Reports on an exploratory study that examined the criteria users mentioned in evaluating the results of their own multimedia searches related to weather information. Ten evaluation criteria are described, their relationships to information sources and presentation formats are examined, and directions for future research are suggested. (nine…

Asserts that much of research currently conducted in counselor education and supervision is unreliable and invalid. Presents tabulation of research designs and errors in manuscripts submitted to "Counselor Education and Supervision." Notes that over 80% of submitted studies were descriptive designs and nearly one-half had errors that invalidated…

This article describes problems with content area textbooks, outlines difficulties for mainstreamed students with learning disabilities, and reviews ways to improve the content organization and instructional strategies of content area texts using examples from a U.S. history text. Strategies include a problem-solution-effect text structure,…

Describes a course on critical reading at Indiana University-Bloomington that uses case studies of problematic teaching situations and computer-assisted communications to help students develop dialectical thinking processes. The use of two computer programs, Electronic Classroom and RoundTable, is explained; argument analysis is discussed; and…

Reviews essays on statistical analysis of literature from the journal "Computers and the Humanities." Divides the essays into four groups: the philosophical, statistical analyses of language, literary texts, and themes. Questions whether valid statistical analysis of any text must be based on complete linguistic description. Emphasizes…

Examines characteristics of authorship, editorial decisions, and reviewer assessments for accepted and rejected papers for "College and Research Libraries" based on over a decade of private correspondence and reviewer assessments. Comparisons with the wider literature on publishing in refereed journals are made, and directions for future research…

Studies sexual morality in one year of programing of the soap opera "All My Children." Reconceptualizes definitions of inappropriate sexual behavior to deemphasize marital status. Examines use of force in sexual contact. Finds that men, often heroes, engage in and are rewarded for aggressive sexual behavior in spite of women's protests.…

In an analysis of two American and two British texts, ethnographic studies of teachers are compared. The comparison reveals how different the approaches are, although both sets of texts use ethnographic methods, and how the role of the teacher is understood in contrasting ways in the two bodies of research. (IAH)

This study used content analysis to identify the communication conventions and protocols that real-time, interactive electronic chat users developed in instructional settings. Most frequently used conventions included sharing information/techniques for conveying meaning and indicating interest in a topic, using keywords and names of individuals,…

Conducted content analysis of interview data to determine families' involvement in 100 first graders' literacy development. Identified four categories of involvement: reading at home, reading outside the home, using other literacy activities and materials, and writing activities. Found that many family literacy activities/materials do not…

An ethnographic study of the experiences of graduate students (N=8) learning to consult revealed three primary themes. Content analysis and subsequent structural corroboration of three datasets indicated participants' application of procedures, awareness of professional perspectives, and emphasis on attending relationships. Discusses implications…

Used content analysis to examine the depiction of poverty in 18 books for young children. Book content was coded using nine categories (occupation, income, employment, unemployment, race, ethnicity, geographic locale, education, and family structure). Found that all nine categories appeared in the books and that although some findings diverged…

Examines possible general chemistry topics that would be most relevant and practical for engineering majors. Consults the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), engineering textbooks, texts from other required subjects, and practicing engineers for recommendations. (Contains 24 references.) (WRM)

Attempts to facilitate the text selection process for introductory psychology teachers by enabling them to match the level of the text with their students' ability level. Examines 37 introductory psychology textbooks published from 1995-1997 to determine text levels (high, middle, or lower level). Discusses the findings in detail. (CMK)

Offers a sustained linguistic analysis of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans." Finds that, because Cooper's technical blunders and moral limitations are always in view, they are revelatory. Suggests that no American author has gotten more things wrong about languages; but no one has dramatized more about how languages…