Two experiments involving 285 college students investigated effects of signaling devices (headings, overviews, and summaries) on text memory. Signals produced recalls better organized by text topics. Results support a model in which signals influence readers' representations of a text's topic structure, which in turn guides recall of text content.…

Investigates convergent and divergent validity of inferences from selected measures of structure, coherence, and quality for compositions. Finds (1) strong support for validity of inferences from the structure measures, serious questions of inferences from coherence measures, and weak support for quality measures; (2) some evidence for the…

Reports on an imaginary exercise in which five Standard General Markup Language developers created five different document type definitions for the literary magazine "The New Yorker." Illustrates the richness and complexity of document type definition development. (SR)

Distinguishes between macrostructures and microstructures in text, reviews research on the comprehension of text structures, and concludes that both theory and research support the presence of a link between text structure and reading comprehension. (DMM)

The question of whether French-as-a-second-language reading can be facilitated by teaching some organizational patterns of discourse was investigated. It was concluded that strategic training is highly complex and difficult and that cumulative evidence is required to assess its usefulness in improving reading recall. (Contains 41 references.) (LB)

Studies intertextuality in teachers' peer dialog journal exchanges. Findings show that the meaning of intertextual links between entries has much to do with partners' shared stances toward gender roles (for the exchange between two women) and their roles as teachers within the school (for the exchange between two men). (Author)

Argues that text construction and the construction of subjectivity are coimplicated, historical, intertextual, social, and political. Interpretative analyses of the essays of two fourth-grade children demonstrate how these intertextual links implicate and are implicated in particular social formations and political ideologies. (Contains 39…

Discusses the problem of using graphics in international documents, since graphics are not universal unless expressly designed as such. Discusses how to plan international graphics, pitfalls to avoid, wordless instructions, and text. Offers a checklist for cultural and national differences. (SR)

Describes Extensible Markup Language (XML), a subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) that is designed to make it easy to interchange structured documents over the Internet. Topics include Document Type Definition (DTD), components of XML, the use of XML, text and non-text elements, and uses for XML-coded files. (LRW)

Investigates whether memory for an advertisement is related to the medium in which the ad was viewed. Exposes undergraduate students to either a print newspaper front page or an online version of the same content. Finds that print subjects remembered significantly more ad material than online subjects. (RS)

Describes the Information SubTypes and Effects (ISTE) approach, which measures the relationship between the design of a document and the way users handle it. Positions the ISTE method within the broader context of usability testing. Describes its basic approach and some recent applications. Demonstrates that ISTE is a viable instrument for…

Discusses the use of the Lexile Framework(R) in several areas. Lexiles have been established for various job groups, and they may serve as an indication of reading ability for a given job. The uses of lexiles in school and in reading education are discussed, as is the achievement of Lexile reading abilities as indicators of probable income. (SLD)

Finds layout of a list affects the way it is read and understood; recall for separately arranged lists in text was better than that for continuously arranged lists, and notes a difference in reading patterns between the two layouts; and a separated list allowed readers to reread the points selectively, while a continuous list made readers reread…

Reports that although a rhetoric of visible text based on page layout and various design features has been defined, what a writer should know about design is rarely covered. Describes and demonstrates a scope and sequence of learning that encourages writers to develop skills as text designers. Introduces helpful literature that displays visually…

Examines existence and placement of main ideas in non-fiction best-sellers. Concludes that writers of popular non-fiction use main ideas and place these ideas in prominent positions. Offers support for teaching main idea in reading classes. (RS)