Describes the norms and functions of the academic department in large American research universities. The department is seen as an arm of a specialized discipline as well as the administrative unit which applies university resources to the functions of graduate and undergraduate education, recruitment and promotion of academic staff, and research.…

The attitudes of Belgian chemistry students who had chosen their area of specialization, toward organic, physical, inorganic, or analytical chemistry or biochemistry, were measured. Major differences were found in the activity attitudes rather than in the evaluative or potency attitudes. Area of specialization does not seem to correspond to…

The author suggests that one of the features of great literature is its grasp of the truth and that the criteria of truth in literature and the arts are no different from those in the sciences, philosophy, or any other branch of human inquiry. (Author/AV)

In this article the author speculates about the future of research, methodology, and education in the social sciences. He calls for a greater consensus among social scientists in regard to terminology and research operations. (GC)

Explores the relationship between language and the intellectual discipline of political science, and explains how political dictionaries can be used effectively as teaching tools. Includes a selected, annotated bibliography of 14 contemporary political dictionaries. (Author/AV)

Compares the sociology teaching experience in a community college with that in a university. The comparison focuses on the problems of maintaining an identity as a sociologist and the boundaries of the discipline in the two settings. (Author/DB)

Results from two tested hypotheses indicate that the predominant form of publication in the physical sciences are articles and books in social sciences. Differences were also found in the relevant dimension of publication between faculties in more or less prestigious departments. Administrative policy implications are discussed. (Author/LBH)

Interdisciplinary research is seen as coming of age across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with interdisciplinary thought most substantive in the sciences. For that reason, some observers suggest that the gulf between scientific and humanistic learning may be widening. (MLW)

Explains interactive videodisc technology and describes programs that are available for elementary and secondary school curriculums. Hardware configuration requirements are discussed, listings of videodisc resource guides and videodisc companies are provided, and a guide to the 50 most popular videodiscs is presented by subject area, including…

Faculty have dual professional responsibilities: as researchers they are committed to support and advance their disciplines, but as teacher-scholars they must be equally committed to the broader ethical, philosophical, and practical structure of academe. (Author/MSE)

A survey of Danish university faculty concerning the real relationship between faculty research and teaching found that most see an important interplay between the two, depending to some extent on the level of instruction and the discipline. None expressed a preference for working in a pure research institution. (MSE)

This discussion of the structure of online databases and the structure of related subject disciplines focuses on terms used in a book about tropical diseases and terms used in the MEDLINE database for articles on these diseases. Matrices used are explained and Medical Subject Heading (MeSh) terms are examined. (16 references) (LRW)

Argues that English departments are experiencing a crisis of identity that is economic, political, and psychological. (SRT)

Issues in strategic planning for higher education are examined in the context of institutional climate, governance, management considerations, the collegial tradition, conflicting objectives, and the disciplines. It is proposed that management for change begins with the rebuilding of a sense of community in the institution that will foster…

Given the intensified importance of the promotion and tenure process, the question arises as to whether the faculty's peer reviewing role formally extends beyond the departmental level antecedent to administrative review. The typical structure and function for that role is discussed. (MLW)