Argues that educational researchers analyzing multilevel data must identify appropriate sets of research questions at and within various levels of analysis and must specify appropriate models for analyzing the data. Covers problems, terminology, and measurement and statistical issues associated with multilevel research. (PGD)

As complex, sophisticated techniques for statistical analysis become easier to obtain and apply, it becomes increasingly critical for researchers to examine their data prior to analysis to ensure that the data are suitable for analysis. Exploratory Data Analysis provides methods for subjecting data to appropriate pre-analysis scrutiny. (PGD)

Examines the relationship between motivational factors (such as job security and autonomy) and teachers' sense of burnout. Analyzes data obtained from questionnaires distributed to 375 classroom teachers in two suburban Connecticut school systems. (JW)

Two strategies for assessing item bias are discussed: methods comparing item difficulties unconditional on ability and methods comparing probabilities of response conditional on ability. Results suggest that the iterative logit method is an improvement on the noniterative one and is efficient in detecting biased and unbiased items. (Author/DWH)

Discusses several pitfalls in applying statistics to psychology and other sociobiomedical sciences. Concludes that the informed judgment of the investigator is the crucial element in the interpretation of data. (EVL)

Two pitfalls are identified in the use of arithmetic averages for performance measurement in higher education. First, asymmetric average targeting rules involve a fallacy of composition; and, second, comparisons with adjusted averages involve a serious methodological error. (DB)

This article describes conceptual and statistical issues in three approaches to the measurement of change in early intervention programs: change scores, indexes of change, and residual change scores. Advantages and limitations of each approach are reviewed. Problems with the reliability of change scores are highlighted. Criteria for selecting…

Discussion of the need for systematic methods for summarizing single-participant research describes various approaches for quantitative synthesis and reviews conclusions of completed synthesis efforts. The issue of whether outcomes of single-participant research can be represented by a single common metric is addressed with the recommendation that…

Examination of methodological issues in the design and interpretation of studies on the genetics of reading disability suggests three tests of increasing rigor for determining whether reading score distributions are categorical and thus not subject to analyses which assume a continuous normal distribution. Also noted are interactive relationships…

"Seven Rules for Social Research" teaches social scientists how to get the most out of their technical skills and tools, providing a resource that fully describes the strategies and concepts no researcher or student of human behavior can do without. Glenn Firebaugh provides indispensable practical guidance for anyone doing research in the social…

In psychological and special education research, group comparison experimental designs are more often used than single subject experimental designs. However, the application of group designs poses many difficulties, such as the collection of large numbers of homogeneous subjects for a particular experimental condition, the averaging of individual…

This paper describes a personal computer spreadsheet set up to carry out hierarchical log-linear analyses, a type of analysis useful for institutional research into multidimensional frequency tables formed from categorical variables such as faculty rank, student class level, gender, or retention status. The spreadsheet provides a concrete vehicle…

This report reviews the ways in which statistical analysis can be used as a tool by vocational rehabilitation program managers to investigate the causes of problematic performance and generate strategies for corrective action. Two types of data collection are noted: operational studies and statistical data studies. Descriptions follow of two…

Demand for agricultural commodities, particularly for basic food-stuffs, depends on a household's income, competitive prices, and a set of unique household characteristics which include tastes, location, education, family composition, and farm status. This monograph reviews disaggregated evidence at the national level on the relative contribution…

This report provides preliminary technical information on a method for analyzing the factors involved in the closing of elementary schools. Included is a presentation of data and a brief discussion bearing on descriptive statistics, reliability, and validity. An intercorrelation matrix is also examined. The method employs 9 factors that have a…