Examines the increasing number of articles employing quantitative content analyses published from 1971-1995 in "Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly," in terms of frequency, authorship, focus on different media and content, sampling, reliability reporting, links to theory, and use with other methods and data. (SR)

Ambiguity in the meaning of job satisfaction has caused construct validity problems in research. A series of small-scale studies of teachers suggested a distinction between job fulfillment and job comfort as well as a need for understanding how job satisfaction is interpreted by researchers. (SK)

Significant differences exist between social support and professional support. Researchers should maintain the distinction so they can investigate the actual aspects of the professional role that influenced outcomes. (Author/SK)

Uses a hypothetical example of an institutional review board's concerns about a speech communication faculty member's research project to illustrate current issues that speech communication administrators, departmental faculty, and graduate students need to consider as their human-subjects based research becomes increasingly overseen by external…

States that based on a study of reading skills of 56 developmental dyslexics, A. Castles and M. Coltheart have proposed that there are at least two varieties of childhood dyslexia--impairment of lexical reading and in the operation of the sublexical procedure. Takes issue with their proposal on theoretical grounds. Argues that their study's…

A Chicana ethnographer working in a Latino community describes her multiple identities and ways that she as a "native" researcher was co-opted by the dominant culture. She challenges researchers from dominant, as well as marginalized cultures, to recognize their own complicity and form new identities as citizens-scholars-activists rooted…

Presents the state of research in chemical education. Reviews the origins of chemical constructivism, behaviorism, and relativism. Discusses the differences between objectivism, realism, and positivism. Suggests remedies for chemical education research to become better acquainted with the philosophical position. (KHR)

Differentiates positivist qualitative research from nonpositivist approaches (descriptive/phenomenological, interpretive/hermeneutic, and discourse analysis). (SK)

Examines problematic assumptions about literature reviews: (1) subject matter can be categorized as a set of topics; (2) topics have clear, unambiguous labels; (3) topics represent objectively real phenomena; (4) knowledge of topics is essentially cumulative; and (5) it can be known in advance which literature is relevant, valuable, or significant…

Discusses the methods used to maximize retention in a longitudinal study of adolescent drinking. Strategies to minimize attrition included the collection of detailed contact information, incentives for participation, postcard and telephone reminders and telephone interviews. Ninety-six percent of the original sample completed the first follow-up…

Rehabilitation and disability-related research has only recently begun to examine the complex interaction of gender and disability. This article describes a new and promising body of research. Offers evidence that corrects any misunderstandings held by rehabilitation specialists that the psychosocial experiences of women with disabilities can be…

Reviews methodological and conceptual basis of dual allegiance (DA), both of which are found wanting. Claims legal and ethical issues concerned with applications of DA research are not addressed appropriately by current investigators. Recommends ideas for ameliorating problems. Proposes research on DA that offers plan for dealing with fundamental…

Provides overview and critique of rehabilitation counselor roles and functions studies. Recommends future rehabilitation research efforts be directed toward solving more important theoretical and practical research questions. (Author/CM)

Provides guidelines for conducting representative case research (i.e., research that examines response of specific individuals to events, situations, circumstances, or conditions important in human life). Describes phases of investigation. Concludes representative case research offers a way of knowing persons holistically through application of…

The responses of Professors Heckman and Elmore to this author's critique of the ASCD's "Public Schools of Choice" monograph reinforce her original reservations. The ASCD report overlooks the urgency of the present context and the inadequacy of alternatives to choice, makes unfeasible research demands, denies its own bias, and makes questionable…