and request; discusses implications for Web search services; and suggests further research needs. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of role-play focuses on a case study of an asynchronous, anonymous online role-play at an Australian university within a WebCT bulletin board that was designed as an alternative to an existing face-to-face workshop to offer more flexible access for participants. Suggests further research needs. (Author/LRW)

This commentary on a paper (EC 619 273) about the appearance of acute, healing, and healed anogenital injuries in children who have been sexually abused urges the development of guidelines to interpret the physical findings found in children. Limitations of current practice and clinical studies are noted. A research procedure for the development…

Asks whether different scoring systems can explain why many studies have found female failures in performing tasks that were designed to assess concepts of horizontality and verticality. Presents new findings involving 86 men and boys and 84 women and girls through which no significant sex differences were found. Discusses suggestions and…

Argues that researchers can achieve objectives of advancing basic knowledge and addressing applied problems within a single research program. Provides a framework for this perspective by examining historical trends of basic and applied developmental research and examining potential approaches. Uses research on affordances and childhood injuries to…

Examines the current understanding of competence and move toward a holistic perspective. Uses examples from research to develop an interpretive-relational perspective in which the individual's conception of competence cannot be separated from the context of their work, situation, and experience. (SK)

Describes data collection approaches suitable for the Internet: survey research, case studies, and participant observation. Lists areas where research is needed and addresses challenges in conducting research on Internet career sties. (SK)

Discusses the "Teaching Ideas" column in "English Journal" in terms of the way these articles work and how they might be re-envisioned. Claims the importance of the particular teaching situation must be emphasized to give a better understanding of the diversity, individuality, and attention to context that teaching English…

Synthesis of research on safety in agricultural education laboratories found most research focused on agricultural mechanics. Labs appeared to be potentially hazardous places, and teachers have inadequate knowledge of safety laws and ways to provide a safe working environment. (SK)