Social work has traversed a vast expanse since its roots in settlement houses and as friendly visitors to making a profound mark on the world of social science research. The authors begin by examining the role of research in the social work profession and then discuss current changes, directions, and challenges in the pursuit of research funds.…

In 1994, the Government of Norway initiated a major restructuring of the non-university sector. Almost one hundred vocationally-oriented institutions were amalgamated to create twenty-six comprehensive, autonomous colleges. Nursing education was completely reorganized. Once offered in specialized schools closely linked to hospitals, nursing became…

The development of people is the Queen Bee in relation to the growth and productivity of programs, institutions and countries. It is the centre of the concentric circle of sustained improvement. Personal and professional development evokes interest, motivation, and possibility. The development of people includes the development of self, of others,…

A useful evaluation of an education program is one that adds to the body of timely, relevant evidence to increase the likelihood that policy decisions improve program performance. This definition focuses on performance rather than change and recognizes that studies can't guarantee the use of their findings but can only increase the likelihood of…

The quality of education is an issue of growing concern in many countries today, and there is increasing reliance on the employment of large-scale, scientific survey research techniques to study the quality issues, the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education, and the formulation of policy interventions designed to improve quality.…

In this paper I argue against a dominant view that social planning, supported by strategically located and tightly controlled research and development, is delivered from above and enacted downwards by the education system. As such the paper argues against a view taken by many theorists/politicians and reinforced by the major components of the…

The use of numeric data has historical significance in the research of many academic disciplines, but today it is burgeoning. Responses from academic business librarians to a 33-item questionnaire are the basis for this study that investigates the interactions between academic business libraries and other local units supplying numeric data…

A recent article in Security-Focus described the fact that several U.S. government buildings in Washington DC could no longer be clearly seen by people using MapQuest's aerial photo database. In addition, the photos of these buildings were altered at the Web sites wherein they are posted at the request of the U.S. Secret Service. This is an…

This brochure highlights some of the performance indicators used by Connecticut's public higher education institution to demonstrate accountability. This paper reports on the results of these goals: (1) Student Learning; (2) Learning in K-12; (3) Access and Affordability; (4) Economic Development; (5) Societal Needs; and (6) Resource Efficiency.…

This booklet is a compilation of all the research grants and contracts and the training grants that the National Center for Education Research has awarded since its first year. The projects listed represent a new generation of education research--research that is rigorous, relevant, and intended to improve the quality of education in the United…

The long-range research and development needs for integrating assessment into instruction are discussed, and how ready the educational community is to begin making blueprints for this integration is explored. This paper addresses the problems of learning progress, diagnostic assessment, the design and implementation of performance tasks, and…

This paper seeks to assess the current state of academic research in light of long-term trends in the development of science. It presents three perspectives on the growth of scientific research: (1) Derek de Solla Price's (1963) hypothesis that science has exhibited exponential growth, roughly doubling every 15 years since the 17th century; (2)…

Although most community college faculty are not engaged in research, community college settings can provide research opportunities for those faculty members determined to overcome the considerable obstacles. At Whatcom Community College, in Washington, for example, constraints facing faculty seeking to conduct research include limited access to…

Data in the tables of this publication were derived from the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development. They reflect research and development funding (R&D) levels as reported by 32 federal agencies from March through October 1994. The agencies reported their data as obligations and outlays incurred, or expected to be incurred,…

Community colleges generally conduct little research. Further, there is no generally accepted national research agenda for community colleges, no consistently funded national agency charged with studying the institutions as unique entities, and few educational researchers directing their attention toward them. The research that is undertaken on…