Social studies textbooks need careful inspection with regard to how they treat ethnicity. Although there have been several studies of possible bias in textbooks, there are methodological concerns that need further deliberation. Content analysis has been called a "technique for systematic inference from communications," and it may be viewed as a stable bridge connecting the chasm between qualitative and quantitative methods of research and evaluation. A systematic and comprehensive study of 320 social studies textbooks from the elementary, junior high school, and senior high school levels was undertaken. One of the first questions raised was the degree to which the textbooks covered material relevant to particular ethnic groups with the focus of coverage being Italian Americans. An observation that emerged from the content analysis involved the variations among the textbooks with regard to their ethnic philosophy. One philosophy treated the nation as a "melting pot" whereas the other treated the United States as a "salad bowl." What is clear is that textbook publishers must assume the responsibility of providing empirical evidence for the content-validity of the books they publish, or eventually face a problem of credibility. (BZ)