Agent-based models combine data and theory during both development and use of the model. As models have become increasingly data driven, it is easy to start thinking of agent-based modelling as an empirical method, akin to statistical modelling, and reduce the role of theory. We argue that both types of information are important where the past is…

Background: Recent attention to health of people with intellectual disabilities has used a health disparities framework. Building on historical context, the paper summarizes what is known about health disparities from reports and research and provides direction on what to do to reduce these disparities among adults with intellectual disabilities.…

For those who seek to conduct qualitative research that makes a positive difference in the lives of women in poverty, feminist research methodologies offer the most productive guide. Researchers must partner with those we study and foreground participants' own perceptions of their challenges, while analyzing structural discrimination and…

The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for development and revision of evaluation policies (including a taxonomy, structure, and set of principles), and suggests critical challenges and opportunities for the future of evaluation policy. An evaluation policy is any rule or principle that a group or…

The purpose of this paper has been to argue the usefulness of path-goal models in theoretical research and practical design of organization reward systems. The reasoning is that the policy choices can be easily related to path-goal attitudes which, in turn, are related to behavior. The major policy choices were identified and related to path-goal…

This is a unique and groundbreaking collection of questions and answers coming from higher education institutions on diverse fields and across a wide spectrum of countries and cultures. It creates routes for further innovation, collaboration amidst the Sciences (both Natural and Social), the Humanities, and the private and public sectors of…

Examines economic equation systems by describing the simultaneous equation model, its application to the economy as a whole, and a systemwide approach to microeconomics. The systems approach focuses on particular segments of the economy such as consumer spending. (Author/KC)

Through discussion and a test of theoretical models, the need to consider nutrition in development planning for rural areas is addressed, and the complex interaction of agricultural and food policies on family nutrition is described. Chapter I indicates the extent and types of malnutrition and discusses both the relationship of nutrition to…

This article, second in a series analyzing information policy as a field of scholarship, compares research in information policy with output in policy studies. Concludes that there are gaps in areas where value- and paradigm-critical approaches could have impact. Argues for extending the range of research paradigms to strengthen the intellectual…

Drawing upon the perspective of the policy sciences and a cross-disciplinary background, the author presents an integrated model of information-producing research activities that feed into various parts of the decision-making process. This model incorporates evaluation, needs assessments, policy analysis, training and technical assistance, and…

Leigh Burstein was an internationally recognized educational researcher and scholar. This tribute notes his determination to "get it right" in his studies of multilevel modeling, opportunity to learn, and development of educational indicator systems. His legacy includes the responsibility of "getting it right." (SLD)

This paper focuses on transition programs for youth to postsecondary education, broadly considered. It addresses the following questions: (1) What models or programs of transition exist? (2) On what basis can we say one transition program is more effective than another? In other words, how is successful transition defined? (3) How are…

A framework for family impact analysis, developed at the Minnesota Family Study Center as part of the NIMH training program for family impact analysis, is presented. The four sections of the accompanying training manual are described as: (1) a set of questions which orient the reader to what family impact analysis is, its particular timeliness,…

Major literature is reviewed in the course of describing and assessing the role of operations research (OR) in educational administration. Increased use of OR approaches in education and a compounding of the present disagreement about the application and potential of OR are forecast. (MJL)

This paper was presented as part of a symposium exploring different philosophical and technical perspectives and implications of implementation research. Some basic differences between the structured and unstructured approach to implementation as portrayed in the literature are described. Next, the assumptions and assessment techniques of the…