Many studies examining health service utilization by older adults involve secondary analyses of existing data sources and rely on behavioral model of health services utilization. Suggests that severe shortcomings in breadth and depth of available data, and numbers of intervals at which data have been recorded, limit understanding of health…

This poem, with stanzas in limerick form, refers humorously to the many threats to validity posed by problems in research design, including problems of sample selection, data collection, and data analysis. (SLD)

Analyzed response bias among 34 recipients of care in hospice. Found nonrespondents to have better bereavement prognoses and tended to care for patients who were younger, male, and in program for shorter time. Nonrespondents were in contact with staff less than were respondents. Data are consistent with earlier research showing significant…

The claim that knowledge alone accounts for variance of memory and development (MAD) is critiqued. Topics include the movement toward a knowledge-based view of MAD and problems with this approach; data suggesting that domain-independent strategies influence MAD; and evidence for a domain-independent tool of developmental import. (SLD)

Discusses the nature of ethnographic work, particularly in relation to the study of deafness. The kinds of information presented in ethnographies is explored, as are ethnography's limitations. Problems of and strategies for doing ethnographic research and writing ethnographies about deaf communities are explored. (20 references) (JL)

Discusses issues attendant to meta-analytic reviews of the research literature concerning factors influencing persuasive effectiveness. Discusses issues connected with (1) the literature search (such as identification of relevant studies); and (2) the analysis of the collected studies (including extraction of effect sizes from studies, analyses of…

Two biographies of Sir Cyril Burt argue the case of Britain's most famous psychologist, accused of academic fraud relating to his studies of IQ and heredity. The verdict is unclear, but lessons abound for social science researchers, students, universities, and investigators of research fraud. Contains 62 references. (SV)

Assessment of Bureau of Labor Statistics' projections found that those published in the early 1970s were based on extrapolating past rates of change and were remarkably accurate. Changed methodology in the 1980s has resulted in significant underprojections of the rapid growth in higher skilled professional and managerial jobs and overprojection of…

Describes practical problems and issues that arose during multisite and single site studies that used qualitative research methods. Studies described include study of student involvement in out-of-class learning opportunities at 14 institutions of higher education and study of what students learned as result of membership in National PanHellenic…

Describes in broad terms the state of research in agenda setting, defines the key problems, and suggests a variety of alternative perspectives that, if given the chance, will enrich the study of this topic domain. (SR)

The methodology of many studies that have identified specific genetic loci for disorders associated with mental retardation is criticized as failing to demonstrate an association between the behavior phenotype and the genetic marker. A more appropriate methodology using a multitrait-multimethod approach is suggested. (Author/JDD)

Argues that there are two central reasons for concern about the adequacy of M. Allen's metanalysis of the research literature concerning the relative persuasive effectiveness of one-sided and two-sided messages: (1) the classification of the message types in a number of studies is questionable; and (2) the literature search underlying the review…

Responds to an analysis by D. O'Keefe (in the same issue of this journal) of a research study by the author. States that most of what O'Keefe suggests contains merit but that acceptance of the suggestions still generates a conclusion that two-sided refutational messages constitute the most persuasive form of message. (SR)

Discussed is the question of whether "heavy" neutrinos really do exist based on the evidence supplied by four research groups. The implications of its existence on the disciplines of particle physics, astrophsyics, and cosmology are discussed. Background information on the different types of neutrinos is provided. (KR)

Two studies of the cost-benefit analysis of correctional sentences are reviewed, which present conflicting results. Although such analysis has not determined a way to implement the selective incapacitation of criminals, it has identified the critical determinants of the decision to sentence criminals to prison or probation. (SLD)