Reliability and validity of self-report data provided by 178 mentally ill homeless persons were generally favorable. Self-reports of service use also generally agreed with treatment staff estimates, providing further validity evidence. Researchers and administrators can be relatively confident in using such data. (SLD)

Discusses a cautionary, honest approach to qualitative business communication research, which adds validity and strength, used in a study of a hospital discourse community. (RS)

The data collection matrix makes possible the integration of functional area data from numerous assessment sources and presentation of the information in a unified composite report. This model is discussed in relation to the various assessment instruments and the evaluation of functional areas and programs in colleges and universities. (Author/MSE)

Discusses the validity and reliability of using food records and recalls when measuring dietary intake and eating behaviors of children, noting the advantages of collecting dietary data in a school environment. The article explains the appropriate use of food records and describes how to improve the method. (SM)

Using a needs assessment conducted for the Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia as a test case, this article analyzes the conditions facilitating the collection of information needed for strategic planning in a voluntary organization and the related conditions influencing whether or not the information would in fact be used. (TJH)

The state board in Victoria, Australia, is beginning to collect data on adult education, measuring student contact hours and their ratio to costs. The quantitative data are being used for a variety of planning purposes. (SK)

Notes that single-case designs rarely appear in the counseling supervision literature. Illustrates and provides a rationale for their use as supplement to rating scales and speculates on reasons for their infrequent use. Contends that single-case designs, particularly three case study preexperimental designs and multiple-baseline experimental…

Describes the construction of an inexpensive light sensor that can be used to measure irradiance in aquatic habitats. Includes a list of tools and materials, details of construction, and usage of the light sensor. (DDR)

The Nature Conservancy's Berkshire Program involves community volunteers in monitoring migration routes of amphibians that rely on vernal pools for breeding success. Vernal-pool workshops provide basic knowledge of amphibian lifecycles and detailed monitoring instructions. Nighttime field trips for adults and children and monitoring experiences…

Documents use of informant-made video (IMV) recordings as a data collecting method for research into adults' art viewing experiences. Compares 10 informants' videotaped accounts of their responses to works of art with audiotaped responses. Reveals that IMVs provided additional information, such as visual documentation of artwork. Concludes with a…

Highlights the development of a data management system to facilitate service delivery by the career planning and placement department at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Recounts the development of the system, providing the context for data management and describing the issues associated with building and implementing a data model, and the…

Discusses the wide array of variables and possible research approaches and techniques that need to be considered in conducting research that investigates the linguistic impact of the study abroad experience. Offers a framework that evaluates, assesses, and ensures the effectiveness of study abroad and also integrates and interprets the diversity…

Describes an activity that combines learning and assessment of students' measurement skills. Students strive to make measurements accurately and precisely at a series of stations that focus on measuring length, volume, and mass. (DDR)

Presents a framework to describe typical constraints that program evaluators face. The framework encompasses the usual evaluation costs and other factors that impede data collection or the implementation of strong evaluation designs. These are characterized as internal/substantive or external/political. (SLD)

A Utah district's assessment committee created an innovative, yet conservative teacher-evaluation program using direct measures of teacher performance. Teachers can choose among various data sources: parent surveys, student surveys, student-achievement data, documentation of professional activity, and teacher tests. Datasets are preferred over…