Abstract
The purpose of this review was to analyze the content of Learning Disabilities Research & Practice to identify prevalent topics and types and proportions of articles published from 1991 through 2007. Also analyzed was the nature of the research reported including designs, participants, interveners, and settings. Analysis indicated that the three most prevalent topics were reading, assessment and identification, and inclusion. Furthermore, 57 percent of the content reflects original research with almost half of these being descriptive in nature. Position papers constitute the most common form of nonresearch articles. Students with learning disabilities as well as those identified as being at risk were the populations studied most often and studies were largely conducted in elementary or middle school classrooms (either special education or general education) with the intervention delivered by a teacher in almost half the studies. More detailed results of the overall analysis along with discussion of the findings are also presented.
Editor's comments: To mark the Division for Learning Disabilities’ (DLD) 25th anniversary, we have included two special articles. In the first, a content analysis of LDRP was conducted to provide a summary of the articles published in the journal since its inception. In the second article, Karen Rooney provides a summary of the DLD Showcase session at the recent Council for Exceptional Children's Conference held last spring in Boston. During this session, past presidents of DLD spoke about the past, present, and future of the learning disabilities field.
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