The six articles of this issue discuss the place of meta-analysis in the health professions and present two state-of-the-art meta-analyses using a variety of innovative methodologies, statistics, and secondary analytic procedures. A survey conducted for this issue and its sequel explores interventions to facilitate meta-analysis. (SLD)

Describes the planning for educational technology implemented by the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District (Pennsylvania), including data collection; data analysis; screening and deciding on goals; activities to reach the goals; and evaluation and future planning. The district's mission statement for technology and further recommendations for…

The REDSIL model for ongoing evaluation of gifted education programs involves interviewing stakeholders, isolating and categorizing critical study issues, designing a data collection plan that uses several forms of qualitative methods, implementing the plan, analyzing data, searching literature relative to each issue, analyzing data again, and…

There are several points to be considered to prevent misuse when integrating microcomputing into the assessment process. Computerizing an activity does not automatically improve that activity. Computer use is appropriate for computing test scores and storing student data but not for interpreting data. (JDD)

This paper compares the results of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Carnegie surveys of postsecondary faculty and notes the differently constructed samples, the different response rates, and different weighting schemes in analysis and interpretation. Inconsistencies in the surveys' results are identified and methodological…

Reviews a monograph by Census Bureau and private-sector researchers that attempts to give an overview of important characteristics of the U.S. Indian population and to explain problems in census data collection and interpretation. Discusses the ongoing difficulties related to identification of American Indians and implications for the…

Presents data from a content analysis of mathematics textbooks for grades 1-8 showing that content areas were not evenly distributed throughout the texts and cautions against following a text in sequential order, which may cause students to miss important material. Includes a list of supplemental books and manipulatives. (MKR)

It is proposed that proportional reduction in loss (PRL) be used as a theoretical basis to derive, justify, and interpret reliability measures to gauge reliability on a zero-to-one scale. This PRL approach simplifies the interpretation of existing measures (e.g., generalizability-theory measures). (SLD)

Provides an introduction to qualitative research methods. Describes principles of qualitative research and discusses appropriateness of qualitative methods for student affairs research. Explains qualitative methods, including design, data collection and analysis, and reporting of results. Identifies and addresses problems of trustworthiness of…

Discusses the use of employee opinion surveys in libraries to assess the organizational climate. Topics addressed include identifying employee attitudes and levels of satisfaction; administrative commitment; the use of outside consultants; types of questionnaires; the necessity for confidentiality; analyzing the survey data; and feedback to…

Suggests basic elements of spatial education appropriate to geographic information system (GIS) course curricula. Describes the need for integration of GIS education and GIS training. Discusses hardware/software configurations, approaches to the creation of laboratory facilities, and approaches, rationales, and technical considerations in the…

Drummond and Hopper's article in this issue, "Back Channels Revisited," is argued to have decontextualized Jefferson's acknowledgement token phenomenon. The need for careful coding protocols for research on conversational practices is discussed. (eight references) (LB)

Reviewed 65 reports, dated 1986 through 1990, focusing on college student alcohol consumption patterns. Review shows that shortcomings in research design, analysis, and presentation of results make it difficult to draw conclusions regarding the present nature and problem of college student drinking. (Author/NB)

Fifty-six teachers of students with moderate/profound disabilities viewed task analytic data in one of three forms: graphed, ungraphed, or both. The data's form did not produce different teacher judgments of student progress or different program recommendations. Three factors (trend, variability, and frequency of data collection) had significant…

Reviews conceptualization of change as series of accumulating increments and decrements and depiction of change by growth curves as continuous process underlying individual performance. Clarifies problems with use of difference scores in study of change. Contrasts traditional methods with growth curve analysis for purposes of measuring change and…