Centrally concerned with design, educational technology involves making the best possible decisions for action given a particular set of circumstances, with a body of knowledge or instructional theory for guidance. More work is needed to aid educational technologists in the three tasks of building instructional theory, developing techniques for task and learner analysis, and developing effective decision-making techniques. Although the Educational Communications and Technology Journal (ECTJ) can contribute to dissemination of information about all three tasks, there has been a tendency to publish far more articles of the instructional theory type. This is partly because reports of studies using naturalistic-research methods have not been submitted. ECTJ may be seen primarily as a journal of instructional theory, while more reports of research on design and application are needed, as well as articles dealing with the social impact of educational technology. The future of ECTJ is in the hands of Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) members and the broader research and development community. Five references are listed. (LMM)