Inference and Generalizability in Applied Linguistics -- Editorial page -- Title page -- LCC data -- Table of contents -- Drawing the line -- Dependability -- Generalizability -- Inferences -- Chapters in this volume -- Perspectives on inference and generalizability in applied linguistics -- Old and new thoughts on test score variability -- Introduction -- The roles of language testers -- Language testers as testers -- Language testers as researchers -- Summary and conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Validity and values -- Introduction -- Drawing generalizable inferences in language assessment -- Validating test score inferences -- Constructs and evidence as the basis for test score inferences -- Generalization as reliability -- Epistemology and research methodology in investigating the validity of test score inferences -- Values and consequences in language tests -- Notes -- References -- L2 vocabulary acquisition theory -- 1. The assessment basis for vocabulary theory -- 2. Inference in assessment -- Construct inference -- Theory inference -- Inference, dependability, and generalizability -- Construct definition as central -- 3. Progress for vocabulary acquisition research -- Probing construct definition -- Validation studies -- Salience of L2 vocabulary assessment -- 4. Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Beyond generalizability -- Introduction -- Inference -- Generalizability in quantitative vs. qualitative research: Problematics and possibilities -- Inference and generalizability in qualitative research: Case study and ethnography -- Contextualization, complexity, and credibility -- Capturing participants' (or emic) perspectives to bolster credibility -- Enhancing generalizability: Representativeness or typicality of cases selected -- Analytic generalization -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Verbal protocols.

What do verbal protocols represent? -- Some relevant research -- Implications -- Notes -- References -- Functional grammar -- Introduction -- The object and purpose of the research -- A research methodology for functional grammar -- Intuitional data -- Observational data -- Elicited data -- On the provisionality and partiality of linguistic inferences -- Optimal level of generalizability -- Conclusion -- References -- A conversation analytic perspective on the role of quantification and generalizability in second language acquisition -- Introduction -- The interactionist hypothesis: An overview -- A critique of mainstream work on SLA -- The domain problem -- The significance problem -- The denominator problem -- The numerator problem -- Conversation analysis: An emprical example -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Appendix 1: Transcription conventions -- References -- Discussion -- Generalizability -- Introduction -- What is the nature of ``generalizability''? -- Consistency of observations and reports -- Meaningfulness of interpretations -- Meaningfulness in quantitative research -- Meaningfulness in qualitative research -- Consequences of decisions or actions for stakeholders -- The researcher's responsibility for consequences -- Dimensions of applied linguistics research -- The observer/researcher -- The entity of interest: The ``construct'' -- The nature and role of context -- The observation and report -- The observer's interpretation of the observation -- Combining different perspectives and approaches in research -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Generalizability -- Note -- References -- Negotiating methodological rich points in applied linguistics research -- Introduction -- Who researches whom in applied linguistics? -- What do we research? -- Where do we research? -- How do we collect, analyze, and interpret data? -- Why do we research?.

Final reflections -- Notes -- References -- Author index -- Subject index -- The series Language Learning & Language Teaching.