This paper examines the major methodological advantages of random assignment for the purpose of estimating the effectiveness of current manpower policy. It also reviews the claimed methodological and ethical objections to experiments. The authors argue that the offsetting gain from experimentation is the inherent reliability of experimental…

Presents a research methodology related to needs assessment that can be used in a variety of settings in vocational education. It involves the use of small-group sessions and has five steps: introduction to meeting, silent generation of ideas, round-robin listing, discussion for clarification, and ranking of items. (Author/CT)

Concludes that for most researchers trained in classical statistics, the use of the Bayesian approach requires substantial retooling. Observes that the technical details of the Bayesian approach are formidable, and will require studying textbooks, applications, and computer packages, as well as consulting colleagues. (Author/JDH)

The authors explore the boundaries of ethnography (the use of some model of cultural process in both the gathering and interpretation of data). They define what is studied when one studies "culture," education as cultural transmission, and "good" ethnography as interpretation and cultural translation. (CT)

Analyzes changing information values of journal article titles (measured by counting total number of words, number of keywords, and computing proportion of substantive words). Use of linear regression to determine change patterns for sample of titles from four selected journals, six library journals, and six miscellaneous journals (1951-1980) is…

Jurgen Habermas' theory relating to systems of action is used in an attempt to analyze the dynamic focus of home economics--the family--as a means of exploring the potential of the theory to promote understanding of family activities. (Author/CT)

Describes a training needs approach based on a survey of performance-based skills. Results of the survey are analyzed using mean scores, factor analysis, and product-moment correlations. (Author/CT)

Data relating to the hiring of academic administrators are presented, showing substantial changes in the hiring process, but little evidence to support the intent of legislation to involve more minorities in academic leadership and management. (Author/MLW)

Citation data for higher education journal articles published in the core literature from 1975 to 1981 are presented. Reference use trends are examined over the period covered by the research and by the role and institutional location of authors. Publishing medium, article type, and author demographic factors are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Findings of study of book reviews selected randomly from six library journals (360 reviews for 1972-1974 publications; 360 reviews for 1978-1980 publications) reveals that for both time periods, core of 20-30 large trade publishers issued majority of books reviewed in journals and received higher number of multiple reviews. (Twenty-one references…

Presented is a three-hour instrumental analysis experiment which allows study of software data-handling methods. These methods include sampling, boxcar averaging, smoothing, ensemble averaging, and digital filtering. Use of the program should provide students with a better idea of advantages and disadvantages of using such software data-handling…

Investigates how the increased use of computers affects clerical and managerial employment. The author finds that the net effect of computers in 1972-1978 was to depress the employment of clerks and managers substantially, but that the pattern over time supports the bureaucratic reorganization hypothesis. (Author/CT)

Describes a menu-driven, data plotting program which runs on any Apple II plus, IIE, or IIC microcomputer. The program does a least-squares analysis of the data and gives the user the option of fitting the line through the data points. The complete Applesoft program listing is included. (JN)

Questions are answered concerning the planning of an employer tuition aid study. Questions include: who will carry out the study, how will the information be used, how will the employers be selected, what information will be collected, how will the information be collection, and how will information be reported. (CT)

Compares self-reported job search contacts of unemployment insurance recipients with independently verified job-search contacts. The separate equations estimated for reported and actual job contacts suggest that systematic misreporting may distort the conclusions. Some implications of the findings for reported unemployment rates also are explored.…