Patron-driven acquisition has been an important, if contentious, topic for decades, with numerous programs having been piloted, adopted, and reported on, largely favorably, in the library literature. Still, questions and doubts persist for academic libraries, especially where the composition of vendor plans and packages and the judgment of patrons…

This article examines the relationship between academic specialization and student exposure to a range of academic domains of knowledge. It uses a concentration measure--the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index--to investigate whether students who choose single majors or double major are more or less concentrated in nine domains of knowledge most…

The goal of this study is to further corroborate a hypothesized population parameter for the frequencies of social presence versus the sum of teaching presence and cognitive presence as defined by the community of inquiry model in higher education asynchronous course forums. This parameter has been found across five variables: academic institution…

Despite the size and growth of political science and sociology relative to other disciplines, political science and sociology graduate students have received a declining share of funding for dissertation field research in recent years. Specifically, political science and sociology students are losing out to competitive applicants from…

The survey of earned doctorates, the data source for this report, is an annual census of individuals who receive research doctoral degrees from accredited U.S. academic institutions. The survey is sponsored by six federal agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Institutes of…

Discusses how academic disciplines are integral to supporting the preparation of future faculty as a natural part of graduate department responsibilities. Explores the role of disciplines within Preparing Future Faculty programs. (EV)

This guide to selecting a graduate school in the humanities and social science fields focuses on the individual disciplines; identifies "standard-bearing" institutions, as well as good but lesser known ones; and reviews specific intellectual issues within various disciplines as they relate to graduate school choice. After an introductory chapter,…

This study was undertaken as a report on a relatively new kind of graduate program. It is intended to present the characteristics of existing general education programs in the humanities for comparison and appraisal. Since this study deals with a relatively new and still experimental field, it should be regarded as a status report, or perhaps even…

Management, which generates wealth, determines the distribution of wealth, and helps control the direction and accessibility of careers in most developed countries, is a subject worthy of the humanities, and deserves to be pursued more aggressively as a point of contact among disciplines. (MSE)

Examined why graduate students take longer to complete humanities and social sciences degrees than natural sciences degrees. Found that field differences in knowledge structures and the organization of research have significant implications for research training. "Hard" fields have a directed supervision model and close relationship…

Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were used to describe and categorize tasks from six graduate disciplines including academic psychology, applied psychology, English literature, journalism, physics, and electrical engineering. A sample of task descriptions was constructed through interviews with four or five graduate students from each…

Variations in the number of doctoral degrees awarded by Swedish universities since 1890 are being studied. Within a certain field of study, variations are found both at a national level between different periods, and at an institutional level between different universities. The focus is on the faculties of liberal arts, divinity, social science,…

The debate over the nature, purpose, and structure of the doctoral dissertation is examined, particularly as it relates to the humanities and social sciences. Issues discussed include supervision policies and practices, the advising relationship, the culture of research and collaboration, differences between disciplines, resolution of research…

This book was written to support the excellence in teaching required to bring about learning of the highest quality. Chapters seek to offer the best practical advice in teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as references to research findings. An introductory section sets out the purpose of the book and examines the changing role and place of…