This article reports on a content analysis of research articles focusing on library services in distance education published between 1999 and 2009. The study identified 472 articles on the topic and analyzed the citations, abstracts, and indexing to determine major topics, issues, and trends discussed; methodologies used; and major journals…

Interim, discontinuous or "acting" management is an increasingly ubiquitous feature of universities. This paper asks: What are the implications of this for good academic governance? Should we understand this managerial dance as a symptom of the collapse of good managerial order or, by contrast, as a symptom of the robustness and…

This research brief examines the challenges and opportunities presented in evaluating whether an intervention achieves defined goals of increasing students' educational attainment, employment, and earnings after high school. The report concludes that evaluations should: (1) Distinguish between gross outcomes (such as how many young people attend…

More applied research is needed on the education and treatment of hearing-impaired persons. Such research should be purpose-oriented, provide applicable knowledge to the profession, and be highly pragmatic. Quality applied research uses direct observation, measures socially important behaviors in natural settings, and focuses on generality of…

Useful reference material and a list of professional associations are provided for the institutional researcher interested in qualitative research. (MSE)

Attempting to define curriculum inquiry, this study examines published reports of curriculum inquiry and classifies the problems studied, the methods used, and the solutions proposed. (MCG)

Understanding the climate and culture of the campus is essential to improving organizational effectiveness. Institutional researchers will be influenced increasingly by research in this area, by improving their awareness, defining important dimensions of the institutional culture, establishing benchmarks for future reference, actively undertaking…

Organizes, describes, and evaluates management information systems research from 1981 to 1985 to provide an understanding of what constitutes management information systems research and to indicate areas for future research. (210 references) (Author/CLB)

An existential and ethnographic approach is advocated in understanding what is referred to as the being and becoming of an educational administrator. (Author/MLF)

A survey of applicants to a major state university investigated whether students who accept (n=461) and decline (n=488) admission offers have different ways of evaluating the admission process. Contrary to expectation, accepters did not rate all elements of the process higher than decliners. Blacks and whites also differed in their perceptions.…

Surveys communications theory and discusses its application to educational organizations. Topics examined include definitions of communication, the evolution of communication models, concepts of language and semantics, interpersonal communication, and organizational communication. Finally, analytic techniques and conceptual frameworks are…

A review of the literature on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in health sciences education suggests that problems in research methodology make the research results less than helpful. Improved methodology, better knowledge of computer and software capabilities, attention to instructional settings, and attention to costs would improve CAI…

Student culture exerts significant influence on many aspects of college life by determining the kinds of people with whom one spends time and the values and attitudes to which one is exposed. To encourage attitudes and values consistent with the institution's educational purpose, cultural elements must be discovered and understood. (Author/MSE)

These two articles address the rising costs of monographs and serials in libraries and suggest strategies for coping with inflationary trends. Highlights include factors in price increases; gathering accurate data on the local budget; domestic and foreign price fluctuations; the increase in new journal titles; and publisher growth policies and…

Review of literature concerning the use of program review in higher education lists sources discussing the review process, focusing on the links between program review and other institutional processes, and addressing application of program review principles and practices to different higher education settings. Critical factors for successful use…