A study was conducted to: depict the current types of research assistantships in universities; ascertain students' perceptions of their assistantship experiences; depict the specific activities of research assistants; determine whether today's assistantships provide a genuine research apprenticeship; and compare today's assistantships with those…

In order to locate and study the primary sources needed in film research, a combination of bibliographies, advice from experienced research workers, and scripts, pressbook files, and film-print collections must be used. This discussion provides suggestions for locating and using archival film materials and examines some of the standard references…

This paper notes that, when teachers assign the writing of research reports without showing children how to write such reports, they may actually encourage children to plagiarize. It then outlines a method used to teach seventh graders how to write short "controlled reports." Working as a group, the students learn how to pose research questions,…

This paper explores the effective implementation of process-based models of library instruction through analysis of a Canadian process model, Alberta's Focus on Research model. The following stages and related skills of the Focus on Research model are summarized: (1) planning (establish topic, identify information sources, identify audience and…

For 10 years, the undergraduate research seminar has provided an opportunity for presentation and evaluation of undergraduate research projects, enabled students to learn about research activity and graduate study in a variety of pharmacy specialties, and created enthusiasm among students. (MSE)

There is no question that the many journals published here and around the world provide a common ground for scholars to evaluate theories or findings proposed by their peers. In the field of mass communication, the visual component should be included as a useful tool in discussing relevant issues of the day; further, the editing and preparation of…

Although graduate programs hope that their students will be committed to research in their careers, most students express ambivalence towards research. Identifying the variables that predict involvement in research thus seems crucial. In this study 136 doctoral students from a wide range of disciplines completed the Research Self-Efficacy Scale…

The traditional research paper is a hothouse flower, existing only in the quiet recesses of English departments. There is much research being done outside the university but approach, format, and philosophy of both research and the research paper differ dramatically from the models presented to students. Classes on the writing of research papers…

Citation practice in scholarly writing is the enactment of a set of beliefs shared by the academic community, and it is these rituals which enact and thereby confirm adherence to certain values. The citation practices of a whole discourse community can be viewed as a representative anecdote of collaborative effort to establish the collective…

A study exploring and clarifying the content domain of the concept of faculty scholarship is presented. Faculty scholarship is an area that has met with continued, uncoordinated, research interest in higher education. The study asked faculty participants to specify the qualities, attributes, and components of faculty scholarship from their own…

Inexperienced writers can become inspired researchers when they are allowed and encouraged to write about what matters to them. The traditional research paper assignment inflicts torture on students in two ways: (1) by the process it demands--basically a frenzied series of new learning tasks; and (2) by the mystery surrounding its codes--rarely do…

Teaching college freshman composition students how to write a research paper can be used as a way of emphasizing reading and comprehension skills as well as helping them learn to test the conclusions of other research. Research work should require more than an introduction to the Dewey Decimal System and the tools of the research room, it should…

Describes the method of composition employed by E. B. White for his third novel, and details his extensive preparatory research on trumpeter swans and his laborious rewriting of his manuscript. (RBW)

At a time when emphasis is being placed on quality, standards, and accountability, the research world is spending more time assessing the value and impact of library organizations. This paper argues that research in this area requires sociological and psychological research skills. Qualitative data are as important as statistics. Different…

Describes three major categories of polarities in research attitudes and practices: (1) attitudes about research and who should conduct it, (2) impressions of what research is, and (3) conceptions about research methods and findings. Calls for moderating the polarizations for a more balanced view and more productive business communication…