Recent national concern about the levels of adults' literacy skills has resulted in a demand for expanded and more efficient basic skills programs. In turn, governmental agencies at all levels, politicians, and community organizations are seeking continually increasing amounts of information about a variety of topics pertaining to literacy education. A national information base is clearly becoming increasingly necessary. The creation of a knowledge base to guide literacy and basic skills instruction and program implementation has been hampered not only by the limited resources spent by the federal government and by private foundations on these topics, but also by the structure of funding for research. Most studies funded are short-term. Another problem has been the lack of bona fide research studies. There is a critical need for comprehensive research on adult learning (particularly native and second language learning), instructional methods, assessment and accountability systems, and the organization and delivery of services. The creation of a comprehensive research and development base for supporting a coordinated adult basic skills education system will require the establishment of a new institutional structure and an additional federal investment, including the creation of a national center for adult literacy. (MN)