Why are some words easier to learn than others? And what enables the eventual learning of the more difficult words? These questions were addressed for nouns using a paradigm in which adults were exposed to naturalistic maternal input that was manipulated to simulate access to several different information sources, both alone and in combination:…

Children's learning--in the domains of science and religion specifically, but in many other cultural domains as well--relies extensively on testimony and other forms of culturally transmitted information. The cognitive processes that enable such learning must also administrate the evaluation, qualification, and storage of that information, while…

This article analyzes post-accident investigation reports from a feminist perspective, showing how a feminist interpretation can change the way technical writers look at expertise and evidence. In comparing formal documentation of mine inspection reports with women's testimony about conditions in the mines, the article shows: (1) how the…

Examines some of the tasks and challenges of planning and developing continuing professional education programs within the context of accreditation. It considers the planner's role from two fundamental and interdependent perspectives: the planner as a manager of information and the planner as a manager of education. (Author/CT)

Discusses source monopoly and its effects on historical scholarship. Suggests that what is needed is a series of international depositories which serve as clearinghouses for the creation and preservation of oral materials. Ideally, these clearinghouses would be staffed by specially trained historians. (DB)

Presents an overview of feedback within the cybernetics and social frameworks. These feedback concepts are then compared with the interactive feedback concept evolving within the framework of information seeking and retrieving, based on their conceptualization of the feedback loop and notion of information. (Author/AEF)

Studies how technical communicators use the Internet. Finds that the Internet plays a significant role in the work practices of technical communicators--respondents find the Internet helpful for contacting customers, obtaining updated technical information, and publishing online documentation, but they encounter company resistance and are…

Means by which educational research information is disseminated to researchers and practitioners are examined. The analysis shows an increasing reliance on journals and on recent literature by preparers of research reports. An assessment of an educational research encyclopedia indicates shifts in the level of usage of various journals. (TJH)

In this article, the author asks the question "Where do students at your school get most of their information for research?" He states that if they are only using the Web, their research is probably on shaky footing. Using only print or using only digital resources often gives student researchers only part of the picture and provides inadequate…

Few examples exist on how to use survey data to inform public environmental education programs. I suggest a process for interpreting statewide survey data with the four questions that give insights into local context and make it possible to gain insight into potential target audiences and community priorities. The four questions are: What…

Society increasingly perceives information as an owned commodity. As a consequence, laws born from this conception are removing uses of information from the public domain and placing them in an enclosed domain where they are subject to an owner's exclusive control. It has been argued that this enclosure movement poses a threat to the diversity of…

The accuracy of information in a children's nonfiction book is one criterion the seven-member Orbis Pictus Award Committee considers when selecting outstanding children's nonfiction books for the award. The charge of the committee is to consider other criteria as well, including the clarity and coherence of the book's organization, the extent to…

This report presents findings and recommendations from a 1-year study which identified corporate needs for resource information (particularly statistical information) and assessed the extent to which these needs are being met by various resource-information services, including those of the federal government. Chapter I discusses 11 types of…

It is argued that learning from different sources greatly depends on the differential way in which these sources are perceived, for these perceptions determine to an important extent the mental effort expended in the learning process. Two ideas are discussed: (1) amount of mental effort investment (AIME), defined as the number of nonautomatic…

This article addresses itself to the issue of accurate assessment techniques. The authors look at three assessment techniques--psychological tests, assessment centers and "biodata"--and compare them in terms of the information they provide, their accuracy, and ease of implementation. (Author/CT)