Entry into professions, such as medicine, law, and the clergy, is typically controlled. In contrast, evaluation has multiple pathways leading into the field. For evaluators, a graduate degree from a university program is one of several ways to become an evaluator. What university programs exist to prepare evaluators and what is their nature? In…

A model of identity formation comprising four structural dimensions (Commitment Making, Identification with Commitment, Exploration in Depth, and Exploration in Breadth) was developed through confirmatory factor analysis. In a sample of 565 emerging adults, this model provided a better fit than did alternative two- and three-dimensional models,…

The proliferation of students with psychiatric disabilities and the severity of the issues they present pose significant challenges to campus personnel and specifically to student affairs staff. This study identified the specific types of critical incidents related to students with psychiatric disorders that senior student affairs officers found…

Complex survey designs often employ multistage cluster sampling designs and oversample particular units to ensure more accurate population parameter estimates. These issues must be accommodated in the analysis to ensure accurate parameter estimation. Incorporation of sample weights in some statistical procedures has been studied. However, research…

People with disabilities often are precluded from research by accessibility problems. This article explores what it really means to make research accessible, and provides suggestions for including people with 2 types of disabilities. Eight specific research activities are explored in relation to 2 disabilities (visual impairments and deafness).

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop a reliable and valid family satisfaction instrument for use in Ohio's nursing homes. Design and Methods: Investigators worked with an advisory council to develop the survey. Purposive sampling techniques were largely used to select 12 small, medium, and large for-profit and proprietary facilities…

To provide a better estimate of the prevalence of ADHD in adulthood, the authors complete a telephone survey of 966 randomly selected adults. They compute two diagnoses from the survey data. Participants meeting "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (4th ed.) criteria for both childhood and adulthood are defined as narrow ADHD.…

Over the past 3 decades we have witnessed an increase in the complexity of theoretical models that attempt to explain development in a number of behavioral domains. The conceptual movement to examine behavior from both developmental and contextual perspectives parallels recent methodological advances in the analysis of change. These new analysis…

The education of farmers would be result oriented if among other things the learning enhancement situations are created. Farmers' receptivity to training largely depends on the use of several educational methods by extension agents to reach farmers in Mezam division of Northwest province of Cameroon. Data were collected from May to August 2000…

The usual formula for variance depending on rounding off the sample mean lacks precision, especially when computer programs are used for the calculation. The well-known simplification of the total sums of squares does not always give benefit. Since the variance of two observations is easily calculated without the use of a sample mean, and the…

This article addresses the problem of small nonprobability samples in research in the education of the deaf and hard of hearing in the face of a current and increasing emphasis on "scientifically based research" as required by recent No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation. The authors examine the gains and losses in information…

Many statistics educators believe that few students develop the level of conceptual understanding essential for them to apply correctly the statistical techniques at their disposal and to interpret their outcomes appropriately. It is also commonly believed that the sampling distribution plays an important role in developing this understanding.…

Conducting observational research in a cross-cultural context invokes a unique set of difficulties. This paper describes sources of bias and threats to validity that are specific to cross-cultural research. It describes problems of cross-cultural research designs for descriptive studies, comparative research, and experimental research and outlines…

The 1991 Survey of Recent College Graduates (RCG:91) is the sixth study in a series begun in 1976. The series provides data on the occupational and educational outcomes of recent bachelor's and master's graduates one year after graduation. The survey was conducted by Westat, Inc. in a two-stage sample involving 400 institutions of higher education…

This manual familiarizes data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the second followup parent component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. It also provides documentation necessary for use of the data file. Chapter 7 and Appendix E in particular contain essential information that allows the…