Discusses the development and progress of an international corpus of English (ICE) containing a regional corpora sampling of the standard varieties of English in countries where it is a first language, and the national varieties in countries where it is an official additional language. (GLR)

Australian efforts to assess the usefulness of performance indicators (PI) for evaluating higher education are chronicled. It is suggested that key issues must be resolved before PI can be fully embraced. These include aspects of data gathering and analysis, purpose for using PI, quality of data, and adequacy of indicators. (MSE)

A review of data collection methods used in 39 studies of interlanguage pragmatics, focusing on the validity of different types of data resulting from discourse completion, role play, observation of authentic speech, and multiple approaches, concludes that caution is needed in determining the true validity of the collected data. (72 references)…

Alternative methods of data collection among homeless people are compared to traditional shelter and street surveys. The alternatives allow for more people to be reached, achieve greater depth, put researcher and subject on a more equal footing, and appear to produce a more accurate picture of homeless people in their diversity. (CJS)

Enumerates concerns that educators have regarding the use of student data-collection tools such as the computer-based laboratory (CBL) and the microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL). Compares various types of data-collection technologies. (DDR)

Anonymous surveys have been widely used worldwide to describe adolescent substance use yet cannot elucidate causal drug abuse predictors. Studies in the U.S. have generally found that anonymous and confidential surveys yield comparable levels of self-reported substance use, yet the effect of survey format on youth self-report has not been…

This chapter provides a case study comparing the costs of online student ratings of instruction with those of traditional paper-pencil student ratings. The case study is derived from Brigham Young University's (BYU) experience in creating and implementing a new online student rating system. Some of the information on costs was supplemented by data…

This study investigated the extent to which data collected on play behavior differ when two different data collection methods, observation alone and observation plus interview, were used. A secondary objective was to compare data collected using both methods in an indoor and outdoor play environment. The social and cognitive play behavior for a…

Meta-analysis is a collection of systematic techniques for resolving apparent contradictions in research findings. Meta-analysts translate results from different studies to a common metric and statistically explore the relations between study characteristics and findings. Since G. Glass first used the term "meta-analysis" in 1976, it has…

As part of the redesign of the Common Core of Data of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and in response to the growing concern about the comparability of average daily attendance (ADA) in a national database, the NCES initiated a study in 1987 to describe the methods used by the states to collect, aggregate, and report state…

Reports responses to a 100-item behavior inventory from white, black, Oriental, and Chicano mothers, constituting a nonclinc sample of over 3,000 children, aged 9 to 11 years. Comparisons with seven other American and British studies show agreement in problem prevalence. Data tables are included. (Author/ED)

The purpose of the present study was to determine how two different data collection techniques would affect the Q-factors derived from several factor analytic procedures. Faculty members (N=146) from seven middle schools responded to 61 items taken from an instrument designed to measure aspects of an idealized middle school culture; the instrument…

College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) presents its survey results of salaries of administrators in higher education for 1989-90. The annual survey offers salary data on 167 administrative positions at 1,390 public and private institutions to enable decision makers to evaluate their current pay levels and plan their compensation…

Problems associated with the use of the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) data to make institutional comparisons are discussed. It is noted that information collected by HEGIS includes data on enrollment, degrees, finances, employees, libraries, and physical facilities. Attention is directed to the following problems with the…

A study was conducted to identify and organize a discussion of the most important issues to be considered in building or modifying an occupational employment projection system to best suit local area conditions and information needs. After a review of information-generating techniques in use by various public agencies, state offices and the Bureau…