Examines the academic reputation of reference materials and their role in education. Suggests that reference writing differs from academic writing in the target audience and recency of information. Indicates that reference writing has low status among academic circles despite the great value it carries for society as a whole. (MAB)

Continues questioning the position of the ethnographer as filmmaker in relation to those of whom the filmmaker speaks, while arguing that attention be given to the position of those to whom the filmmaker speaks. Refocuses attention on the effects of the ethnographic film in the place of its reception. (PRA)

Describes the writing theories of Lev Vygotsky, and how they are borne out by modern research. Asserts the Vygotsky's ideas show why cooperative learning strategies such as peer response groups fit into the beginning stages of the composing process. Discusses Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. (PRA)

Comments on some recent debates in audience studies. Argues that much active audience theory is in fact premised on a heavily negotiated reading (if not a misreading) of some of the earlier work that is often invoked as its theoretical basis. (SR)

Analyzes the ways three postcolonial feminists open up the workings of representation such that participants are no longer disposed in the classical tradition but are rather "beside themselves." Analyzes changes in concepts of ethos and audience under the historical conditions of postcoloniality. Attends to the ways teachers and students…

Suggests that through Kenneth Burke, writing teachers can approach writing as something to be feared, something to approach with trembling and mortification. Examines Burke's notion of how language "goads" writers to eliminate the response of others. Examines contemporary and Burkean approaches to writing that would help students to…

Lists alternative ways to present the same story: traditional, narrative, radical clarity, and point of view. Presents a four-step plan to assess what readers want to see and how to meet that need. Provides a cautionary note about how to avoid "bad" text. Explains that readers like variety, and suggests different ways to present visual…

Discusses the use of the verb "said"--the verb of neutrality--and states that it is a good writer's trusted literary companion. Cites various examples of its use in promoting objectivity in stories, and offers advice from grammar writers as to using "said" effectively. (PA)

Considers how the Internet offers new opportunities for both audience research and content analyses, but notes that old problems researchers have encountered over the years remain. Notes that mass communication research will be better off or worse off depending on the skill of researchers in using the Internet. (SC)

Outlines Willard Van Orman Quine's theory of language in the generation of empirical knowledge, gleaned from two works from his voluminous ouvre. Draws connections between Quine's theory and that of Richard Rorty, the American pragmatist philosopher. Sketches how this theoretical perspective can be applied in the technical communication classroom…

Outlines four goals of the ideal literate self and describes them as an active response to various abuses of the "political potential of the personal." Recognizes that literacy is a trope and poses a literate self in the interest of social justice. Discusses four abuses and three examples regarding the politics of critical affirmation.…

Presents an interview with Randy Powell, an author who has published several novels about teenagers who are finding their way through unsettled lives. Shares his belief that when you write from the heart, you do not have any choice about the themes and stories you write; they choose you as much as you choose them. (SG)

Forensic program alumni returning for reunions or speech tournaments sometimes find difficulty in keeping pace with changing forensics practices and procedures. Elements influencing the evolutionary process in forensics include: a growing number of debate philosophy formats, bringing diversity in competitive options; expansion of standard…

In the mid-1980s, when early electronic newspapers failed to live up to their promise, industry analysts declared them dead as a mass medium. But just 10 years later, "E-papers" are once again receiving much media hype, although little academic research has been done on them. Academic literature, trade articles, online discussions, and…

The prototype of the modern youth novel emerged in the second half of the 19th century, and books written specifically for either male or female youths often covered similar storylines and themes, usually educational in purpose. Changes in the readership emerged rather slowly, but a dramatic shift in ideas about children's literature was inspired…