Results of a study involving approximately 220 student nurses indicate that the use of negation (e.g., not, except) should be avoided in stems of multiple-choice test items and that the single-response negatively worded item should often be converted to a multiple-response, positively worded item. (SLD)

Presents a fun, inexpensive, and pedagogically useful laboratory exercise that involves indoor studies of the dispersal properties of the winged fruits (samaras) of boxelder trees. Engages students in the process of hypothesis testing, experimental design, and data analysis as well as introducing students to important concepts related to…

Considers the workings and effects of The Innovation and New Technology Programme in Norway, describing the design of the evaluation and the use of a centrally established control group to assess programs results. Uses results from innovation theory to appraise the aims and working methods of the program and a combination of quantitative and…

To design culturally competent interventions, the tasks associated with cross-cultural social work practice can be integrated into the four phases of developmental research: problem analysis, information gathering and synthesis, intervention design, and development. Examples are presented from the design and development of an HIV-prevention…

This paper addresses the conceptual issues of combining qualitative and quantitative methods in early intervention research by illustrating how two analytic approaches were used for different mixed-method purposes in the study of preschool inclusion. It describes practical strategies for conducting mixed-method data analysis in terms of data…

Describes a course design which tries to incorporate the investigative approach into the curriculum. Uses a project-oriented approach where students formulate questions and hypotheses and design experiments. Recommends the design for elementary school teachers who trained in science through traditional methods. (Contains 12 references.) (YDS)

This article discusses assumptions that have guided research on children with disabilities, which are to: draw on findings from other areas of research, use rigorous experimental methods, rely on systematic replications, be alert to serendipitous findings, and attend to trends and shifts in perspectives, but follow the data when drawing…

Presents new paradigm for research with street children, using street researchers who act as novices in a new culture, taught by children, yet maintain professional integrity and identity. Discusses the transformed researcher role, countertransference, new conceptualizations of time and space, testing behaviors, value-based research, and…

Discusses a research project on how artists in rap videos create a "counter-discourse" (or ways of talking and thinking about) on themselves and the places they live. Focuses on the experience of sharing the paper based on this research, specifically considering a lecture at California State University-Dominquez Hills. (CMK)

This article discusses how interpretive research can challenge the special education field to think differently about what is already known and to factor in different ways of knowing and different meanings. Three dimensions of interpretive research are explored: "truth" value and accuracy, context and relations, and utility and relevance.…

Gives an overview of methodology for adolescent component of the national Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies; the sample of programs reflects treatment available to adolescents in six urban areas. Describes design, content, and quality of interview protocols. Discusses data collection procedures and completion rates for each phase of…

Addresses concerns raised in Neale's commentary regarding the Bussell et al. (1999) Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development study. Discussion of assumptions focuses on those most relevant to study sample. Because Neale's proposed alternative models did not provide a better fit, the appropriateness of Bussell's model and importance of…

Describes the application of multilevel statistical models to the evaluation of a multi-site community-based intervention and explicates key issues in the design,analysis, and presentation of results. The initiative described, "Fighting Back, is designed to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and alcohol in a community. (SLD)

This study compared visual analyses with five alternative methods for assessing the magnitude of effect with single subject designs. Each method was successful in detecting intervention effect. When rank ordered, each method was consistent in identifying the participants with the largest effect. We recommend the use of the standard mean difference…

We describe a perceptual experiment that we have successfully used in Research Methods classes. Students attempt to identify a series of simple cookie cutter shapes using only the fingers and hands (haptic perception). Students read archival studies that have used this procedure, identify confounds, generate and test alternate hypotheses, and…