This report summarizes presentations and findings from a 1996 conference on "Developmental, Ethnographic, and Demographic Perspectives on Fathers." Part 1 of the report describes the characteristics of the developmental psychology, the ethnography, and the family demography aspects of fatherhood. Part 2 examines the multiple dimensions of fatherhood, including how research has characterized fathers' roles, how children view their fathers, and cultural influences on fathers' roles. Part 3 presents methodological considerations, including effective approaches to data collection in various cultures, considerations in developing new research instruments, issues associated with combining quantitative and qualitative methods, and recommendations for integrating various approaches to the study of fathers. Part 4 highlights issues related to large-scale surveys, including the tendency to study fathers largely with measures designed for mothers; the need to shift away from the two-parent, middle-income, white family as the sole point of reference, and toward greater consideration of multiple family configurations; and the need to engage fathers who are underrepresented in data collection. The appendix provides summaries of presentations at three sessions: (1) "How Do Fathers Father and What Difference Does It Make?" with presentations by Michael Lamb, Robin Jarrett, Jennie Joe, and Randal Day; (2) "Fatherhood: American Cultural and Ethnic Contexts," containing presentations by Linda Burton, Iris Mink, Bette Keltner, Jan Blacher, and Don Bailey; and (3) "And the Twain Shall Meet: A Rapprochement Between Demographic and Developmental/Ethnographic Research," with presentations by Vivian Gadsden; Aisha Ray and Sydney Hans; Sharon Ramey; Mercer Sullivan; and Agatha Gallo. (KB)