Some basic tips on writing periodical articles about research are provided: (1) learn to work with scientists and (2) ask for appropriate background material before an interview. Research questions, interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and verifying results are discussed. (MLW)

A group of defenses of qualitative evaluation methods is examined, based on a hard relativistic interpretation of the work of Thomas Kuhn. A promising defense of qualitative evaluation may be found in a soft-relativist interpretation of Kuhn's analysis of the nature of scientific discovery. (Author/LMO)

Shows that social work educators are convinced of the importance of research but that they have stronger interest and skills in teaching. Compared to those with master's degrees, faculty members with doctorates have higher levels of interest and involvement in research. Greater research interest and competence are needed. (Author/ABB)

Maintains that teachers must make decisions about their own professional growth, as well as about classroom involvement. This professional growth may be facilitated by teachers' active exploration of four dimensions of professional competence--curriculum expert, colleague, mentor, and scholar-researcher. (BB)

The investigative subscale of the Holland Self-Directed Search (SDS) vocational interest inventory was examined for sex-role stereotyping. Male and female psychology researchers and practitioners (N=842) completed the SDS and a revised set of investigative items. Results indicated that the SDS investigative items contain sex bias. (Author/NRB)

Reports an evaluation of the perceived visibility and quality of human development journals in France, Great Britain, and West Germany. Overall, the dominance of English-language journals (and especially American journals) is notable. Achieving particular international prominence were "Child Development,""Developmental…

Gives results of a survey of attitudes and ideas about professional standards among relatively new research chemists (N=124), which offers insights into how to bring into accord the academic and industrial concepts of the profession of research chemistry. Responses are summarized for each question, in the order asked. (JN)

Alternative research and scholarly opportunities for scholars outside academe are discussed, including communitites of scholars and university outreach to unaffiliated scholars. A list of organizations of independent scholars is included. (MSE)

This paper deals with use of field research in an investigation of diffusion and use of information in environment of working poor. Highlights include discussion of field research and identification of conceptual themes (gaining entry, field researcher's role, anxiety in field research, rapport, reciprocity, empathy, maturity). Forty references…

Analyzes the results of research on the uses of and attitudes toward output analysis in U.S. postsecondary institutions, focusing on attempts to use the method to improve the college. Presents theoretical considerations, identifies six factors related to the use of output data, and reviews studies concerning output analysis. (DMM)

This survey is a retrospective analysis of ten years of articles published in the Australian Journal of Adult Education. The years 1970-1979 were chosen to cover the decade of the seventies: a decade that was significant for adult education in a number of ways. (SSH)

This Critical Practitioner Inquiry (CPI) Newsletter is a forum for exchanging ideas and experiences about CPI in different universities worldwide. This first edition of the newsletter contains the following articles: (1) Critical Practitioner Inquiry--Working Against the Grain (Lars Dahlstrom), which explains the concept of CPI; (2) Critical…

This book offers useful, prescriptive advice on how to enter different field settings for interviewing and observation. The chapters of part 1, "Stages of Access," are: (1) "Finding Informants"; (2) "Human Subjects and Permission To Contact Informants"; (3) "Making Initial Contact"; (4) "Developing a Rapport"; and (5) "Exiting: Ending the…

The role of researchers in the struggle for social justice was explored, focusing on some of the dilemmas faced by researchers doing solidarity work. Solidarity work is negotiating ways to combine different interests to make research findings useful and relevant to political aims. People doing solidarity work describe themselves as activity…

This paper emerged from a conversation between a high school science teacher and a university researcher as they found common ground in the theory and experiences of designing transformative learning experiences. The teacher describes an instructional unit in which students designed a complex, interactive display showing what life may have been…