Considers whether the resolution of methodological criticisms of self-report research will result in greater consistency between self-reported and official data on race and class distributions of delinquent behavior. Suggests that prior self-report measures may not have been sensitive enough to capture theoretically important differences in…

Investigators are urged to plan factor analytic studies prior to collecting the data, to formulate a hypothesized factor structure, to develop several relatively pure measures of each factor expected, and to select an appropriate sample of at least 200 cases. Continuous variables should be used rather than dichotomous variables. (Author)

Observation is examined as a method of gathering information about the behavior of school administrators. Relevant literature on the methodology of observation in terms of the process of observation, recording and coding, and the role of the observer are considered. (MLW)

Examined the reliability of spouses as observers of the behaviors that occur in their own marital relationships. Distressed and nondistressed couples collected data in the home. Across the entire checklist, nondistressed couples exhibited significantly greater consensus than did distressed couples, based on both percentage agreement and kappa.…

It is desirable that the undergraduate pharmacy student gain some experience in the collection and mathematical treatment of pharmacokinetic data. An experiment to provide the student with data for obtaining pharmacokinetic parameters is described, including lists of materials and equipment, with a student consent form appended. (MLW)

Reports two investigations of the effects of rater's race (Black v White) on observed interactions across Black and White families. (CM)

Describes how library decision-making was enhanced by a systematic study of patrons, services, and effectiveness based on the concept known as performance measures for public libraries. Improvements in the data gathering and analysis techniques are noted; also provided are survey instruments, examples of selected revised forms, and references. (SW)

Shows why newspapers should use live telephone interviewers instead of automatic telephone interviewing devices to collect marketing/readership data. (RL)

The author outlines the advantages of illuminative, or descriptive, research in education and points out the need in this field for verification and cumulation, proposing a national depository for descriptive case records. (SJL)

The present status of information on employer satisfaction with former secondary level vocational education students, as well as current methods being used to collect employer data, are reviewed. The kind and quality of information appear to be closely related to the methodology employed. (Author)

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program, the largest ongoing study of higher education in the United States, is discussed in terms of its conceptual framework, technical aspects of data collection, and uses of the data in research and national policymaking. (Author/MSE)

An input evaluation, or study of the feasibility of initiating a cooperative education program, should include formulation of educational goals, assessment of available resources, operational and structural decisions, and plans for program evaluation. (SK)

Symptom scales were developed for three parallel symptom checklists for three types of informants used in diagnostic evaluation. These scales were designed to maximize the comparability of data across informants without sacrificing the distinctiveness of different evaluators' frames of reference. Cluster analyses of checklists yielded nine…

Relational data from a representative sample of high school students matched with data from their parents (N=3,988) are used to examine patterns of dyadic agreement and disagreement in reports of family life. The level of agreement is uniformly low regardless of the aspect of family life being reported on. (Author)

A procedure called "Services/Requirements Analysis" is proposed as a means of improving input to institutional management information systems. The procedure profiles the office's information needs and limitations and identifies benefit groups, all according to user perceptions and not the assumptions of the technological community. (MSE)