Defines professional development and discusses its two modes: (1) formal activities (instructional programs, continuing education classes, internships and fellowships, conferences, seminars, and workshops) and (2) informal activities (reading, watching television, listening to radio, and interaction with friends and peers). (CT)

An analysis of 156 television political spot advertisements revealed that the most prevalent type of content was issue-related (although very few advertisements revealed a specific candidate issue position), followed by content focusing on candidate qualities, then by references to certain demographic groups, and finally by the transmission of…

Discusses the concepts of political myths and rituals which guide the formation of public opinion and policy and their uses in political communication. (JMF)

Discusses materials in the ERIC system that offer definitions of basic skills, describe secondary basic skills programs, and provide competency standards and catalogs for basic skills. (MKM)

This essay examines the respective roles of books, teachers, and committees as sources and authorities of scientific information in school science education. Analyzes and compares recent curriculum development trends in the United States, England, and Australia, pointing out differences in perspective regarding authorities about scientific…

Investigates the degree of convergence between the construct of organizational communication and three aspects of performance feedback information: (1) type of information, (2) source of information, and (3) perceived reliability of the source. Studies patterns of organizational communication of faculty within departments and feedback on their own…

Discusses basic theories of systematically organizing and transferring information and demonstrates application of these theories to career and occupational materials. Using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles classification for management of career resources is recommended. Options for managing nonoccupational career information are proposed.…

Discusses source monopoly and its effects on historical scholarship. Suggests that what is needed is a series of international depositories which serve as clearinghouses for the creation and preservation of oral materials. Ideally, these clearinghouses would be staffed by specially trained historians. (DB)

A brief introduction to information retrieval by use of a variety of computer data bases including ERIC is presented. (JMF)

Reviews recent federal publications on government information, particularly in the area of general informational services, public access to government information and privacy issues, coordination of government information systems, and congressional information needs. (Author)

An analysis of issue-oriented and event-oriented social issues stories in eight major daily newspapers revealed that 61.3 percent of all sentences analyzed were not attributed to a source. (GT)

One of the main problems for the chemist conducting any type of research is ascertaining what has been reported, and where. This problem stems from: (1) the diffuseness of the publications which contain articles relevant to the educational researcher; and (2) the lack of a comprehensive abstract and information retrieval service. (Author/BB)

Discusses meteorological resources available to classroom teachers. Describes in detail the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio and the A.M. Weather Show on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Includes addresses where teachers can get more information. (MA)

Seeks conditions that improve group performance on "hidden profiles." Finds that, among undergraduate student groups, group information sharing and decision-making effectiveness were higher in small groups with a low percentage of shared information, and lower when groups either were large or shared a high percentage of information.…

Examines interest in 19th century Catholic serials through the historical work of various authors. Discusses the first Catholic serial, characteristics of early publications, accessing and preserving the early serial publications, relation of titles to each other and to the events of the time, and the need to identify and make available the…