Open research questions in Academic Freedom and Politics
134 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,671 Academic Freedom and Politics papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the phenomenon of Louis Farrakhan and his support among Blacks. The author argues that Farrakhan's antisemitism poses a threat, but not as great as that of groups on the traditional extreme right.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of why speech is considered special in moral theory. The author argues that the basis for special protection of speech is unclear.
The paper identifies a gap between the image presented in Boyer's report and the reality of American education. The author argues that the report does not adequately address the issues facing American education.
Future research could explore the use of rhetorical techniques in other political campaigns. The study's findings could be applied to the development of effective counter-campaign strategies. Further research could examine the impact of strategic timing and the use of warnings in political campaigns.
The first amendment vs. human rights: A case study in community sentiment and argument from definition · 1982 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in our understanding of conservative resistance rhetoric. The study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the use of appeal to community sentiment and argument from definition in political campaigns.
The first amendment vs. human rights: A case study in community sentiment and argument from definition · 1982 · DOIFuture research could explore the impact of censorship on educational outcomes. The study suggests that further analysis of the cultural and ideological context of education is necessary.
The paper identifies a gap in existing research on the censorship of educational knowledge in Queensland. The study highlights the need for further analysis of the clash between conservative ideology and social sciences.
The complexity of Boggs' public personality combines to frustrate attempts to pinpoint his motives. The paper identifies a gap in understanding the factors that led to Boggs' denunciation of Hoover.
The need to refine the study of American political culture. The gap between the 'national character' approach and the contemporary study of political culture.
The heckling of presidential candidates in the 1968 election has been virtually ignored by scholars. There is a lack of study on heckling's historical milieu to expose its typical settings, agents, tactics, and effects.
The article identifies a gap in the consideration of postbehavioralism's implications for teaching. The article argues that the problem of professorial partisanship is not adequately addressed.
The paper identifies a gap in understanding effective political communication. The paper notes that many potential materials and arguments for the keynote address would have been offensive to significant segments of the audience.
Prior research has not fully explored the recurrent features of political public speaking. There is a need for a more systematic approach to analyzing political rhetoric.
An analysis of recurrent features of contemporary American radical, liberal, and conservative political discourse · 1979 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in understanding the student movement as a rational and substantively rational phenomenon. It highlights the need to reconsider the movement's underlying motivations and goals.
The lack of a working definition of the concept of accountability. The need for a method to understand the relationships among codes, accountability, and ethical charges/defenses.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of rhetoric as the art of appeal. It highlights the need to consider ethical and emotive appeals in rational discourse.
Further research could explore the historical development of the liberal arts in more detail. Further research could also examine the implications of the paper's findings for education and the way we think about the liberal arts.
The paper identifies a gap in the historical understanding of the liberal arts. The paper argues that the idea of the seven liberal arts is a numerological hoax.
The lack of hard data on the effectiveness of values clarification in teaching American national politics. The need for further research on the impact of values clarification on student attitudes toward political participation.
Future research could explore the role of persuasion in other social movements. The study suggests that analyzing the rhetoric surrounding significant events can provide insights into the function of persuasion.
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the role of persuasion in social movements. The study highlights the need to analyze the rhetoric surrounding significant events.
The lack of understanding of the social problems faced by minority communities. The need for further research on the relationship between poverty and American institutions. The gap in the literature on the concept of a poverty habitat and its relationship with the larger national sociocultural system.
The paper identifies a gap in the study of public address, which often focuses on practical applications rather than historical context. The author argues that the study of public address should not be limited to its practical applications.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the First Amendment freedoms among students. The paper highlights the need for speech communication educators to develop curricular units that encourage students to understand the day-to-day relevancy of American democratic ideals.
The need for resolution by the Supreme Court or Congress highlights the importance of addressing this concern. Further examination of the Committee's procedures and rules is necessary to ensure individual rights are protected.
Most-cited papers in Academic Freedom and Politics
- Moralizing Immigration: Political Framing, Moral Conviction, and Polarization in the United States and Denmark · Comparative Political Studies · 2022 · 47 citations
- President Trump’s transgender moral panic · Policy Studies · 2021 · 37 citations
- The Relation between Academic Freedom and Free Speech · Ethics · 2020 · 35 citations
- Going Nativist. How to Interview the Radical Right? · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · 2022 · 29 citations
- Is Free Speech in Danger on University Campus? Some Preliminary Evidence from a Most Likely Case · KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie · 2020 · 28 citations
- Taboos and Self-Censorship Among U.S. Psychology Professors · Perspectives on Psychological Science · 2024 · 27 citations
- Semantics and Ethics of Propaganda · Journal of Mass Media Ethics · 2001 · 25 citations
- The Interview Method in Comparative Politics: The Process of Interviewing Far-Right Actors · Government and Opposition · 2021 · 23 citations
- Creating Safe Space for Undocumented Students: Building on Politically Unstable Ground · Anthropology & Education Quarterly · 2020 · 22 citations
- Scholarship Suppression: Theoretical Perspectives and Emerging Trends · Societies · 2020 · 21 citations
Most recent work
- How can freedom of expression on campus be defended? · Theory and Society · 2026
- The Perception of Postsecondary Education’s Value in the United States: A Critical Discourse Analysis · Innovative Higher Education · 2026
- The Scope, Issues, and Disruptiveness of Campus Protest in the United States, 2017–2024 · Sociological Quarterly · 2026
- Similar moral values, different agendas: U.S. politicians' use of moral language is issue‐specific · Political Psychology · 2026
- The Palestine Exception: Academic Freedom and the Logic of Occupation in US Higher Education · Middle East Critique · 2026
- “Friends don’t let friends shave with woke razors”: Commodity activism and epideictic speech in the age of conservative backlash · Communication and Democracy · 2026
- Autoethnography as Testimony · Journal of Autoethnography · 2026
- America’s Great Age of Rhetoric, 1770–1860: Advocacy, Conceptualization, Institutionalization, by Merrill D. Whitburn · Journal for the History of Rhetoric · 2026
- Academic Freedom: A Road Map for Chairs · The Department Chair · 2026
- Ten Strategies for Preserving Faculty Morale During Institutional Transition · The Department Chair · 2026
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