Unanticipated obstacles and difficulties, endemic to industrial research in complex sociocultural settings, indicate that reliable conclusions concerning industrial life are problematic. Discussion of sampling biases reveals that error of unknown proportions is introduced into the research process: first, when decisions about whom to study are…

The Research Office of American River College, Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento was asked by the Chancellor's Office to develop a common form, or forms, to be used by the community colleges in the State awarded Economic Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) grants. This report is a description of that project and contains the…

This study explored seven possible techniques for improving the rate of returns for a questionnaire study with special concern for collecting information through high school follow-up studies. It evaluated these techniques using two criteria: their effectiveness in improving returns and their cost-effectiveness. The results suggest that a school…

This paper presents a simple random procedure for selecting subsets of stimulus pairs for presentation to subjects. The resulting set of ratings from the group of subjects allows the construction of a group space through the use of an existing computer program. (Author/JKS)

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using the telephone to obtain data. Includes telephone interview techniques, ethical practices, use of precontact letters, preparing questions, and recording answers. Presents current and potential uses of telephone interviewing by home economics researchers. (JOW)

Describes placement of computer in senior center to obtain information from older adults regarding medication side effects and other physical problems. Discusses how participants were enthusiastic about program and how detection of symptoms sometimes led to specific intervention actions on part of elderly. (Author/NB)

Compares qualitative and quantitative data, identifies common qualitative methods, describes a step-by-step process for gathering and analyzing qualitative data, and discusses two applications of the process to Extension. (Author)

The research reported in this article lends support to using matrix sampling procedures with paired comparisons in survey research. When a large number of items are to be assessed, matrix sampling proves to be a reliable and effective way to obtain survey data. (Author/CT)

The current literature is replete with instances of imprecise and conflicting usage of "qualitative" and "quantitative" evaluation. This paper presents a framework for making distinctions among several related concepts to eliminate this potential source of confusion. In the process, the terms "qualitative" and…

Teachers of learning disabled students can provide clear and convincing evidence of academic and behavior gains by charting performance daily and investigating fluctuations that do not appear to correspond to teacher-imposed interventions. Data collection can be a cooperative effort leading to improved communication among parents, school…

Various statistical methods have been available to deal with missing data problems, but the difficulty is that they are based on somewhat restrictive assumptions that missing patterns are known or can be modeled with auxiliary information. This paper treats the presence of missing cases from the viewpoint that generalization as a sample does not…

Detailed examples illustrate one of the possible applications for using the computer punch card for information retrieval in qualitative historical research, suggesting a time-saving method of organization for research data. (SM)

The lack of an identification system for designating ethnic status of Mexican Americans for public data sources is discussed. (NQ)

"This study involving 1,452 liberal Arts College science graduates has shown that a personalized approach can elicit an excellent response to a mailed questionnaire. (Author)