The computerized group decision making system has potential to become an important part of an organization, but the research done thus far in this area is unfocused, lacks rigor and a theoretical base, and disregards the communication component of the technology except on the most pragmatic, fundamental level. A review of the research makes clear a number of issues in group decision support systems (GDSS) that can be broken down into three categories: independent variables, dependent variables, and paradigm status. No research has yet been done to establish appropriate measures, operational definitions, and research variables. Although the issue of independent variables is briefly addressed in some studies, many of the same issues and variables appear in most of the studies. The dependent variables are rather nebulous and not very well defined. It is also difficult to discern a prevailing framework or paradigm for GDSS research. In the future, researchers should study GDSS as a communication system in order to generate the best design for decision making strategies. Teachers will need to address the challenge to provide students with the skills they will need to cope with the computerized environment. (HOD)