The article describes procedures employed for the quantitative synthesis of single-subject research literature in special education. The need for objective, systematic review procedures is noted; previous approaches are reviewed; and the authors' approach (which makes use of overlapping data across phases as an outcome metric) is outlined.…

An evaluation of the "Percentage of Nonoverlapping Data" approach for quantifying outcomes of single-subject research in special education reveals that it is potentially too sensitive to atypical baseline data, not powerful enough to discriminate important treatment differences, and adversely affected by even subtle trends in the data.…

The response to a critique of a proposed method of quantifying outcomes of single-subject research in special education suggests that the alternative procedure proposed has theoretical but not practical merit due to the limited number of observations typically found in single-subject baselines. (Author/DB)

The method of using the percentage of nonoverlapping data points to summarize and synthesize single-subject research in special education was applied to six specific studies. The method was found lacking for such reasons as its failure to identify patterns across time or vital idiosyncrasies in behavior within and across studies. (Author/DB)

The response to a critique of a proposed method of quantitatively synthesizing single subject research in special education reaffirms the authors' view that narrative review procedures are of limited utility without objective standards for evaluating study outcomes. (DB)

Cross-lagged panel analysis was used to explore possible causal relationships between attitude and achievement in mathematics and reading. Measures from 1,758 students from grades two through six were analyzed. Findings are presented and conclusions are drawn. (Author/MT)

Results suggest that (1) sex differences are found for some types of spatial ability but not others; (2) large sex differences are found only on measures of mental rotation; (3) smaller sex differences are found on measures of spatial perception; and (4) when sex differences are found, they can be detected across the life span. (Author/RH)

Using 52 previous reviews of the early intervention efficacy literature, the article demonstrates the value of systematically considering previous reviews before initiating a new review. The authors suggest that tabulations of conclusions of reviews serve as hypotheses to be confirmed or rejected by objective synthesis methods. (Author/DB)

Uses meta-analytic techniques to synthesize findings on Black-White differences in subjective well-being among noninstitutionalized adults. Finds that race is related to subjective well-being, with Whites reporting slightly higher levels of subjective well-being than Blacks. (Author/SO)

The need for research synthesis is explored as well as the benefits of meta-analysis, particularly those related to understanding and explanation. The problems with traditional review methods are discussed, with special relevance to their failure to resolve problems. Finally, the findings from several meta-analyses are summarized and contrasted…

Assesses the usefulness of meta-analysis as a research tool in educational administration. Explains what meta-analysis is, reviews the literature addressing the status of research in educational administration, discusses a survey of recent doctoral dissertations on leadership, and describes an attempted meta-analytic inquiry into research on…

Identifies three sources of reporting deficiency for meta-analytic results: quality (adequacy) of publicizing; quality of macrolevel reporting, and quality of microlevel reporting. Reanalysis of 25 reports from the Smith, Glass and Miller (1980) psychotherapy meta-analysis established two sources of misinformation, interrater reliabilities and…

This manual and the accompanying software are intended to provide a step-by-step guide to conducting a meta-analytic study along with references for further reading and free high-quality software, "Meta-Stat.""Meta-Stat" is a comprehensive package designed to help in the meta-analysis of research studies in the social and behavioral sciences.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which agricultural education research has adhered to a structured approach over the past decade. Specifically, the study sought to determine the types of research conducted in agricultural education, the extent to which researchers used conceptual and theoretical frameworks, the extent to…

This study examined the relationship between writing quality, readability, and selectivity in 17 higher education journals. Readability was assessed through two indexes of readability. Data were analyzed using zero-order Pearson product-moment correlations, independent two sample t-tests, and analysis of covariance. Findings show that quality of…