Explains why Honeywell's Market Research Department replaced its traditional data collection and paper-based tabulation with blended modes, including electronic interviewing and real-time reporting. Describes how the Six-Sigma quality control process demonstrated that a hybrid approach with blended modes and Web-based reporting tools could deliver…

Reviews studies, conducted between 1995 and 2000, on Web search behavior, of children and adults. Most studies on children describe their interaction with the Web; research on adults focused on describing search patterns, effects of selected factors on search behavior, and the use of multiple data-gathering methods. Many studies lack external…

Presents a progress report of the Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary project; discusses the corpus; and presents the historical, theoretical, and methodological bases for the project. Observations are presented on the wider implications of the COBUILD project. Contains 30 references. (GLR)

Notes that researchers are often required to examine specific model under two different situations. Cites studies in which authors compared results descriptively without use of inferential statistics. Describes use of series of regression tests to compare two situations statistically. Gives example from recent study to illustrate technique.…

Needs assessment, a prioritizing procedure providing for equitable resource allocation, should be preceded by a three-phase preliminary investigation including preassessment activities; the formal assessment (data gathering, analysis, and priority-setting); and postassessment activities (assessment evaluation and utilization of results). This…

The appropriateness of the metaphor of the purity of data is questioned, using a perspective based on L. S. Vygotsky's idea of the zone of proximal development and its emphasis on a genetic method in which development is mediated by cultural tools and signs. (SLD)

Discusses the use of glyphs, which are pictorial shorthand, to communicate data. Incorporates graphs and Venn diagrams. (MKR)

This paper contends that behavior observation data relating to speech-language pathology are reliable if they are not affected by differences among observers or other variations in the recording context. The theoretical bases of methods used to estimate reliability for observational data are reviewed, and suggestions are provided for improving the…

"Black box" evaluation considers program input and outcomes (what) without considering process (how and why). A broader approach to evaluation based on implementation process theory explores the social system context of programs and provides information useful for improving them. (SK)

Outlines the history of human activity in the Antarctic and discusses environmental impact, responsibility, and management in the Antarctic. Reviews the development of an informational database by the Australian National Antarctic Data Centre that will inform environmental research and decision making. (LZ)

Briefly discusses the advantages of the qualitative approach to assessment and provides mental health counselors with some specific and practical qualitative-type measures that can be used effectively in counseling. (JBJ)

The author, using a weight machine in an airport lounge, varies the machine's input parameters of height and gender to generate data sets of ideal weight. These data are later used at in-service workshops and in both primary and secondary classrooms to explore patterns and make predictions. (JJK)

Addresses some theoretical, logistical, and methodological problems involved in researching the numbers of females in educational administration. The primary problem is absence of reliable national database and systematic data-gathering processes on national and state levels. Without such data, the research is incomplete, less reliable, and…

Describes an ethnographic case study of the collaboration on the production of an executive letter for a corporation's annual report. Notes that the study used triangulation (multiple methods to view a single object) in an effective manner. (RS)

Examines the effectiveness of qualitative and quantitative methods for researching the Holocaust. Concludes that strict adherence to the qualitative-quantitative distinction is counterproductive; both approaches have unique advantages and drawbacks, and data collected in either approach can be analyzed on the basis of the other. (AEF)