Explores formal research on educational practice and practical inquiry into questions of practice. Formal research contributes to an established and general knowledge base, whereas practical inquiry is undertaken by a practitioner to improve practice. Practical inquiry is more likely to lead to immediate classroom change. (SLD)

Reviews attachment research based on narrative assessments, noting that these assessments rely on subjective variables as well as working models as determinants of children's narrative productions. Reviews John Bowlby's ideas regarding the importance of parent-child verbal communications in attachment security. Reviews recent cognitive research…

This paper explores the reasonableness of expecting conventional experimental methodologies and research reports on behavioral interventions for persons with developmental disabilities to both support the validity of promising practices and guide the efforts of practitioners to implement those practices. New directions for research and practice…

A study of applicants to the University of Illinois, Chicago, pharmacy school investigated 21 students' subjective motivations for seeking a professional degree. Students were identified as low or high academic performance and as exhibiting clinical, family, science, undecided, traditional community, and altruistic orientations. Implications of…

Describes search strategies and vocabulary selection for researching information on Native Americans using DIALOG databases as examples. Highlights include tribal names search strategy; examples of false drops; revised search strategies for full-text databases; Internet sources, including various software systems; and CD-ROM products about Native…

Courts in New York and Texas have imposed limits on psychiatric research involving involuntarily institutionalized patients as subjects, citing state and constitutional protection of privacy, due process, and equal protection. Some are concerned that mental health research and treatment will suffer. (MSE)

The design and use of performance indicators for documenting quality of higher education in North America and Europe is discussed, and the indicators and assessment initiatives are compared in terms of nine dimensions. Implications of the results for institutional researchers and for the higher education community are examined. (MSE)

Describes use studies of OCLC's FirstSearch, an online reference service for end-users, that was conducted at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are described, including use statistics, online user surveys, questionnaires, and focus groups; and strengths and weaknesses of FirstSearch are…

To develop a curriculum for advanced general dentistry, the University of Kentucky surveyed 40 practicing dentists concerning inclusion of 65 topics. Fifty-nine topics were voted essential or desirable, 40 by a two-thirds majority. The Delphi Technique was found useful for involving potential students in curriculum design, and the resulting…

A survey of 74 law schools using upper-level law students as teaching assistants in first-year legal research and writing courses provided information on the roles given to teaching assistants (classroom teacher, evaluator, mentor, mediator), and their selection, training, supervision, compensation, and evaluation. Advantages and disadvantages of…

Describes public and private online networks and the characteristics of electronic mail. Reviews the literature on survey research conducted via electronic mail, and examines the issues of design, implementation, and response. A table displays advantages and disadvantages of electronic mail surveys. (AEF)

The author's optimistic view of evaluation in the future includes increased utilization, especially in the private sector; more professionalization, with potential for conflict; more academic program development; more use in policy; increase in the use of complex methods; and more involvement in program development. (SLD)

Conjectures about the future use of controlled randomized experiments for planning and evaluating social programs suggest that they will frequently involve institutions and organizations rather than individuals and that their applications and the publicity surrounding them will increase as they are used in new and controversial ways. (SLD)

In spite of many inherent problems, impact evaluation should remain an integral part of program evaluation, both because impact evaluation brings its budget justification with it, and because its focus on causal hypotheses is an essential part of evaluation. Methodology based on the author's body of work is reviewed. (SLD)

Provides a report of the attempt to create an "autobiography club" among beginning English teachers in order to foster ongoing discussion of experiences and problems. Analyzes club discussions and the lessons being learned through the club's activities. Discusses methods for undertaking ethnographic research in education. (HB)