This research critiques an article in which alternative approaches to an educational objective are assessed for effec tiveness through the application of statistical procedures. The article critiqued is
Donegan, P. M., Domas, R. E., & Deosdade, J. R. (1989). The comparable effects of term paper counseling and group instruction sessions. College & Research Libra ries, 50, 33 43.
STUDY PURPOSE, AND PROBLEM INVESTIGATED
The underlying problem addressed in the article involved instructing college students in the use of library research facilities. The objective of such instruction, in this con text, is to teach college students how to identify and locate appropriate sources for a specific research topic. The purpose of the research study reported in the article was to assess two alternative approaches of providing this type of instruction.
In one respect, the title of the article is misleading, because it refers to "term paper counseling." The use of the term "term paper" implies instruction and assistance to stu dents which is more comprehensive than just learning to iden tify and locate appropriate sources for a research topic, which
1 2is but one function involved in the development of a research paper. Further, the teaching objective of the college class in which this instruction was presented was for students to learn the entire process of researh paper development.
In another respect, however, the title of the article was not misleading, because "term paper counseling" is the name applied by the developers of this approach to teaching college students how to identify and locate sources for a research topic. While this fact provides a defense for the researchers with respect to the article title, it does not alter the situa tion, in that the article title remains misleading to the general reader.
CONTEXT OF, AND JUSTIFICATION FOR RESEARCH
The researchers provided a summary of the results of a liter...