Problems encounterd in conducting attitudinal research include difficulties with sampling procedures, attitudinal measurement, and attitudinal biases. Implications for researchers include the need to address the attitudinal biases of each individual involved in the research and the need to develop valid and acceptable attitudinal assessment…

Integrity-of-treatment violations in special education research can be attributed to examiners as well as subjects. Use of educational technology can limit the examiner's influence, while decreased length of treatment session and topographically dissimilar intervention can reduce subject violations in alternating treatment designs and simultaneous…

The authors cite problems but regard meta-analysis as an improvement over traditional methods of research integration. Advantages are increased objectivity, freedom from arbitrary levels of statistical significance, and potential to relate an array of independent variables to effect size. Disadvantages include questionable reliability of ratings…

This article describes the multielement design, often recommended in single-subject research, and discusses its advantages and disadvantages for research in early intervention with handicapped children. The article concludes that the multielement design has many advantages, though multiple treatment interference is an issue of concern. (JDD)

This paper questions the appropriateness of characterizing infants/young children who are handicapped or developmentally delayed as a group in jeopardy for abuse/neglect. It proposes the adoption of a family-focused view, which considers child, family, and environmental variables to determine risk and provide services to abusive and neglectful…

This essay begins by discussing the current cynicism regarding the usefulness of research-based strategies in the field of education. Using examples of high-quality research that utilizes diverse methodologies, a framework is presented for thinking about various types of research and their implications. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Guidelines for the implementation of qualitative methods in special education research are offered, addressing rigor, sample selection, data collection, and data management/analysis. Five possible pitfalls are identified, including the quantitative-qualitative methods debate, premature data collection, the tendency to use a linear procedural…

These three issues of the "Research Exchange" focus on how better to conduct disability research and disseminate research results. The first issue examines the topic of human subject/human research participant protection, with a focus on research funded through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). It…