Discusses the use of novels in studying social history. Proposes that the contents of novels be accepted not as a set of answers about a society, but as a set of questions, plausible hypotheses as to how the historian might organize his evidence. (Author/JK)

Distributive education teachers who had received a set of learning activity packages for the Inter-State Distributive Education Curriculum Consortium learning system were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward perceived barriers to implementing the system. Methods and procedures, findings, and conclusions of the author's doctoral research…

From a priori and post hoc data collection perspectives, this paper describes the interrelations among (1) power, alpha, effect size, and sample size for hypothesis testing; and (2) precision, confidence, and sample size for interval estimation. Implications for special education researchers working with convenient samples of fixed size are…

This study shows that a one-credit library research course designed around workbook/exercise module and bibliography assignment helps students learn library skills and results in improved attitude toward library. Pre/post tests were administered to experimental and control groups to assess skill and attitude level. Test and semantic differential…

This booklet provides some systematic guidelines for assisting educational planners to discriminate between high-quality educational research and research that should not be relied on for decision making. The guidelines focus on educational research studies that employ either experimental or survey-research methodologies. A checklist is presented…

Library circulation records for five years in one Hawaiian elementary school were analyzed to discover patterns according to sex and grade level; identify titles, subjects, and types of books circulated; and determine circulation of Hawaiiana and books about Asia. Bibliography of 129 titles mentioned in text is included. (11 references) (EJS)

The purpose of this exercise is to introduce college students to basic research methodology and concepts for social class in the United States and to the useful library sources and techniques to aid in the research. The underlying theory is that social classes do exist in the United States, and students can validate this theory through…

Illustrates how Radial Basis Function (RBF) network techniques can be used to explore questions concerning authorship of historic documents. Demonstrates the utility and potential for using quantitative techniques to assist in the decision-making process in relatively subjective disciplines. Compares RBF neural network techniques with more…

Provides an exercise for introducing research methods to undergraduates. The students view a graph revealing that left-handed people are underrepresented in older age groups. Small group discussions attempt to explain this phenomenon. A follow-up class discussion focuses on the different approaches and methods available for interpreting the data.…