Attempts to determine the relative difficulty of playing selected types of melodic pattern by ear; studies the effects of performance experience and instrument family on the ability to play by ear; and investigates the relationship between tonal aptitude and ability to play by ear. Presents results and questions for further research. (DSK)

Compares the performance of the Target and Freestyle commercial search engines. Discusses traditional performance measures such as precision and recall, analytic models of performance, document rankings, query difficulty and correlates with other performance characteristics, and future research needs. (LRW)

Explores young children's and adolescent's views pertaining to alcohol. Videotaped focus groups discussions revealed that approximately 75% of the primary school-aged children and almost all of the high school students report they had encountered alcohol. Data suggest there is an urgent need for research addressed to the development of…

This article argues that the federal government will continue to shape the field of early intervention but in ways that differ from what has been seen in past years. Federal involvement in cross-state variability in eligibility, expected program outcomes, noncompliance, and directed research in perceived areas of need is discussed. (Contains…

Reviews existing empirical evidence regarding the status of public administration as a field of study. Finds very little research, but notes indicators (such as enrollment trends, dissertation listings, and journal contributions) that offer a mixed view of the field's growth and development and suggest an apparent decline in the field's status and…

Explores the relationship of social science research to social policy making, stressing that social science models and research findings are largely irrelevant to the actual concerns of policymakers and noting the ways in which ideological factors mediate the process. (SLD)

National equity policy in vocational education misrepresents the compound nature of disadvantage and ignores the concentration of disadvantaged persons in localities. Community-based strategies addressing local conditions can be developed using a model for equity analysis that examines local participation rates, the catchment area, and community…

Compares the perceptions of Malaysians and Australians for four Web site design characteristics--atmospherics, news stories, signs, and products and services--as part of the integrated Internet marketing model. Hypothesizes that the predominant culture is not generalized to another culture, discusses validity and reliability, and suggest further…

Discussion of the effectiveness of mediated education in distance education focuses on the effectiveness of educational television. Topics include mass media research; greater preparation by teachers using television that led to its effectiveness; research needs; attitudes of students and teachers; and aptitude treatment interaction analysis. (LRW)

This article applies principles of multiculturalism to the provision of speech-language services to children from low income backgrounds - i.e., the culture of poverty. It discusses common characteristics of children from the culture of poverty and urges research that has practical, clinical implications to assist speech-language pathologists who…

Investigates the historical nature of hypertext research on reading and writing. Examines selected literature published between 1987 and 1994, showing that this literature does not move beyond asserting "opportunity" and "potential" when describing the use of hypertext in the writing classroom. Proposes a theoretical and pedagogical agenda for…

It is argued that, although thousands of evaluations have been conducted of social interventions, little has been done to cumulate those results to guide intervention architects. Building social intervention theory and meta analyses are suggested as ways to unify this knowledge and make it useful. (SLD)

Discusses the importance of teaching children with Down syndrome self-regulation, particularly the capacity to delay gratification and mastery motivation. Research findings in these two areas are described, including the role of maternal interaction in the development of mastery motivation. Future research needs are highlighted. (CR)

This article reviews research on creativity in Singapore and finds that creativity has yet to become a significant research theme in Singapore, the study of creativity seems to be influenced by current educational interests, and that creativity has not been a major theme in the main textbooks written for teachers. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article reviews key applied research issues relevant to people with autism, including: systems delivery models and issues, how best to integrate treatments, providing treatments to those with limited monetary resources, cost and cost/benefit analyses, how to educate adult psychiatrists regarding autism, and gaps between research and practice.…