Argues that reports of research findings can be misleading and should be carefully evaluated. Uses a recent study on the relationship between television viewing and test scores as a case in point. (WD)

Questionnaires to determine political influence aspirations were distributed to 292 members of a rural Wisconsin high school junior class. Results indicated that a large proportion of these youth neither wished to nor believed that they could be politically influential at age 25 or even at age 45. (DS)

Examines the current state of research in business communication. Includes suggestions on the proper subject matter of research, presents a taxonomy for identifying research interests and relationships, and identifies areas in need of more research. Comments on the quality, philosophy, and objectives of research, and suggests explanations for…

Reviews the kinds of discourse analyses that are currently being undertaken, summarizes research findings, and makes suggestions based on these findings for structuring texts to be used for instructional or informational purposes. (Author/MER)

The idea was explored that different subjects may use qualitatively different encoding strategies with the same information presented within the same experimental situation. The premise was also studied that different strategies may be evoked by subtle differences in advance instructions or in the context of the task. (Author/MH)

Explores the state-of-the-art of Japanese information activities, detailing the comprehensive national plan Japan has developed. The volume of scientific and technological publications is discussed: monographs and technical reports briefly, and periodicals in more depth, including subject areas, language of publication, and accessibility to…

Outlines procedures for developing a poster to report scientific findings. Provides details on preparation, organization, sequence, text and type, and explanation. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Describes the development, implementation, and critique of a strategy to train biology students in writing scientific research papers and writing for a nontechnical audience. Enables students to see the connection between biology and rhetoric and the importance of developing capacities for generating translations and synthesis of their technical…

This theme issue is an attempt to improve graphical production by evaluators. The graphs that are described are solutions to problems in communicating evaluation findings. Eleven chapters and a conclusion discuss common and recurring problems for graphs for discovery or presentation, and for evaluators or evaluation audiences. (SLD)

A review of 54 critiques published in the "Review of Educational Research" related to articles in the same journal suggests that these published critiques and rejoinders have had limited impact on the scholarly literature, either because authors don't know about them or refuse to accept them. (SLD)

This study reviews 26 meta-analyses in mental retardation in terms of selected hypotheses, sampling information, representative characteristics of the review, analysis of primary studies, interpretation of results, and reporting of the integrative view. Results indicate a wide variation in the amount of reported data similar to other analyses of…

Observations on qualitative manuscripts submitted for publication identified problem areas: organization and format, relationship of concept and method, methodological issues (study type, conceptual framework, sample, data collection/analysis, integrity, data management), discussion, and data presentation. Recommendations for improving quality of…

Discuss several research reports on dropout prevention. Focuses on Teachers College, Columbia University, study that identified several reasons for low student dropout in new Coalition of Essential Schools Project (CCSP) schools in New York City, Includes selected references on dropouts and dropout prevention. (PKP)

Criticizes the methodology of a questionnaire-based study that found a discrepancy between the beliefs of sexually active adolescents about condoms and their use of condoms. Discusses six methodological problems in the study to demonstrate how the overly simplified treatment of complex behavior can lead to invalid conclusions. (FMW)

This editorial introduces the special edition of "The Journal of Educational Administration" that focuses on stress among school administrators. A commonly accepted four-stage stress cycle is posited to organize, synthesize, and contrast the findings. (TE)