The major theme is that better and more productive studies could emerge if media research would move out of its traditional either-internal- or-external validity conflict. (Author/MV)

Provides examples from six studies to illustrate how the formative research element of the Sesame Workshop production model has been used to create effective educational media in the United States, South Africa, Egypt, and China. Shows how lessons learned from formative studies provide insights into the development of new research methodologies…

To address the issues of drunk driving and failure to use car restraints among teens and young adults, a 21-month-long media campaign has been developed especially for the 15- to 24-year-old audience to compare the effectiveness of paid advertisements and public service announcements. A formative research approach to message design will be used to…

A fundamental distinction is made between basic research which seeks out new, generalizable knowledge, and administrative research which provides information useful to decision makers who have a task to perform. Attention is then given to four types of administrative research: background research, formative research, summative research, and policy…

Fifteen papers on evaluation methodology in communications programs are summarized in this document. A discussion of the development of instructional media is followed by a description of a study of patterns of use and effectiveness in a British Broadcasting Corporation multi-media German course. The document includes summaries of five papers on…