Current economic conditions and the increasing competition for government funding are leading to an increased focus on the impact of research. Measuring the impact of research is difficult because not all impacts are direct and some can be negative or result from the identification of problems that require a non-research response. The time between…

Practical advice on frequently asked questions dealing with research and evaluation methodology is presented as rules of thumb, with citations to the author's sources. A statement in the literature is considered a rule of thumb if it meets one of the following criteria: (1) it is specifically called a rule of thumb; (2) it contains numbers in…

Discusses problem preparation and specification along with search strategies and techniques employed by an information scientist in assisting users of on-line data bases, and briefly reviews ways to save computer time. (CWM)

External political pressures which influence the role and methodology of evaluation are described in the lead article by Henry M. Brickell. These influences, according to the author, are constantly present and are often more powerful in their effect than the actual evaluation findings. Based upon his experiences as an evaluator of educational…

Reports on a program held at the 1986 American Library Association Conference which offered a model for locating and evaluating existing research on libraries. Six guidelines for evaluating research are provided, and small group sessions which evaluated actual research and talked directly with researchers are described. (EM)

Develops generalizations for empirical evaluation of software based upon suitability of several research designs--pretest posttest control group, single-group pretest posttest, nonequivalent control group, time series, and regression discontinuity--to type of software being evaluated, and on circumstances under which evaluation is conducted. (MBR)

From her review of the final evaluation reports of 81 career education projects, the author notes seven common pitfalls in career education program evaluation. For a related article by this author, see pp75-83 of this issue. (SJL)

This document is designed to provide an understanding of the major longitudinal issues and problems, a rationale for longitudinal studies, and the advantages and disadvantages of using longitudinal studies for evaluation and accountability purposes when applied to vocational education. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 presents a…

Quality assurance and evaluation research, like other fields of social research and its application, are confronted with a series of problems. In the present paper, I want first to give a list of such problems, although necessarily incomplete. It is then claimed that while there is no "perfect" solution to these problems, critical multiplism may…

A consideration of ethics is necessary in the development of guidelines for conducting and reporting research. A brief description of the history of ethical guidelines in research is presented followed by suggestions for development of ethical guidelines, both those that can be legislated and those that cannot. (SI)

These guidelines are intended to help those who design and conduct investigations of psychopharmacologic agents in children. A progression of studies in four phases is advocated. First, early short term studies should establish single and multiple dose safety baselines. Second, early pilot efficacy studies may be initiated jointly with longer…

A review by the General Accounting Office of various aspects of indirect costs associated with federal health research grants is presented. After an introduction detailing the scope of the review and defining indirect costs and federal participation, the report focuses on the causes of the rapid increase of indirect costs. Among findings was that…

This handbook outlines procedures for evaluating a school guidance program. Defined first are the concept of guidance evaluation and basic terms in guidance evaluation. The purpose of guidance evaluation is discussed. Covered in a description of problems and difficulties in doing guidance evaluation are general problems; problems relating to…

Designed to identify exemplary strategies and procedures for assessing employer satisfaction with former vocational education students' training and job performance, this handbook provides ideas for initiating such an assessment and for improving upon current assessment practices. It consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the…