IES is the primary research, evaluation, and statistics arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Established through the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA), the Institute's mission is to expand fundamental knowledge and understanding of education and to provide education leaders and practitioners, parents and students, researchers, and…

The funding environment has a profound impact on researchers' behavior. In particular, it influences their freedom and readiness to conduct research ventures with highly uncertain outcomes. In this conceptual paper, we propose a concise new methodology to evaluate researchers' risk aversion based on citation statistics. The derived…

This brief describes four national surveys with data relevant to subsidy-related research and provides a useful set of considerations for subsidy researchers considering use of secondary data. Specifically, this brief describes each of the four datasets reviewed, highlighting unique features of each dataset and providing information on the survey…

This article highlights various literature covering a broad range of topics that are of interest to public services librarians, from collections and user services to one's own research and professional development. Although addressing many topics, these authors have all used or advocate for solid research methods and data analysis in their works,…

Many out-of-school time programs want to learn more about how the children and youth they serve are faring. Outcome evaluations allow programs to do just that. This brief provides a basic review of outcome evaluations, discusses why they are important and when they are useful, and presents guidelines, strategies, and techniques for their use in…

The assistive technology (AT) field acknowledges that different stakeholders vary in their perspectives of service delivery outcomes. While the literature delineates consumers, caregivers and providers as stakeholders with distinct views, very little research documents these unique perspectives. This study reports on the perspectives of (a)…

Focuses on the relationship before and after pregnancy between a group of young mothers and the fathers of their children. Considers the problem of legitimizing the child and the provision of a so-called "normal" home with both parents versus the adequate preparation of the young mother for future life through completion of her…

Significant aspects of the economic relationships between the Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Area Community College and the local community were studied, and quantitative information regarding such relationships is presented. The impact on business was measured in terms of increased cash flows in the local economy. Both an inclusive and a conservative…

Presents methodology and results of a study of media center personnel in institutions of higher education to determine their status in terms of job titles, salary levels, sources of funding, and educational/training requirements. Recommendations based on study findings and job descriptions for the seven positions investigated are included. (MBR)

A research study analyzed variables contributing to current ratings of graduate institutions. Findings show these variables in order of importance: extensive library holdings, economic resources, and faculty-student ratio. Private and southern institutions achieve less recognition in proportion to resources than do others. (AV)

This technical report describes the development of "Finetuning Special Education Finance: A Guide for State Policymakers." The report's introductory section notes the need for information on special education finance. Section 2 describes how these needs were identified--through a national survey of 118 persons knowledgeable about state…

Data on the award and receipt of child support and alimony to women are reported. Additional data concerning receipt and type of property settlement following divorce is provided. The Bureau of the Census first conducted a survey specifically designed to obtain data on child support and alimony in spring, 1979. The survey, with minor…

Increasingly, government, foundations, and others are asking community-based organizations for more evaluation information. Although the demand for this information may be increasing, the field knows very little about the way organizations are responding to this demand. Using data collected from interviews and a mail survey of community-based…

This handbook is devoted to the process of teacher research. It shows teacher-researchers how they can pursue their research activities systematically and carefully and provides a number of research techniques, methods for categorizing data, and suggestions for publishing research. The chapters are: (1) "Try To Love the Questions Themselves:…

Six Arizona county libraries were chosen to participate in a study to investigate the effect of grants on local library funding support. The criteria set for choice of these libraries were: (1) the county library must be the strongest library in the county, (2) the library must have been chartered as a county library for at least three years prior…