Empirical comparisons are made of three statistical sampling methods evaluated for estimating total number of relevant documents in collection for given query: simple random sampling, random sampling which assigns unequal selection probabilities to individual documents in collection, and curve fitting and extrapolation. Nine references and…

Data gathered in application of Paul Kantor's demand-adjusted shelf availability model to medium-sized academic library indicate significant differences in shelf availability when data are analyzed by last circulation date, acquisition date, and imprint date, and when they are gathered during periods of low and high use. Ten references are cited.…

Provides an overview of the personnel status of academic librarians in the institutions surveyed, including types of final appointments accorded, ranks assigned, benefits and privileges, criteria used to evaluate performances, and any plans to effect significant changes in librarian personnel status. References and responses by individual…

Educators have expressed growing dissatisfaction with common practice in educational research. Discussed is whether or not research studies should be rationalized, empirical-analytic, interpretive, or subjective. In order to be useful, all research need not be rationalized and need not attempt to verify scientific theory. (CS)

Discusses the state of the art of environmental assessment and redesign (i.e., the interdependent relationships of campus organization, physical structures, and people) considering the effects of environment on student well-being. Suggests ways for student affairs staff to use environmental assessment technology more profitably. (WAS)

The oral history and ethnographic interview are two techniques for providing depth and direction for fieldwork experiences. Students use these techniques to enhance interaction with others they encounter in the field, and the methods occasionally change the students' perspectives and enliven later research efforts. (MSE)

Presents an analysis of checklist-based research designed to investigate whether particular books, periodicals, and films considered to be controversial by the investigators are owned in certain groups of libraries. Objectives of checklist studies, definitions of self-censorship, compilation of checklists, and interpretation of data are…

Article focuses on planning process used by staff of State University of New York College at Brockport library to develop and implement a user study measuring effectiveness of library's services. The planning model, research committee, sampling design, questionnaire development, and implementation and evaluation of survey are discussed. Twenty-one…

Research on the relationship of class size to academic achievement is being used by administrators, parents, teachers, and politicians. Unfortunately, many questions are being raised on the methodology, results, and conclusions of the research studies. (FG)

Reports on methodology and results of design study for an interactive information retrieval system funded by British Library Research and Development Department which will determine structural representations of anomalous states of knowledge (ASKs) underlying information needs. Problem statements, abstracts used, and text analysis are highlighted.…

Assesses effects of a popular simulation game on attitudes of ethnocentrism and dogmatism in college students. Review of the game, its relationship to an educational philosophy course, background research, problems in assessing effects of games, and methods and outcomes of this study are discussed. Nine references and appendices are provided. (EJS)

Summarizes study of curricula of nine graduate programs in instructional development (ID). Comparisons are presented on nine variables--purpose; curriculum development processes; ID courses; where/how ID is learned; synthesizing projects; emphasis of faculty/organization development and performance solutions; orientation to evaluation and ID; and…

The effectiveness of a computer-assisted training method using computer simulation of two subsets of the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children--Revised was compared with traditional methods for teaching the administration of the test. Results suggest that the computer simulation was a very effective teaching method. Eleven references are listed.…

Daily participant observations of social development over two years at Family House, a residential treatment program, were coded into a narrative and analyzed using a phenomenological perspective allowing "native categories" of significance to emerge and guide the analysis. The strengths and limitations of this novel research strategy…

Presents an overview of the methodology underlying the formulation of occupational outlook projections. Projection limitations include limited ability to anticipate economic conditions, premature obsolescence, and inadequate base-period data. Projections should be used with caution in career counseling and academic planning. (Author/JAC)