Presents issues concerning return on investment (ROI) and its use in education and training. Discussion includes building a feasible ROI process; criteria for an effective ROI process; a practical model for ROI, which includes preliminary evaluation, data collection, isolating program effects, converting data to monetary values, tabulating program…

This article describes a 2-year qualitative study designed to enhance understanding of social integration by including the perspectives of individuals with intellectual disabilities. It discusses the procedures and strategies used to involve individuals with intellectual disabilities, including individual interviews and focus groups to collect…

Outlines the rationale and design of the Social and Organizational Life Data Archive (SOLDA), an on-line collection of survey and other statistical data relevant to research in the fields of management, organizational studies, industrial relations, marketing, and related social sciences. The database uses CD-ROM technology and the World Wide Web…

Suggests that for distance education to become a more articulated discipline, researching theory-based practice, collecting data from it, and interpreting data within the theoretical framework of the field is of utmost importance. Discusses the problems with a theoretical reporting of projects and practice, and briefly highlights contributions of…

Collecting outdoor adventurers' stories for research is best done using the naturalistic inquiry paradigm. This type of hypothesis-free investigation, used in the study of folklore, requires maintaining the normal storytelling context while meeting scholarly demands for reliability and validity. Choice of focus and site, the participant-observer…

Advocates data-driven decision making as a key to school improvement. Discusses how data can be used to improve education, what types of data should be collected, should teachers serve as researchers, how data can be used effectively, and what steps schools can take to improve their use of data. (VWC)

Presents examples of the types of investigations which exploit the tools now commonly featured in data-logging software. Emphasizes the importance of designing tasks that encourage pupils to think about the data and the principles which underpin worthwhile data-logging tasks. (Author/ASK)

This article presents a rationale and explanation of a personal profile assessment summary, a means of gathering, synthesizing, and conveying critical information about students with moderate and severe disabilities. A summary of information from a preliminary study on the use of personal profile summaries is included. (Contains references.)…

The perception that independent study distance education is inferior is one issue planners must face in higher education. Negotiation of the interests of the institution, faculty, and administrators can be facilitated by collection of data showing opportunities and interests. (SK)

Explores the information-seeking practices of career counselors during career interviews. Outlines sensitive areas for career guidance counselors, and describes a research project that examined the types of information career counselors found pertinent. The findings, although based on very limited research, raise some issues of relevance to the…

Discusses how the federal government collects and publishes ethnic and racial data and the problems and potential consequences inherent in revising ethnic and racial categories for census taking purposes. Problems stemming from racial self-identification and minority leadership backlash are explored, as well as the implications for American group…

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)

Describes the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program which works through partnerships, effectively joining together the minds and hands of thousands of young people, school teachers, scientists, and others around the world. Enables students and scientists around the world to exchange information and data that is…

Describes a project initiated at Silverado High School in Las Vegas, where students from Las Vegas and schools across the United States monitor the levels of radon in the atmosphere. Enables students to learn first hand about the collection, analysis, and interpretation of scientific data and to network with other students from the United States…

Reviews literature on resource allocation in schools, arguing that collecting data at the student level (rather than at the school level) can be more cost-effective and more useful in improving understanding of student learning. Discusses four school finance areas that would benefit from student-level data: equity, adequacy, accountability, and…