What began with a few libraries' early application of ethnographic methods to learn more about user behaviors and needs has grown to become a significant body of work done across many institutions using a broad range of methods. User-centered investigations are increasingly influential in discussions about the shape and future of the research…

Short-term studies often do not capture the full story of the effect that a researcher is trying to describe. If one wishes to elucidate long-term educational processes and outcomes, the only direct way of doing so is to stretch the duration of research projects and to study the same subjects over time. The limited availability of valid…

The international area has grown as a field of graduate research in the past 20 years. Graduate students in adult education need to become more involved in international research both to stay viable as scholars and to be able to effect positive change in the lives of people in developing countries. The four main priorities in research in adult…

Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program has been around for over 30 years and is seen as "one of the most important means for students to foster mentoring relationships with faculty and research staff." By analyzing data obtained through semi-structured interviews and survey results, a…

Developed as part of a program designed to examine why so few graduates of doctoral programs demonstrate their scholarship through the media of books and refereed publications, the four papers in this series address the question of publication. The first paper explains why one should publish, explores differences between graduate term papers and…

This paper examines the role of research methods courses. The paper offers several "facts" concerning such courses and considers four myths and their role in the teaching of research courses in communication. Among the suspect "facts" cited in the paper are that today's students are both products and producers of an…

This paper is intended to give graduate level special education students (and others) a structure to facilitate completion of a field study/thesis for a master's degree or a dissertation for the doctorate. First, a format for a dissertation/thesis proposal is suggested and guidelines are offered for development of the proposal. The importance of a…

This paper outlines the steps involved in developing a dissertation topic and selecting a Dissertation Committee. It suggests that students assess their personal interest in the topic and their technical competence to complete the research required. A checklist of topic feasibility and appropriateness, developed by J. Mauch and J. Birch, is…

Information on how to make an application for a Fulbright Award is presented to assist faculty members, young scholars, and women and minority group members who are often underrepresented in these scholarly opportunities. Ways to help applicants improve their chances of selection in a competitive process are identified. Every year, there are about…

In a debate in the Forum section of the "TESOL Quarterly", Jones and Silva (1998) exchanged views about the merits and demerits of teacher-assigned themes and topics in tertiary-level EFL/ESL writing classes. However, much more remains to be explored. Should teachers assign the topics of papers, or even the content themes for the entire…

A study examined the relationship between perceived communication competence and its importance in business organizations and the need for additional training of college business students in communication competencies. A survey was sent to all individuals who had indicated to a university center for management education and services an active…

These four papers by a reference librarian discuss the potential for students at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego to engage in a positive academic career that will have a significant impact not only on their growth as people, but also on their future endeavors. The first paper, "Self-Definition: Naming Yourself in a College…

The determiners in English include three categories: predeterminers, central determiners, and postdeterminers. The focus of the present study is the central determiners because they comprise the largest group and because a minimum of one central determiner is required in the generation of any noun phrase. Furthermore, the central determiners have…

Recognizing that jobs are changing quickly during this second revolution of bookmaking and printing and that students must become aware of the new information technologies before they graduate, this brief report written in German presents examples of how to develop research and education in the study of books and printing using the most up-to-date…

Intended to help classroom teachers, students, or researchers fathom or simply explore the impact of sex roles in human communication, these 47 annotated citations cover a variety of sources written in a range of disciplines. Sources, which are arranged alphabetically by author, include books and journals in communication, psychology, linguistics,…