This introduction to the special issue summarizes issues raised in the nine subsequent contributed papers, which discuss research findings on communication and language development in persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The paper stresses the direct relevance of the research for prevention, assessment, intervention, and…

Responds to earlier article by Mio and Iwamasa (1993) on white researchers investigating ethnic-minority populations and other cross-cultural issues. Organizes concerns raised by Mio and Iwamasa under two themes: ethical issues and professional turf. Concentrates on ethical issues having to do with nonmaleficence, beneficence, privacy, gratitude,…

Explores the changing role of the library and the importance of developing a strategic technology policy. An approach to technology that includes a review of the technology base, continuing education, improved hiring practices, innovative organizational design, and greater involvement of libraries in research and development is recommended. (six…

Special education teachers (n=83) from five states were surveyed concerning difficulties in implementing various educational practices validated by researchers. Time constraints and administrative support were seen as major obstacles to implementation. The reported presence of quality indicators correlated with teacher skill and implementation…

A study investigated national research policies, particularly factors affecting research productivity in the United Kingdom and the issues of critical mass, economies of scale, critical time, and risk strategy in Australian resource allocation for research. Conclusions are drawn concerning the relationship between research performance and resource…

Foresight analysis is proposed as an alternative to strategic planning in the scientific community, and its use by individual funding agencies to develop research resource allocation strategies for specific scientific fields is explored through an analysis in the field of cardiovascular research. Methodology is explained, and preliminary results…

Criticisms of the federal system of research funding, in which priorities among disciplines are set in a competitive and political environment, are outlined. Policymakers are challenged to allocate resources in such a way that economic performance is improved without restricting the freedom of individual scientists to set research directions.…

Discusses the National Information Infrastructure and presents the research and development experiences of three educational networking projects associated with the University of Kansas. Topics addressed include network information services; designing information retrieval interfaces for educators, including the use of hypermedia and Boolean…

This paper examines the development of service policy for people with intellectual disabilities in Australia, noting the minor role of research and empirical enquiry. Research's significant role in monitoring policy during the implementation phase is, however, acknowledged. A coordinated research program contributing to both policy development and…

Discusses a study conducted by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) which examined the federally funded research system and the role of data for decision making in research policy. Highlights include data needs; research expenditures and personnel; the research process; measuring the outcomes of research; and the research evaluation process.…

This article reviews lessons learned from the agricultural extension model that may apply to the proposed cooperative extension service in education. The agricultural extension model is a user-oriented system linking knowledge producers with other knowledge users. In education, the adopters of innovations may be organizations as well as…

Effective presentations require planning what to say, identifying and selecting media needs, getting ready for the presentation, and attention to details that may influence it. Types of presentations include development projects, analytical papers and literature reviews, and research presentations. The goal in each case is to combine good content…

Discusses the National Research and Education Network (NREN) and explains its role in the information infrastructures of higher education and research. Stages in the growth of NREN from 1970 to 2015 are described, finances are discussed, prospects for management and users are considered, and suggestions for future growth, finances, and public…

Discussion of NREN (National Research and Education Network) focuses on balancing the needs of a wider user constituency with those of the more technical scientific community. The flow of information technology is discussed, including the roles of schools, universities, and libraries; and issues of government intervention and questions of funding…

Suggests ways music teachers can improve their teaching and solve instructional problems by using existing research and conducting their own. Also offers strategies to help music district supervisors encourage effective use of research. Identifies several useful publications as sources of research reports. Includes a chart listing reasons and…