Describes an investigation of the relationship between the levels of interlinker consistency obtained among a group of full-text databases in which internodal links were inserted, and the effectiveness of searches carried out in those databases. Topics include interindexer consistency and retrieval system evaluation. (Author/LRW)

Evaluation of two meta-analyses of sociometric research on children with learning disabilities notes differences in their findings. Differences are attributed to effects of gender, ethnicity, and type of measurement on effect size; inadequate reporting of coding reliability; failure to include similar articles for analysis; and poor…

Guidelines are offered that make it more likely that high-quality information will be extracted and coded from primary research reports in meta-analyses. It is also noted that the methodology of meta-analysis results in pressure to change the type of information that appears in primary research reports. (SLD)

A 13-month study of preschoolers' conversations with friends examined development of understanding of mind and emotion and mental-state talk. Findings indicated significant and related improvements in theory-of-mind task performance and affective perspective-taking. There were qualitative and quantitative changes in mental-state references in…

Describes procedures for calculating conditional standard error of measurement (CSEM) and reliability of scale scores and classification of consistency of performance levels. Applied these procedures to data from the American College Testing Program's Work Keys Writing Assessment with sample sizes of 7,097, 1,035, and 1,793. Results show that the…

Outlines ways to make online searching more efficient. Highlights include starting with printed materials; online reference libraries; subject directories such as Yahoo; search engines; evaluating Web sites, including reliability; bookmarking helpful sites; and using links. (LRW)

Examined the psychometric properties of an individual difference measure of identification within the mathematics and English domains. Factor analytic results substantiated the presence of English and Mathematics subscales, which yielded scores that were internally consistent and stable over time. Results for samples of 1,143 and 98 college…

Includes four articles that discuss LibQUAL+[TM], a collaborative effort of the Association of Research Libraries and Texas A&M University responding to the need for greater accountability in measuring the delivery of library services to research library users. Discusses the reliability of LibQUAL+[TM] scores in measuring perceived library…

Investigated concurrent and longitudinal relations between attributions and negative behavioral interactions between 177 fathers and young adolescents. Found that children's attributions about father played a significant role in negative interactions within and across time. Father's earlier negative interactions with their children predicted…

Argues that there are substantial problems with the theoretical foundations of David Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Notes anomalies with the relationship between Carl Jung's style and Kolb's use of possibility processing. Argues that these anomalies make it impossible for defining firm conclusions about the nature of Kolb's learning style.…

Discusses experiences at the Niagara University Library with compact shelving. Highlights include citations to other relevant articles; patron use; selection of vendor; reliability; possible problems; and installation considerations, such as floor-load requirements. (LRW)

A modified Delphi procedure assessed the content validity of accreditation standards for cardiovascular technologists, cytotechnologists, medical sonographers, electroneurodiagnostic technologists, medical assistants, perfusionists, physician assistants, and surgical technologists. Although validity and reliability were extremely high, some…

An instrument to measure self-directed workplace learning was field tested with two samples of high school business teachers (n=240 and 540). The revised instrument had strong reliability and content and construct validity. It incorporates social, instrumental, and personal variables of self-directed learning in natural, noninstitutional settings.…

Discusses the use of portfolios to evaluate student work, evaluates a Web-based learning portfolio, analyzes its impact on students' learning processes, reports on the validity and reliability of the questionnaire used in the evaluation study, proposes suggestions for revisions, and recommends future research. (LRW)

Examines practical issues of measuring and reporting competencies. Explores the pursuit of common systems for counting, describing, and measuring competencies. Provides an overview of the role that validity and reliability play in the process of making competencies transportable, both within and outside postsecondary education. (EV)