Physics education researchers are interested in using the tools of machine learning and natural language processing to make quantitative claims from natural language and text data, such as open-ended responses to survey questions. The aspiration is that this form of machine coding may be more efficient and consistent than human coding, allowing…

This paper provides practical guidance for researchers who are designing and analyzing studies that randomize schools--which comprise three levels of clustering (students in classrooms in schools)--to measure intervention effects on student academic outcomes when information on the middle level (classrooms) is missing. This situation arises…

A sequential design utilizing identical samples was used to classify mixed methods studies via a two-dimensional model, wherein sampling designs were grouped according to the time orientation of each study's components and the relationship of the qualitative and quantitative samples. A quantitative analysis of 121 studies representing nine fields…

Research with older persons suffering from physical illness presents numerous challenges to gerontologists. Issues of conceptualization pertaining to the definition of illness, its location in the research paradigm, and the context in which illness occurs must be addressed prior to dealing with methodological problems. Access to physically ill…

This paper identifies typical sampling problems, including improper application of the Central Limit Theorem, that are associated with the probability-based sampling procedures currently used in clinical psychology research. It then presents two alternative research designs, the theory validation model and the extended case study model, which…

Procedures are discussed for collecting the conversational samples needed to conduct a topic assessment in the communication of adults with mild to moderate mental retardation. A framework for analyzing topic initiations, topic maintenance, and topic changes or disruptions is explained via transcripts illustrating various types of topic…

The third workshop on marine ecosystem modeling is one in a sequence of activities designed to promote modeling as a research and management tool among Mediterranean marine scientists. Previous workshops served mainly as a forum for a familiarization with modeling, while this workshop focused on specific implementation of modeling technology. The…

A theoretical model proposed by Paul Kantor for determining shelf availability for library materials by checking a small sample of items drawn from the checklist against the stacks and circulation records is applied to a working environment, and the following considerations are examined: (1) time required to apply the model to a working library…

A review of the literature about practices in evaluating art education programs led to the design of the new evaluation model described in this paper. The literature review revealed that a growing number of authors advocate qualitative methods, and that a debate exists regarding the combination of qualitative and quantitative data gathering and…

In this article, the author discusses the use in policy analysis of models that incorporate uncertainty. He believes that all models should consider incorporating uncertainty, but that at the same time it is important to understand that sampling variability is not usually the dominant driver of uncertainty in policy analyses. He also argues that…