This paper discusses the process of analysing online discussion and argues for the merits of mixed methods. Much research of online participation and e-learning has been either message focused or person focused analysis. The former covers methodologies such as content and discourse analysis, the latter interviewing and surveys. The paper discusses…

Since ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009, joint "same goal" and "different goal" education of pupils with and without disabilities has become a key concern of any changes in German educational policy. The lively public discourse and the controversial debate among experts have…

Apart from Internet addiction, smartphone addiction has played important roles in students' lives as observed in recent studies. There are positive and negative aspects in using smartphones especially in higher education. University administrators or instructors should take into account what factors are affecting students' smartphone addiction in…

The Total Survey Error (TSE) paradigm provides a framework that supports the effective planning of research, guides decision making about data collection and contextualises the interpretation and dissemination of findings. TSE also allows researchers to systematically evaluate and improve the design and execution of ongoing survey programs and…

Errors in methodology occur regularly in the conduct of surveys for educational research. This paper discusses some of these errors and alternatives. In the area of survey design, errors are common in: (1) missed opportunities in attitude scale planning; (2) blunders in item construction; (3) missed opportunities in item construction; (4) blunders…

Many different techniques have been used to increase response rates to surveys. In this study, Federal Express overnight service was used to test the effectiveness of express mail in stimulating response to a mail survey of 132 physicians. The sample was randomly split into two groups. One group received the initial mailing by Federal Express…

Self-reports and observations of the naturally occurring behavior of adolescents were made to investigate friendship patterns. The study was conducted during a week-long summer camp for children of university alumni attending classes. A total of 20 female and 10 male youths, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years, participated. Self-report data…

This study was conducted to determine the status of Ph.D. communication education in research ethics. The study sought to discover the extent to which research ethics courses are being taught, identify the research ethics issues that are discussed in these courses or in research methods coursework, specify the reading material that are assigned in…

The purpose of this study was to apply the tenets of social exchange theory in developing cover letters for mailed surveys. A survey questionnaire designed to measure teachers' attitudes toward tests was mailed to 1200 Kansas teachers. Cover letters were written to create variation in perceived cost (time needed to complete the questionnaire) and…

Although the mail survey has been widely criticized as a viable research methodology, it remains the most feasible approach for retrieving data from large, widely-dispersed populations. This paper suggests that there exists a readily accessible body of pragmatic recommendations which, if adhered to throughout the instrument design and data…

The purpose of this paper is to give evidence for the thesis that if teachers using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument have the questionnaire items translated from one language into another, they cannot assume that the translated items are valid simply because they were translated. Even if the original questionnaire items were…

The effects of several variables and incentives on response rates for surveys were studied in a population of instructors at state-supported colleges in New Mexico and employees at a national laboratory. A survey instrument was developed on the subject of response to surveys. Short and long versions were mailed under cover letters signed by…

This paper examines the contributions of Industrial Engineering and Management Science toward reduction in the cost of production and distribution of food. Food processing firms were requested to respond to a questionnaire which asked for examples of their use of various operations research tools and information on the number of operations…

A new information-theoretically justified approach to missing data estimation for multivariate categorical data was studied. The approach is a model-based imputation procedure relative to a model class (i.e., a functional form for the probability distribution of the complete data matrix), which in this case is the set of multinomial models with…

Described is a project studying adult education policy in Colorado which suggested that skepticism about opinion studies is unwarranted and that thoughtful judgments regarding complex matters can be solicited at low cost from members of the public and special interest groups, without heightening potential for conflict or risking unreasonable…