Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of approaches to outsourcing HRD in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs semi-structured interviews and case studies. The research model was developed from a literature review. Findings: There are many problems associated with outsourcing any or all aspects of the HRD…

Using enrollment decline cases for data, the case survey method analyzes the content of case studies, thus allowing data from various cases to be aggregated and researchers to overcome constraints on data collection. The analyst uses six steps in this method in reviewing the case literature: (1) definition of the unit of analysis, (2)…

Advocates of social marketing in the 1970s rarely went beyond discussion of the marketing 4Ps (product, place, promotion, and price) and their application to case studies. After two decades of research on social marketing, some misunderstanding of the approach persists, and a substantial theoretical base for social marketing has not been…

A major debate exists in the neuropsychology community concerning whether case study is preferable to group study of brain-damaged patients. So far, the discussion has been limited to the advantages and disadvantages of both methods, with the assumption that neurolinguists pursue a single goal attainable by one or the other method. Practical…

Teachers should familiarize themselves with the practical advantages of single-subject methodology in attempting to meet the various learning needs of hearing-impaired students. Two examples are provided to illustrate how these designs can act as tools for deciding which of several teaching methods are most beneficial to particular students.…

A review of research on state behavior among students with profound disabilities is presented, and a model depicting interactions of state with endogenous and exogenous variables is offered. Applications of the model are illustrated through four case studies displaying different state patterns. Measurable attributes of state having implications…

Focuses on alternative paradigms to experimental inquiry useful to instructional systems researchers, including quasi-experimentation, meta-analysis, case study and ethnography, systems-based evaluation, and technique and model development. Each is discussed in terms of how it generally applies in the field and how it has been employed by…

The "at-will" rule in American law is defined as the right of a private sector employer to dismiss an employee without a contract for virtually any reason. The rule has thrived since the nineteenth century and is still a major factor in the employer-employee relationship. However, recent court decisions have fashioned common law…

Reviews the 1986 literature on research in the areas of cataloging, subject access, user interface, and administration. The majority of papers selected for inclusion are descriptive studies (surveys using questionnaires or interviews) or case studies of one of more libraries. Thirty-eight references are listed. (MES)

This article presents an extended abstract of the summary of a survey of environmental studies programs conducted in 1987 by Disinger and Schoenfeld. Covered are survey procedures, responses, and the status of environmental studies programs. (CW)

A review of current guides for and advice on preparing distance education materials suggests that such aids are inadequate to help solve the problems faced by course developers because of several underlying assumptions: (1) there is no need for advice on the preparation process--establishing an ideal of the desired product is enough; (2) good…

Laboratory simulations combine the strengths of lab experiments and field studies while avoiding many of their liabilities. They permit the emotional involvement, the time needed for development of norms and interlocked systems of interaction, and the broad range of variables typical of field settings, yet allow for experimental controls and…

Reviews research into children's use of television and discusses two studies, one from the United States and one from West Germany, that focus on media in families. A study currently being completed is also described that examines the effect of cable television on children's and adolescents' media use in Austria. (LRW)

Examines the lives of three young women of mixed race. Similar investigations could reveal much about the problems faced by pluralistic societies and provide more effective means to tackle racial integration. (DM)

Summarizing the full report of a study by the same title that originally appeared in five volumes, this document is divided into four sections. Section I critiques and clarifies the values, goals, and assumptions of Organization Development (OD), a change strategy for organizational self-development and renewal adapted from business settings and…