This article describes the experiences of two doctoral students immersed in the process of learning ethnographic research. Through the use of a composite narrative of our experiences observing the culture at a division one university baseball complex, we contribute to the literature by sharing our perspectives as ethnographers-in-progress. We…

The purpose of this study was exploration of the role shift from participant to observer in educational research and evaluation. Examples and counter-examples of graduate students who were experiencing the role shift were explored. Generalizations were made in order to abstract the data, and draw the conclusion that ethnographic approaches…

Describes a fieldwork training school for graduate students sponsored by the University of Georgia (UGA). Bringing graduate students to the summer program at the school gives school organizers new perspectives on their own work, surroundings, and relationships. (SLD)

The applications of evaluation training in clinically oriented social interventions are examined. A joint program in evaluation and clinical psychology at Northwestern University is described. The core evaluation course, which emphasizes methodological study and substantial fieldwork, is discussed. (BS)

From her experiences in a field study of nurses in hospitals for her doctoral disseration, the author offers practical suggestions to field researchers for planning a study proposal, preparing for the contingencies of field research, and setting up a good recordkeeping system for study costs. (MF)

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) allow users a small profile, battery-operated, and relatively low-cost way to take many of the capabilities of a personal computer into the field. This combination of features suggests a great potential for the use of a PDA as a field data collection instrument. This research compared the use of one kind of PDA…

Comments on Reba Page's use of the author's work, known as the Brad trilogy, in a lesson on validity in interpretive research methods. Wolcott prefers involving students more immediately with field work than in Page's approach. Discusses his intentions in writing the Brad trilogy and the questions it has raised. (DSK)

Discusses teaching qualitative research methodology to graduate education students. Advocates creating a social context for classroom learning, as opposed to the traditional experiential approach. Includes examples of three course descriptions. (FMW)

A way to assess the large volume of student data generated in an introductory graduate-level course in qualitative research in education is described. Primary attention is given to assessing the technical aspects of field data collection, and only secondary attention is given to the consideration of the substantive aspects of the field data. In…

This guide is intended to give practical advice that prepares graduate student researchers for the realities and challenges of living and working abroad, with a particular focus on that area of research experience that is between participation and observation. Drawing on the experiences of 150 scholars, funded over a 6-year period by the MacArthur…

Nine syllabi for courses on research and evaluation in higher education are reviewed. The syllabi fall into four areas: general research design and methods, program evaluation, naturalistic inquiry, and institutional self-study. A course on research design and methods at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, focuses on three basic modes…

Eleven papers on theory and research in higher education have the following titles and authors: "A Paradigm for Research on Higher Education" (William F. Massy); "Minority Student Access to, and Persistence and Performance in College: A Review of the Trends and Research Literature" (Shirley L. Mow and Michael T. Nettles);…