The credibility of an instructional simulation is the most important issue in distance education, where it may replace hands-on activities. This credibility is based in large part upon verisimilitude, a perception strongly influenced by the simulation's realism. This paper presents a case study encompassing the design process of a simulation-based…

In conducting research, the identified problem in the field will determine the research strategies chosen to address the problem. When a qualitative research strategy is deemed as the most appropriate strategy to get answers to research questions, the researcher should be aware of obstacles that can be encountered in the research process. If the…

Evidence-based practice (EBP), a framework that originated in clinical medicine, offers a principled means of addressing longstanding questions about clinical practice in communication disorders. However, in several respects EBP represents a radical departure from traditional thinking in speech-language pathology and audiology. In this paper, I…

A significant trend in higher education evolving from the wide accessibility to the Internet is the availability of an ever-increasing supply of data on Web sites for use by professors, students, and researchers. As this usage by a wider variety of users grows, the ability to judge the integrity of the data, the related findings, and the Web site…

As more and more classes are taught on-line, new challenges for assessment of student learning have come about. In this paper on the use of digital video (DV) as an acceptable means to assess student oral business presentation skills, content analysis was used to test for the presence of primary traits inherent in effective formal business…

This study investigated the roles of respondent, perpetrator, and victim gender on attributions toward a 10- or 15-year-old victim and an adult perpetrator in a hypothetical sexual abuse case. It was predicted (a) that female respondents would be more provictim and antiperpetrator than men, (b) that 10-year-old victims would be deemed more…

Research on the qualities and characteristics that individuals value in those from whom they seek "career help" is very limited. Existing studies provide little insight into the meaning behind the labels individuals use to identify valued qualities and characteristics. We address this neglected area using qualitative interviews based on life story…

Observing that the explosion of the space shuttle "Challenger" had a profound impact upon the American public, this paper argues that its most direct impact was upon the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Specifically, the paper argues that the explosion was a crisis that resulted in loss of legitimacy for the space…

A study analyzed the use of third-party credibility as a deliberate and systematic public relations strategy to regain credibility for an organization faced with public hostility. Four types of third-party usage are: citizen participation, outside investigation, adversarial advocacy, and employee dissemination. Third-party credibility as a public…

The actual nature of topicality as it is presented in intercollegiate debate rounds has become so split that there are two different types of topicality. The first type (T1) is a "real" argument that is subjective, intentional, absolute, jurisdictional, pragmatic, and focuses on content and product. The second type (T2) is strategic,…

There is a tendency for debaters and judges to view a single quote or opinion as conclusive evidence proving a point. But evidence can only point toward a conclusion; it cannot prove a conclusion conclusively. Experts may offer their opinions (sometimes as fact) but these opinions are only educated guesses. This is not to say that evidence from…

A study investigated the influence of sex on perceived credibility. It was predicted that males would have more credibility than females, and that males and females would respond differently to the question of having more credibility if they were of the opposite sex. A series of research questions concerning both the similarity of sex of the…

An application of social-psychological theories to studies in credibility and charisma. (CH)

This paper considers the future of communication research and instruction in an age when the communication environment is under stress from such factors as communication overload, language "pollution," and a widespread and growing disregard for truth. Items related to the general thesis are considered from three perspectives: the role of…