Presents an affectionate portrait of the 84-year-old sociologist and renaissance man, Robert K. Merton. Merton's publications studied topics as diverse as historical scientific inquiry and contemporary racism. Not the least of his accomplishments was the creation of the focus group interview and the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy. (MJP)

Maintains that most students learn how sociologists study social stratification in introductory sociology courses. Presents a content analysis of 15 introductory college textbooks to determine whether they use distributional or relational approaches as the basis for their treatment of social class. Finds that depictions of class are…

Contends that recent academic trends concerning accountability and public demands for more attention to undergraduate teaching have increased the importance of teacher evaluation. Reviews recommendations made by Ernest Boyer and the American Sociological Association on scholarship, teaching, and faculty evaluation. (CFR)

Reports on a forum of publishers with international experience producing geography textbooks for higher education. Discusses the role of textbooks, international differences in courses, impact of changes within the discipline, and emerging technologies. Outlines three thematic trends in geography textbook publishing. (CFR)

Discusses the networking of image-based libraries of scientific and technical documents and the role of information professionals in the future of libraries and information access. Topics include commercial databanks, projects involving cooperation between technical publishers and universities, and the Internet and World Wide Web. (LRW)

Reviews the origins and development of the field of public history. Asserts that historians should introduce students to public history to acquaint them with the occupational fields that are available. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the theory of cumulative advantage and disadvantage as it applies to the productivity and prestige of academic departments within sociology. Finds that past accomplishments do not bear importantly on current perceptions of departmental prestige. (CFR)

Discusses the concept of electronic workstations and describes four different types: (1) the academic workstation; (2) the reference workstation (i.e., for end users); (3) the information specialist workstation; and (4) the workstation for management information. The creation of a new integrated information center (ICC) is also described. (11…

Describes a project sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense that investigated the relationship between the use of U.S. government technical reports by aerospace engineers and scientists and seven independent sociometric variables. The conceptual framework is explained, and relevant…

Two articles discuss information professions in Africa. Highlights include the training of personnel at the middle level; library schools at the University of Ibadan and the University of Botswana; curriculum recommendations; and a review of 87 articles published between 1985 and 1989 that investigate areas of research in the information…

The constructive engagement of various communities through a confluence of information professionals, including graphic designers, librarians, educators, and publishers, is necessary to ensure a culture informed by, and responsive to, all constituents. Positing easy solutions to problems of diversity merely postpones reasoned solutions. (SLD)

Describes a study that used interviews to explore the influence of personality, subject discipline, and organizational structure on the information behavior of scientists. The use of cluster analysis to reveal groupings in the data is explained, computer use is examined, and gender differences are discussed. (60 references) (LRW)

Asserts that college students often do not understand or appreciate the way that the mass media construct images of place. Describes a day-long simulation exercise in which students work on journalistic teams sent to an unfamiliar location to report on its landscape and environment. (CFR)

Describes the Sociological Resources for the Social Studies (SRSS) materials developed during the "New Social Studies" period in the 1960s and 1970s. Concludes that the limited success of the program was a result of not including school administrators in dissemination efforts. (CFR)

Reviews the development of African-American history as a scholarly field within U.S. history. Presents four generations of black historians who have contributed to the development and current status of African-American history. Concludes with a discussion of needed additional research and a 22-item bibliography. (CFR)