The need to justify public expenditure has increased the emphasis on impact of research. Identifying ways to maximise impact is a requirement of research funders and a concern of governments internationally. Researchers are expected to communicate findings clearly, make use of the media and influence politicians and administrators. Through an…

This concluding paper examines the contributions in this Guest Issue by locating them within the ongoing debates about the role and contribution of social science research, particularly through the production of journals. Set in the context of on-going attacks on the relevance of social science research and the failure to respond to major crises…

This guide describes the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) approach to measuring impact using examples from its own case studies, as well as showing how to maximise the impact of applied social science research. Applied social science research needs to demonstrate that it is relevant and useful both to public policy and…

The question of capacity building in education has predominantly been approached with regard to the methods and methodologies of educational research. Far less attention has been given to capacity building in relation to theory. In many ways the latter is as pressing an issue as the former, given that good research depends on a combination of high…

The growing focus on evidence-based practice (EBP) provides important opportunities for the social work profession to expand its research capacities as well as strategies for teaching students to use research. The use of evidence in developing policies and implementing innovative practices provides excellent opportunities for high-quality research…

Effective school leadership is key to students' academic success. But the development of effective school leadership has been seriously hampered by the lack of technically sound tools to assess and monitor leaders' performance. With support from The Wallace Foundation, a team from Vanderbilt has been developing such an assessment system, and this…

This invitational update on the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR) provides an overview of the work and progress toward strengthening the evidence base for social work practice and policy through research. The article includes information regarding IASWR work with its supporting social work organizations to provide a…

A study explored whether public relations practitioners in one-way environments (press agentry/publicity and public information) and in two-way environments (asymmetric and symmetric) have different general attitudes toward research and whether they use social science techniques differently. A mail survey of 200 randomly chosen public relations…

Discusses trends in higher education and related public policy that have implications for scholars, faculty, and researchers in the field of rural sociology. Discusses characteristics of the rural South and the role of rural sociology in addressing the needs of an undereducated, disadvantaged region. Outlines challenges that the field must meet to…

This article discusses the future contribution of art therapy to social science research and proposes that art therapists proactively develop collaborative ties with qualitative researchers from fields such as psychology, social anthropology, and education. Although the application of art as a tool in qualitative research is not new, its potential…

The chart essay is discussed as an effective technique that links specific research to real policy decisions and arranges answers for each question in a chart highlighting actual research data. A study of 515 high school seniors' extracurricular activities illustrates use of this report form. (SLD)

Compared Rothman's social research and development (R&D) method with procedure used to develop Suicide Prevention Training Programs in Alberta, Canada. Retrospective review found that Alberta method closely paralleled phases of Rothman's model and that transformation of knowledge about suicide into widely disseminated suicide prevention…

This newsletter reproduces a discussion between Eskil Bjorklund, former director of The Council for Studies of Higher Education in Sweden and his successor, Thorsten Nybom, concerning the Swedish Research on Higher Education Program. This program was established in 1968 to direct the organization of research on higher education and award research…

Presents an argument defending the cognitive knowledge base in the social sciences. Contends that the findings related to the sociosphere are as important as those findings in the technosphere or biosphere. Suggests that the creation of a social science equivalency to research and development which would be called operationalizing and assembly.…

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) collaborated on a child and adolescent development project involving roundtables of knowledgeable researchers and teacher educators. This summary report discusses major issues faced by teachers and schools,…