Describes procedures that can be used to summarize the effect of schools when interactions between school practice and student background exist. Applies these procedures to a fairly realistic school effects dataset. Highlights the importance of considering differential school effectiveness rather than using a single quantitative indicator. (SLD)

Three questionnaire mailings to 1,535 physicians that produced 977 responses were analyzed. The only variable significantly different across the mailings was medical specialty. This finding indicates that the more homogeneous the group the greater the response rate. Issues of nonresponse bias and insufficient sample size are discussed. (TJH)

Describes a method that uses program participants' compliance with program instructions as a means of classifying participants and in that way obtains a randomized control group for a subset of participants. Illustrates two variations of the method through a large smoking-intervention project. (SLD)

The historical linkages between the evolution of the survey research method and applied social research is reviewed. It is argued that most or all of the elements of the modern survey were developed in response to immediate, practical (as opposed to academic) concerns. (TJH)

The interviewer's role in gaining access to an elite respondent through a gatekeeper was studied, with a focus on interviewer characteristics that lead to success in achieving interviews. Data from a national survey of 2,451 physicians indicate the importance of interviewer experience in bypassing gatekeepers. (SLD)

Uses pretest data collected with passive parental consent for 2,496 middle school students to examine demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral differences between students for whom active parental consent was provided in later phases of the research and those for whom active consent was not provided. Results show the detrimental effects of…

A pilot study involving 90 percent of the parents of 200 seventh graders attending two junior high schools evaluated the effectiveness of active versus passive methods of obtaining parental consent. Passive consent can provide a viable alternative to active consent when supplemented by appropriate backup and privacy safeguards. (TJH)

This study assessed the nature of response bias in a two-stage data-collection design (telephone interviews followed by a questionnaire mailing), which was used to examine the effectiveness of a state-level pharmaceutical assistance program for the elderly. Demographic and health factors affecting response (N=1,705 elderly persons) are discussed.…