Shows the editor's viewpoint in the development of a news story on drug abuse in a North Philadelphia Puerto Rican community. Relates problems of working with a reporter, remaining accountable to the public good, and protecting employees and sources in a potentially dangerous situation. (LS)

Discusses the development of the "Dictionary of Old English," a database of approximately three million running words. Examines how technological advancements have changed the design process since it began in 1970, stating that error checking and protection of the database against accidental intrusion have remained as key issues. (GEA)

Discusses online library catalogs that are accessible via the Internet and describes their use to create bibliographies using EndNote software. Three catalogs are described that need no further editing; two are described that need some editing; examples of records are given; and the systems are compared. (LRW)

Discusses benefits and drawbacks to advising a student newspaper, for instance, the difficult balance that must be negotiated between intervening too much or too little, as the case may be, in matters such as usage and spelling. Examines the means an advisor has or does not have to encourage or insist on responsible, ethical standards and…

Knowing how to use audio mixers in the postproduction of student videos is necessary for high-quality sound. Equipment and techniques are described, and the use of background sound, sound effects, and music is described. (AEF)

Describes a project at the University of Kent to build a thesaurus based on existing subject terms for a collection of cartoon drawings and then to convert the existing cataloging system to new thesaurus terms for an online catalog. A graphical thesaurus editor is described, and future work is discussed. (Author/LRW)

States that news-lab editorial conferences are rich contexts for students to practice the construction and revision of stories for publication. Points out that a hierarchical mode of collaborative writing is predominant in the workplace. Suggests a theoretical framework for teaching and learning in lab classrooms. (PA)

Compares an "uncluttered" writing portfolio to a wise investment. Describes methods for saving words, or "tightening" an essay, such as using firm verbs and nouns, maneuvering active and passive tense, and making every word count. (PA)

Describes a method of selective information presentation exemplified by an editor that produces an encyclopedia based on source articles, and needs access to dynamically-selected aspects of the articles for editorial decision making. Presents a system that provides a generic basis for summarization by building multilingual, genre-driven automatic…

Compares the effectiveness of five grammar/style analysis software packages in analyzing business students' writing. States that the software exhibited differences in correctly identifying mechanical and style errors, avoiding misleading error messages, and providing remedial advice. Warns that no similar empirical tests have been done previously.…

Law reviews, where students control editing and publication, reverse the roles of law students and faculty. Professors complain about article selection and editing practices; students feel burdened with unrealistic expectations. Both parties view the other as arrogant. (MSE)

Discusses the problems of a live Internet demonstration and describes guidelines for making a canned presentation. Highlights include organization, slides, paper handouts, presentation software, screen images, electronic text and graphics, local copies of home pages, editing, exploring services, and testing performance. (AEF)

Discusses readers' advisory services in public libraries and describes a method to convert information on specific books and genres to a computer database. Topics include utilizing staff knowledge, fields included for each book, the development of descriptors, the editing process, and writing summaries and critiques of the books. (LRW)

Principles for producing well-written college alumni newsletters include keeping reader needs foremost; obtaining strong material; monitoring overall quality and quality of details; devoting time to coming up with bright headlines; using varied formats; having a policy about coverage of subjects; and considering many means of self-evaluation. (MSE)

In a question-and-answer format, campus alumni magazine editors comment on the value of a letters column, specific policies concerning what is printed, handling of controversial letters, and methods for eliciting strong reader response. (MSE)