Short-term studies often do not capture the full story of the effect that a researcher is trying to describe. If one wishes to elucidate long-term educational processes and outcomes, the only direct way of doing so is to stretch the duration of research projects and to study the same subjects over time. The limited availability of valid…

Intended to provide the novice media researcher with an introduction, review, and current thinking on media-related research, this article traces the historical emphases and development of such research, discusses its positive and negative aspects, and presents recommendations by practitioners and researchers, as well as directions for future…

Considers how sociohistorical context affects procedures by which sociologists obtain subject permission for interviews and audiotaping interviews. Reviews a 1950s study involving interviews with institutionalized, schizophrenic women contrasting ethical and institutional implications of informed consent in that context to contemporary informed…

This textbook in educational research is intended to guide students as they plan and carry out a research project. The book has three goals: to provide basic information needed to understand the research process; to enable students to use this knowledge to design their own research project; and to permit students to read and understand the…

This guide is designed to encourage students, faculty, and policymakers to become more self-reflective in their inquiry. Placing the pursuit of ideas at the epicenter of research, K-12 and higher education scholars advance ideas for enhancing educational inquiry, relying extensively on narratives, vignettes, and examples of key episodes in…

This pamphlet provides suggestions for students concerning how to best use and interpret educational research. Students should recognize that there is nothing wrong with questioning research. Among the myths that must be challenged are that if something is published, it must be true, and that scientists are objective and uninfluenced by societal…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…

Science fairs represent the culmination of student research efforts under the guidance of teachers and other persons interested in science topics. The total scientific process should be involved in the development of a project which results in a science fair exhibition. The student should learn to recognize problems, plan an experiment, gather and…