In this commentary for the special issue on the social and character development (SACD) research program, the author identifies some of the dilemmas facing practitioners attempting to do evaluation research in SACD in schools and discusses some of the related concerns raised in this issue's papers. His familiarity with the SACD program derives…

This article describes the feelings of faculty members required to annually design an assessment project for each semester and report to the director of assessment the objectives and results of that project on a standardized form. What is misunderstood is that true assessment is part of the very "fiber of being" for many faculty members.…

Research evaluations should be directed at affecting the implementation of policies resulting from research, not at monitoring the outcomes of research, particularly in strategic research relating to government and industry. (MSE)

Report on study to consider ways in which research effectiveness could be assessed outlines possible approaches (cost-benefit assessment, citation analysis, publications, real-time tracking study, case study, take-up survey, audience research panel, penetration study). Appropriateness of approaches is discussed in relation to projects funded by…

The role of documentation in the planning and control functions of project management is reviewed. The importance of documentation in the assessment of research quality with respect to objectivity, validity, and replicability is discussed. An outline of documentation required in different phases of research projects is provided. (Author/DWH)

Measurement of faculty research performance is multidimensional, and no single type of measure can assess the full range of professional role performance. A variety of subjective and quantitative measures and weighting systems should be used together to minimize bias. (MSE)

Impact must be defined before it can be assessed. Part of the definition is that impact is the consequences of funded vocational education research and development projects and programs, not just the fact of the dissemination of the products of the projects. Programs are defined as a group of funded research and development improvement projects…

In a study supported by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, a research team developed a methodology for illustrating the effective and ineffective uses of audio, video, and computer teleconferencing by developing scenarios for eacb medium. The group first invented a general situation--a conference involving participants with global, regional, and…

When institutional personnel assess faculty research performance, they should consider the extent to which the institution rewards research, ways to encourage faculty to be productive, criteria for evaluating research performance, and the specific steps useful in reviewing research performance within academic units. (Author/MSE)

An interview with Michael Scriven describes his thoughts and contributions to educational evaluation, the evolution of his career, and his current concerns and projects. (MH)

Librarians from three regional campuses of Kent State University examine cooperative learning as an alternative to a lecture format for bibliographic instruction. The results of a research project comparing the effectiveness of cooperative learning and traditional methods are presented. Discussion includes problems in the evaluation process; steps…

The Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act of 1977 provided more than two hundred million dollars annually for a range of research, evaluation, and demonstration activities intended to increase understanding of the employment problems of youth and to help determine the most effective policies and programs to address these problems. The…

This essay focuses on a key change that the author has experienced in the practice of program evaluation research over the past 20 years: the accommodation of the logic of science and the psychology of politics. This change has substantially altered the role of the evaluator, the evaluator's relationship with clients, the design of an evaluation…

A procedure for developing a costing model is described. Limitations of a cost analysis are also reviewed, with attention to the problems of handling joint products, obtaining accurate faculty effort data, measuring educational outputs, and calculating marginal costs. A researcher charged with developing a costing model is faced with the task of…

Reviews recent and current research and development projects in the United Kingdom dealing with online information systems. Main areas of research (systems design, impact on user behavior and organizational structure, ergonomics and bibliographic factors) and research techniques (features analysis, transaction log analysis, surveys and comparative…