Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 1992

Advance Organizers: A Review of the Research—Part I

Thomas R. Williams Seattle University ; Earl C. Butterfield Seattle University

Abstract

This article reviews previous research on advance organizers, introductory text adjuncts intended to provide the reader of expository text with a meaningful context within which to process unfamiliar, or difficult, new information. Research conducted during the past thirty years well documents the fact that advance organizers do, indeed, inspire significant increases in comprehension among readers whose prior knowledge “subsumers” are inadequate to provide a necessary assimilative context. One issue on which theorists yet disagree, however, is the efficacy of advance organizers in facilitating the acquisition of subordinate text detail, or facts. Definitional inconsistencies and methodological deficiencies in previous research have clouded this issue. Subsequently in this journal, Part II of this article will present the results of two empirical studies that resolve these methodological problems and specifically address the question of the effects of advance organizers on the acquisition of text detail.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1992-07-01
DOI
10.2190/8vqy-19n4-lmeu-u5j6
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Williams (1993)
    Text or Graphic: An Information Processing Perspective on Choosing the More Eff…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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