Discusses the use of focus groups for conducting research with children, and presents a case study that used the focus group method in a child sexual abuse prevention program. Critiques the advantages and disadvantages of the use of focus groups with children for evaluative purposes. (Author/CR)

An analysis of 20 years of citations on research into scholarly communication to determine the degree of interdisciplinarity between sociology of science and information science concluded that sociologists and information scientists stay mostly in their own disciplines and that only network studies are shared by researchers in both fields.…

This article reassesses large-scale uncitedness, the proportion of articles that do not receive a single citation within five years of publication. Examines the problem of disaggregation in the measurement of uncitedness; reviews reactions of the popular press and scholars; provides a case study of uncitedness in "College & Research…

This response to a study by D. Strauss and T. Kastner, which compared mortality rates for individuals with mental retardation in either community or institutional settings, notes that all previous research on this subject had found institutional mortality rates higher than those in the community. Methodological concerns are raised about the study.…

Educators are often caught up in the problem of political agendas or funding driving educational research. Projects and proposals congruent with current trends or some agency's priority are often those that are funded. Institutional recognition in the form of promotion and salary increments is frequently focused on funded research. What, then, is…

Benefits and potential problems with formal college and university programs of Interinstitutional data sharing are examined from an institutional perspective and the perspective of the institutional researcher. Benefits include access to data, networking and consulting, efficiency, increased researcher visibility, and better understanding of…

Interviews with 1,435 urban, low-income African American and Hispanic youth about sexual experiences and behaviors revealed that interviewer age affected the reporting of sensitive behaviors. The strongest effects were observed for Hispanic women, who reported more sexual activity to younger interviewers. (Author/SV)

Illustrates some of the methodological problems, in relation to some pitfalls in the qualitative analysis, that are associated with gender, education, and discourse studies. Two studies are critically evaluated as a basis for further discussion: one from the primary education sector and the other from a further education perspective. (GR)

Describes a research project on mainstream versus segregated education for special needs students, exploring whether research with children necessarily raises unique questions about ethics and methods. Claims that main complications arise not from children's inabilities but from the position ascribed them in society, and gives reasons for…

Uses an exploratory study, "Children, Parents and Risk," to examine some ethical and methodological issues specific to child-focused research. Focuses on gatekeepers who control access to parents and children, and on the interview process, asserting that the research process itself constitutes an important source of data on models of…

Uses a qualitative study on children's perceptions of their emotional needs and well-being to illustrate methodological issues associated with actively engaging child subjects in research. Describes benefits of combining focus group discussions and individual interviews, and gives examples of a range of techniques that proved helpful. (EV)

Explores the nature of human inquiry groups and how such groups decide on a research agenda. Outlines the stages involved in the process and considers the value of human inquiry as a qualitative methodology for counseling research. Compares the roles of the human inquiry researcher and the counselor. (RJM)

Dichotomizes literature on nonoffending mothers of sexually abused children into opinion-based and research-based studies. Argues that most information on nonoffending mothers is opinion based, not research based, and the literature disregards the sources of data. It appears that opinions have been accorded the same validity as research findings.…

A review found many of the studies that have assessed the efficacy of psychotropic medications with individuals with mental retardation (MR) are methodologically flawed. It details suggestions to improve the quality of medication studies and avoid methodological problems that prevent the scientific advancement of psychopharmacological research…

This article critically analyzes research investigating the use of antecedent events in the functional assessment process, with an emphasis on interventions conducted in natural settings. An analysis of 17 articles found that research on antecedent-based interventions lacks a consistent conceptual framework. Suggestions for future research are…