The scientific method is described as intending to be the guarantor of objectivity, neutrality, and diligent application of its rigorous procedures and to produce a body of cumulative knowledge that is systematic and general. The central argument of this essay addresses the discovery that research findings appear to be context-dependent; methods…

Methods of planning and administering mail surveys, developing questionnaires, and analyzing data are reviewed. Each review section is followed by an annotated list of selected readings. Topics discussed in planning a survey include decision making; survey designs; sampling plans; and ethical considerations. Developments of instruments and tupes…

These research projects, designed to delve into certain relationships between humans and computers, are focused on computer-assisted instruction and on man-computer interaction. One study demonstrates that within the limits of formal engineering theory, a computer simulated laboratory (Dynamic Systems Laboratory) can be built in which freshmen…

The premises of open education and related developmental and social issues are explained as an aid to educational practitioners in choosing the proper measurement and evaluation strategies for this philosophy. In addition, a position statement on evaluation is offered and the present status of educational evaluation is outlined. Some…

A number of potential threats to internal validity in true experiments are discussed. Programmatic research efforts proceeding from established correlational findings to experiments employing random assignment are described and used as referents in discussions of validity considerations. The collection of observational data is recommended for use…

Empirical information is presented on how researchers at Swedish institutes of education perceive, structure, and define educational and psychological problems. The collection, evaluation, and presentation of the results of the study were made on the basis of system theoretic assumptions in that the description and analysis of the initial phase of…

This paper argues for the inclusion of content analysis in communication research designs and for the utility of this methodology in the examination of communication events. The first half of the paper describes four types of communication content that can be analyzed: unintentional messages, such as the verbal imagery used; unconscious speech,…

Model identification of time-series data is essential to valid statistical tests of intervention effects. Model identification is, at best, inexact in the social and behavioral sciences where one is often confronted with small numbers of observations. These problems are discussed, and the results of independent identifications of 130 social and…

This study investigated the relationships obtained among verbal imitation, comprehension, and production when a stimulus sentence exceeded the child's short term memory. A total of 32 children, aged 3 to 5 years, took tests of comprehension, nonverbal imitation, verbal imitation, and production of structures expressing sequence ("before", "after",…

The author discusses a need for planning research in reading, since present research seems fragmented, the federal government has not functioned especially well in the area of planning for funding or coordination with professional organizations, and there is a need to attract scientists in a variety of disciplines to work in educational research.…

The Student Flow Project of the Hawaii community colleges in an ongoing longitudinal study designed to study how students progress through the community college system. It complements enrollment data by providing information on noncontinuing students. This update proposes a framework for data gathering and analysis of the fall 1975 entering group…

The present paper contributes to research methodology as practiced in the field by providing practitioners with a concise statement of the problems in analyzing unbalanced designs, and by clarifying the conditions under which the analysis alternatives are most appropriate. The purposes of the present paper are: (1) to examine the analysis…

This report presents the findings of a research study, conducted by the College of the Mainland (COM) as a subcontractor for Project FOLLOW-UP, designed to test the accuracy of random sampling and to measure non-response bias in mail surveys. In 1975, a computer-generated random sample of 500 students was drawn from a population of 1,256 students…

Presented is the preliminary report of the Interagency Collaborative Group on Hyperkinesis (ICGH) with functions which include exchanging information, coordinating expertise, evaluating existing data from ongoing research and reviewing proposed research for the purpose of making recommendations concerning hyperkinesis and dietary factors. The…

The Entry Survey is a 22-item, individually administered test assessing kindergarten children's language skills. Sixteen of the items address the semantic development of the following pairs of polar opposites: before-after, large-small, tall-short, and thick-thin. The remaining six items address letter identification ("c,""m,"…