A review of Japanese articles on perceptual assessment of speech sounds in individuals with cleft palate

Abstract

Purpose: To perform content analysis of perceptual speech assessment methods appearing in articles in Japanese journals. Data extraction and analysis: We extracted 59 articles from four major journals on cleft palate published between 1988 and 2004, and analyzed their content with respect to numbers and ages of subjects, variables of speech samples, types of speech sounds, judgment method, variables of judges, and reliability measurement. Results and conclusion: The subjects' numbers and ages showed a wide range. Two major variables of the samples were resonance and articulation, and the types of speech sounds were diverse. The most prominent judging method for articulation was transcription. The numbers and professions of the judges were missing in almost half, and a description of reliability measurement was absent in most articles. We concluded that these diversities and lacks of information constitute potential hindrances to effective comparison and sharing of information not only at the domestic level but also in global terms.