Human resource development (HRD) practitioners are adding storytelling to their box of tactical and strategic tools. This qualitative research study investigates how HRD practitioners in for-profit settings apply storytelling as a means of advancing organizational goals. The primary focus of practitioners is on instrumental application of stories…

This is one of a series of eight short monographs intended to aid practicing educators in planning and conducting accountability programs in schools. This booklet discusses how to plan and conduct interviews appropriate to the objectives of a particular research or evaluation effort. Short sections focus in turn on advantages of interviews,…

This article guides readers through the decisions and considerations involved in conducting focus-group research investigations into students' learning experiences. One previously published focus-group study is used as an illustrative example, along with other examples from the field of pedagogic research in geography higher education. An approach…

Attitude and opinion research requires considerable planning, careful design of survey procedures and sampling techniques, and practical ways of collecting, analyzing, and reporting results. The following suggestions are based on the extensive public opinion research conducted by the University of Alabama. (1) Decide what specific problem is to be…

This manual includes strategies for conducting wave 4 of a longitudinal follow-up study. Part 1, Procedures for Researchers, outlines steps to be used in guiding the research process to achieve indepth, qualitative interviews with a group of the original sample members who were studied over a 15-year period. It includes guidelines and procedures…

An approach to educational research that is receiving renewed attention is participatory action research (PAR), which emphasizes a bottom-up approach to research as well as useful outcomes. PAR is a philosophy, and not a methodology per se. It is a deliberate, goal-directed, structured, and applied means of obtaining information that looks 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…

This handbook is designed to assist training developers and evaluators in structuring their collection of feedback data. Addressed first are various methods for collecting feedback data, including informal feedback, existing unit performance records, questionnaires, structured interviews, systematic observation, and testing. The next chapter, a…

This handbook is designed to help local and state vocational education evaluation personnel conduct studies to measure the training and job satisfaction of former vocational education students. It consists of eight chapters. Chapter 1 explains the rationale, development, and organization of the handbook. Chapter 2 is composed of two commissioned…

People who care about young people are aware of the serious problems caused by underage alcohol use. They should also be aware that there are many effective strategies for reducing underage drinking, and every state and community should be using these strategies. The "Guide to Conducting Youth Surveys" provides information about one important tool…