Thirty Years of JRB/JLR: A Retrospective of Reading/Literacy Research

Abstract

Each volume/issue of the past 30 years of the Journal of Reading Behavior/Journal of Literacy Research, the journal of the National Reading Conference (nrc), was hand-searched to examine trends in literacy research. Perusal of research articles and special features of the journal revealed trends across decades in authorship, participants, methods, themes, and topics. Findings include that the major themes of text, tests and assessment, and instruction shifted in importance over the three decades. Unlike results of an earlier review of nrc yearbooks, the nrc journal has contained more reports of quantitative than qualitative research. Recommendations are made to conduct more integrative reviews and qualitative studies, including special populations, varied ethnic and cultural groups, and second-language learners.