Using a quantitative content analysis approach, a study examined the literature on self direction, or self-directed learning (SDL), that appeared in 14 mainstream adult education journals between 1980-98. The procedure involved classifying, entering, and tallying information on each article through use of an Internet-based program. Results indicated about 1 percent of the articles published over the period dealt with SDL. During the peak year of 1986, over 3 percent of the articles were on SDL. Overall, the climactic years for publication in the area of SDL appeared to be 1983-91, a time of considerable interest and controversy pertaining to the methodologies of measuring self direction. A major part of this debate was generated in Adult Education Quarterly. A total of 82 percent of the articles on SDL were found in these 4 periodicals: Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, Proceedings of the Adult Education Research Conference, Adult Education Quarterly, and Lifelong Learning. Descriptive articles of teaching programs or practices accounted for 25 percent; interpretive articles, 23 percent; research articles were the largest group, and personal opinion articles were the smallest. The most common research method was correlational/ex post facto which involved examining variables associated with self direction in learning and factors related to SDL readiness. (Appendixes are 2 tables, 7 figures, and 23 references.) (YLB)