"Why OWLs" is a timely question, but it's one that as yet eludes definitive answers. What I'd like to do, therefore, is give you the chance to visit several OWLs for yourself and to browse through issues surrounding their creation and use.

Perhaps, then, this piece might offer you an overview that lets you tackle the question for yourself, that lets you consider the possibilities of OWLs in your work, where you work. Perhaps it also might provide some perspective for the reviews in this edition of Kairos.

Topics and Issues Surrounding OWLs

The question "Why OWLs" carries with it a number of issues:

Works Cited

A note on the owl/question mark icon:

Murray Shugars created the original design for this owl icon, and he retains the copyright. I'll use the icon as a navigational device in this essay. You can click on it on any page, and you'll return to this page.
Stuart Blythe
Purdue University
blythes@mace.cc.purdue.edu