This article discusses the practical application of mixed quantitative and qualitative designs. Mixed methods designs can be especially powerful in illuminating policy solutions and directions for social action, thus supporting the social justice goals of social work and other helping professions. However, the decision to combine methods must be…

Our system of research self-regulation, designed to provide internal checks and balances for those who participate in research involving human subjects, is under considerable stress. Much of this crisis has been caused by what we call mission creep, in which the workload of IRBs has expanded beyond their ability to handle effectively. Mission…

In 1972, M. McCombs and D. Shaw introduced the idea that the mass media have the ability to tell the public which issues are of major importance in a political campaign by virtue of the amount of coverage they give each. This they termed the "agenda setting" function of the media. A study was conducted to investigate various aspects of…

Twenty-one libraries in Library Computer System participated in collection overlap study. Findings of random sample representing 1% of each collection indicate that high percentage of titles, 69.4%, occurred only once in network and that percentage of each library's collection unique to that library, ranged from 6.1% to 68.4%. (21 references) (EJS)

Presents results of survey of 64 Illinois academic institutions which was conducted to determine library use of nonprofessionals at the reference/information desk. Characteristics of nonprofessionals, use patterns and desk hours staffed by nonprofessionals, referral and training, and trends for desk staffing are discussed. (Eight references are…

Discusses data gathered from study assessing library users' behavior and perceptions of reference transaction. Characteristics of reference clientele (address, age, education), questions asked, answers given (type, source, length of time spent), relationships between variables, and cost of reference service are highlighted. Instructions and forms…

Designed to assist Illinois public community colleges in satisfying state and federal reporting requirements, this handbook provides guidelines for conducting vocational education follow-up studies and reporting data. Following introductory information, an overview is presented of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Management Information…