Describes an online service on the World Wide Web called the DOE (Department of Energy) "Information Bridge" that replaced distribution of physical paper reports and serves as an archive for electronic copies of DOE-sponsored technical reports. Explores the capabilities of the new site and examines implications for users and librarians.…

Explores alternatives for reporting state dropout data and high school completion rates based on Common Core of Data information. Analyses find that the major types of nonstandard dropout reporting practices have statistically significant, but different, effects on the size of state dropout rates. (Author/SLD)

Discusses three interlocking areas associated with effectively and accurately conveying information about school performance to the public: (1) graphical display; (2) nonrandomly gathered data; and (3) statistical adjustment. Illustrates these points with historical data, including test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress…

Studied the effects of publishing school performance indicators in England and France through a literature review, interviews with 18 English principals, and expert discussions through e-mail. Identified many shortcomings of publishing school performance indicators, and made 15 recommendations for the improvement of published information about…

Introduces the three subsequent articles from this special section, which extend the discussion of future prospects for progress in the reporting and interpreting of effect sizes by researchers. The authors of these pieces represent diverse views. (SLD)

This article proposes a set of criteria for reporting meta-analyses of topics in learning disabilities. Application of the criteria to examples of published meta-analyses reveals the wide variation in amount of reported data, which could influence the summative results of meta-analyses and subsequent judgment of face validity. (Author/DB)

This analysis of the descriptive information on subjects provided by 266 research reports on autism and developmental disabilities found a continuing trend toward more complete descriptive information; increased use of control or comparison groups; less research in biological, physiological, and neurological areas; and more research in the social,…

Narrative research, a qualitative research approach, includes a broad range of accounts, from first-person narratives to studies that interpret the stories others tell about their lives. This paper explores the nature of narrative and knowledge building in educational research, the complexities of "good" storytelling, and moral issues…

Originally published in March/April 1996, reviews the interconnections between two national reports, "Involvement in Learning," and the "Student Learning Imperative." Focuses on the issue of shared values and demonstrates how student affairs professionals can utilize the most recent research to realize the full potential of the…

Provides a synthesis of the literature pertaining to the principles and practices of performance measurement, auditing, evaluation, and reporting. Discusses how bringing these elements together in a performance management system can be achieved through refinement of strategic direction, reporting on key measures, and periodic, systematic…

Briefly describes report by Gary Orfield, codirector of Harvard University's Civil Rights Project, that finds American public schools have become much less desegregated than they were 10 years ago. (PKP)

This article examines concepts of the trustworthiness, or credibility, of qualitative research. Following a "researcher-as-instrument," or self-reflective, statement, the paradigmatic underpinnings of various criteria for judging the quality of qualitative research are explored, setting the stage for a discussion of more transcendent standards…

This article reports how a national panel has concluded that there's little empirical evidence to show that many of the most common practices in the teacher education field produce effective teachers. The conclusion comes from a 766-page study produced by a panel of experts from the American Educational Research Association, a Washington-based…

Drawing on existing work on popularizations, this investigation of book-length scholarly essays by practicing scientists across three disciplines reveals a hybrid genre that is neither popularization nor research report. The study utilizes both textual analysis and personal commentary from the writer-researchers to achieve a three-way comparison…

Improving the quality of reporting could increase the usefulness of research for readers such as parents, students, practitioners, policy-makers, systematic reviewers and other researchers. This paper first presents an analysis of the reporting of basic information about the aims, context and methods used in a sample of published empirical…