The net result of the social-scientific developments in the 19th and 20th centuries is that educational research has inherited a science that is assumed to constitute a disinterested technology of social engineering and a benevolent source of positive social advance. Unfortunately, the social experiment conducted on traditional lines depends upon…

The monograph defines and discusses single subject research designs in special education. Advantages of this approach with measuring change in handicapped children are noted. Observational techniques (event recording, duration recording, interval recording, and time sampling) are described, along with three types of single subject evaluation…

Noting that in Europe there is a growing criticism of the largely American communication research tradition that focuses on individuals, this paper examines European-style "critical analysis," which looks at social systems. The paper first examines the criticism of American-style "administrative" research, and then discusses…

The paper reviews the state of the art in evaluation research of direct instruction projects with handicapped students. The first section delineates research designs used (including norm referenced comparisons, nonequivalent comparison groups, and quasi experimental designs); major findings; and problems with each. A distinction is made between…

This brief paper presents a sequential walk through a simple research setting--a two group experiment--to indicate common but avoidable design difficulties that may jeopardize the usefulness of the data obtained. The six flaws examined are the failure to select subjects from the population to which generalizations are to be made; failure to use…

PROGRAMMATIC RESEARCH IS DISCUSSED AS ONE OF THE BASIC NEEDS OF READING RESEARCH. OTHER NEEDS ARE--(1) FOR BASIC RESEARCH THAT FOCUSES ON THE READING PROCESS, (2) FOR LEADERSHIP THAT VALUES SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVITY AND INTELLECTUAL HONESTY, AND (3) TO INFORM AND CONVINCE THE PUBLIC OF THE POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF READING RESEARCH. PROGRAMMATIC…

IN ADDITION TO AN ANNOTATED LISTING OF RESEARCH PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN AS A RESULT OF THE INSTITUTE, TWO ADDRESSES ARE REPRODUCED. MAURICE L. LITTON REVIEWED THE BASIC STEPS OF PROBLEM SOLVING, DESCRIBED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH DESIGN, AND URGED THAT THE RESULTS OF STUDIES BE SHARED WITH OTHERS. IN STRESSING THE VALUE OF USING THE…

This paper provides a review of the literature on the topic of sex roles. The author identifies two levels on which to study this issue: (1) the social identity model and the dramaturgical perspective, which can serve as a unified theoretical framework for phenomena and findings related to sex roles; and (2) a lessening of the terminological and…

Helical scan video tape recorders were tested for their dubbing characteristics in order to make selection data available to media personnel. The equipment, two recorders of each type tested, was submitted by the manufacturers. The test was designed to produce quality evaluations for three generations of a single tape, thereby encompassing all…

Third stream evaluation, the fusing of the ecological perspective with experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation design, is described. The ecological perspective necessitates that the conceptualization and analysis of a setting and the design of the study emphasize the interdependent relations among organisms, behavior and environment in…

This guide discusses organizational effectiveness, and is divided into the following sections: (1) Preface; (2) Effectiveness as a Construct; (3) The Task Objective Model; (4) How to Assess Effectiveness; (5) Research to be Done; and (6) References. (Author/JLL)

Presented as part of a symposium on evaluation on juvenile diversion programs, this brief paper describes several specific research procedures which have been utilized to help decide which type of diversion approach is best for specific types of clients. Procedures discussed are the regression discontinuity design, the tie-breaker design, and the…

This task group report is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S.O.E.-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new research and methodological issues related…

This manual is designed to aid the user in measuring consumer satisfaction with vocational rehabilitation services. The manual contains materials which were used by the West Virginia Research and Training Center in a followup study. Step-by-step guidelines are provided for assessing the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation services by…

This five-part document presents the results of a feasibility study on administrative reorganization commissioned by the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, School District. The first section describes the research design, the data collection techniques, and the involvement of Harrisburg personnel in the study. Section two provides nineteen generalizations…