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The paper draws on the evaluation activities of a European transnational Internet training programme involving trade union confederations and other worker education organisations. Three complementary views of the role of ICT in worker education are identified and discussed: the Internet as a topic of training; the Internet as a tool for delivering training; and the Internet in the mediation of changing relationships between union education and organisation. There is no inevitable progression through these views of the Internet: the outcomes of Internet use are dependent on a range of interacting influences that are likely to result in a diversity of patterns of Internet use.

The article aims to look at the development of the internet in terms of its implications for the labour movement and its international activities.

The paper brings together conclusions and findings based on the previous work of the two individual authors who have studied the role of the internet from a national and international perspective, using a range of methodologies.

The impact of the internet in terms of facilitating communication and renewal strategies has been highly significant. However, the authors argue that such developments are also mediated by trade union structures and organisational traditions/ideologies at the national level where there is still a considerable degree of variety. It also looks and focuses on some of the challenges of international labour co‐ordination through the use of the internet, noting some of the difficulties faced by trade unionists. The paper therefore brings together insights into the way organisations such as trade unions interact with such developments both at the national and international level.

The article emphasises the need to develop a political and sociological understanding of the internet within industrial relations and in terms of future research.

In this chapter, we will look at how the indirect approach can enable us to find a way to learn about young people's lives. The setting for this chapter is informal youth work, reminding us of the value of a wide range of practices with young people, and the findings are equally relevant to formal and informal education as guiding principles for good practice. We will look at the skillful interactions practitioners establish with young people and how they can be developed and promoted. Reflective practice for practitioners is identified as beneficial in adding the value of young people's voice, whilst building relationships. The nature of young people's participation and power is argued to benefit from a co-constructed and socio-cultural understanding; majoring on the importance of context, indirect method and equality literacy framework. We will suggest how the indirect approach can improve young people's lives in schools and/or youth provision.

From a both theoretical and practical outset, this chapter discusses how the research methodology behind MaCE, The Indirect Approach is realised and applied. This chapter also touches upon some of the ethical implications of applying the approach in research. The aim of this chapter is to add some empirical experiences to the initial framework of the approach, by exploring the practical craftsmanship behind the idea of getting answers to questions that you in fact do not ask.

This paper describes a dialogue modelling approach to information access. We apply this approach to the design of software used by management professionals for whom technology should be seen and not learnt. From dialogue data we identify context and mutual coverage as key dialogue features for this class of interface. We compare the handling of these features by existing systems, describe a novel query mechanism called Query By Format and conclude with the results of an evaluation study noting its strengths and weaknesses.

This editorial seeks to reflect on seven contributions to this AAAJ special issue and on the interdisciplinary accounting, auditing and accountability movement and its future directions. The seven papers were invited plenary contributions to the APIRA 2007 conference, which in part served to celebrate 20 years of AAAJ. The important role of academic researchers is highlighted in not simply observing, but also in engaging in and constructing an enabling accounting. The contribution of scholarly research to knowledgeable debates about an enabling accounting for society and the sustainability of the planet is discussed.

The paper employs a literature‐based analysis and critique. The paper is primarily a discussion paper.

This editorial draws together the themes of papers in this AAAJ special issue, which point to the need for researchers to reflect on their motivation, use of theory and values to ensure that academic work is making a genuine contribution.

The practical and research issues explored in this, and the other papers, in this special theme section, it is hoped, will invoke more critical perspectives on accountancy, assist scholars in theory development and application, and influence growth in reflective academic studies in this area.

This editorial discusses the contributions to this AAAJ special issue.