Reexamines data from Carol Berkenkotter, Thomas Huckin and John Ackerman's landmark study of the first year in the life of graduate student Nate. Looks at Nate's work at significant junctures in his professional life. Suggests some of the limitations faced by sociolinguistic accounts of student experiences. (TB)

Presents the author's views concerning the nature of educational intervention in learning disabilities. Considers ethical issues, research design, and measurement of change. Discusses the barriers to conducting intervention studies and methods for dissemination of the research findings. (DB)

Finds no relationship between undergraduate students' self-evaluations as interpersonal communicators, public speakers, or listeners and their observed ability to perform in these three communication areas. Argues that observed performance data are more valid than self-report data, and advises caution in drawing conclusions when using self-report…

Reviews some of the ethical issues that emerged during a study of 25 adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Discusses some cases where boundary issues became problematic; also discusses the dilemmas faced in working within a person-centered, qualitative approach. Examines considerations of counseling researchers and their trainers when…

Discusses challenges posed by reflexivity and the problem of unconsciousness. Argues that reflexivity demands scrutiny and articulation of the verbal, non-verbal and contextual components that define a particular research project. Presents examples of qualitative methods and the diverse approaches from which they proceed. (RJM)

Assessments of learning needs of community development practitioners were conducted at a university, two government agencies, and two associations in Canada. Assessments were conducted from the top down, limiting practitioners' ability to define their needs. Recommendations were oriented toward institutions rather than staff members. (SK)

Clarifies features of Smith et al.'s attentional learning account of object naming, arguing that Booth and Waxman's findings address tenets not in the attentional learning account while not addressing one of the central tenets of the attentional learning account. Suggests that the debate about the nature of children's language and cognition would…

Responds to Smith et al.'s work on relations between perceptual, conceptual, and linguistic knowledge in early word learning and discusses treatment of evidence. Asserts that Smith et al.'s commentary fails to engage data presented and their implications. Asserts that learners seamlessly integrate perceptual, linguistic, and conceptual information…

This article explores the gene-finding process for developmental speech disorders (DSDs), specifically disorders of articulation/phonology and stuttering. It reviews existing behavioral genetic studies of these phenotypes, discusses roadblocks that may impede the molecular study of DSDs, and reviews the findings of the small number of molecular…

Explores seven methodological issues illustrating aspects of the research process posing dilemmas for adult researchers working with children. Argues that research with children differs from that with adults primarily because of adult perceptions of children and children's marginalized position in adult society. Details advantages and…

Considers stress management and coping studies in health care insufficiently grounded in theory; researchers have not adequately considered demands presented by stressor under study. Explores this theme in five areas: (1) effectiveness of problem- versus emotion-focused coping strategies; (2) effectiveness of interventions; (3) role of individual…

This article discusses research design problems peculiar to work with intellectually disabled subjects, such as discrepancies in uses of control groups and mental age matching, definitions of subject groups and variability within and between subject groups. Suggestions for minimizing these problems are made and alternative methodologies offered.…

Two articles debate a recent research report on the status of Blacks in American society that concludes that differences in socioeconomic attainment between Blacks and Whites are the result of racial discrimination. The authors defend their report, although a critic asserts that such differences are the result of individual differences that place…

Six articles are presented on the use of human subjects in research on acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Topics include the ethics of human experimentation, female and pediatric AIDS patients, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and AIDS among correctional inmates, community-based AIDS research, and clinical trials of HIV…

The essay examines trends in attitudes toward creativity in education and business, problems in studying creativity in natural situations, creativity programing for school-age children, current efforts to encourage innovation in business, and the need to nurture creativity in every individual. (DB)