The File : Case Study in Correction (1977-1979)
The File is a collection of documents from a major dispute involving a number of American college professors, mainly mathematicians, statisticians, and sociologists. The controversy was ignited by the mathematician Serge Lang's reaction to a questionnaire, "The 1977 Survey of the American Professoriate", distributed by E.C. Ladd of the University of Connecticut and S.M. Lipset of Stanford. The ensuing discussion - in part acrimonious and personal - soon involved a large group of active and passive participants, and included issues such as survey techniques, evaluation of academic work, public and political honesty, and McCarthyism at Harvard
1 online resource (712 pages)
9781461381457, 1461381452
852790700
Print version:
Introductory Letter to the Reader
Why bother? (Your point of view). Why bother? (My point of view). Editorial responsibility
The letters. Introductory and other comments. Objectivity
The Story: Summary
A Reply to Lang
The Ladd
Lipset Surveys
A Brief Review. The Methodology of the 1977 Survey. Survey Research on Public Opinion and Social Values. Sampling. Nonresponse. Question Design and Questionnaire Development. Envoi
The File
"The 1977 Survey of the American Professoriate"
VERITAS AT HARVARD, by Sigmund Diamond from the New York Review of Books, 28 April 1977
The First Year
One: The Opening Exchange
Two: From Koblitz's Letter to Lang's Fifteen Pages of Comments
Three: From Lang's Comments to the Science Article
Four: From Science to New York Review of Books
Five: The Garfinkel Letter ("McCarthyism"?)
Six: The New York Review of Books Article
The Second Year
Seven: Trying to Settle Loose Ends
Eight: The Chronicle Causes a Rebound
Nine: From Mac Lane's Letter to the Editors (Notices, AMS) to Lang's Letter to the Editor (Bulletin, AAUP)
Ten: The Stakes Are Raised
Eleven: The "Ratings" Get Publicity
Twelve: The AAUP
Chronicle Relation
Thirteen: End of the Second Year
Into a Third Year
Fourteen: "McCarthyism"? (Again)
Fifteen: "Intemperate and Libelous"?
Sixteen: Ladd
Lipset, Survey Research, Sociology. Can We Generalize? How?
Seventeen: The Story Goes On
Eighteen: Closing the File
Appendices
Appendix II. Documents on the Carnegie
ACE 1969 Survey
Lang Letter to Clark Kerr on the 1969 Survey
Appendix III. "Representative Sampling, I: Non-scientific Literature," by William Kruskal and Frederic Mosteller
Appendix IV. Veritas at Harvard
Some Themes and Issues
S. Lang
Correction. "The 1977 Survey of the American Professoriate": quality; use of the questionnaire; academic effect; administrative effect and public effect. Survey research. Sociology. Social Sciences. VERITAS AT HARVARD. Scholarship: academic only? active? political? Journalistic power; the cc list; letters to the editor. Financial power. Subservience to authority and power: intellectual authority; statutory authority and power. The competence of the surveyors. The personal aspect of the file. The methodology of the file. Collegiality. Responsibility: institutional; journalistic; scientific; personal. Conclusion
Publication of the File
Comments and Letters
"Selective Memory and Scholarly Controversy,"
Seymour Martin Lipset
English