This paper re-considers some of the evidence for low and declining social mobility in Britain, showing that one study based on a re-analysis of cohort figures appears to have had an impact on policy-makers out of all proportion to its scale and rigor. The study claimed to show that the income of parents and children were more closely related for…

Experiences in researching the documentation of the intelligence (codename Ultra) produced by breaking Enigma at Government Code & Cypher School, Bletchley Park, 1939-45, are described. The major problems are identified and shown to lie in the obscurity of the associated processes, disguised as they were within general bureaucratic…

The author reviews the Warnock Report's analysis of special education research in Britain, cites limitations of the Warnock approach, and suggests an alternative strategy using a broader base. (CL)

Describes the quality of educational research in key academic educational research journals. Examination of 264 articles indicates that there is a large amount of second-rate academic educational research in terms of partisanship, methodology, and argument of non-empirical research. Results reveal a severe weakness in educational research…

Discusses the limitations of personal construct theory for research that investigates teachers' thinking. Argues that repertory grid studies, which are often a part of personal construct research, are inconsistent with personal construct theory. Outlines an approach more congruent with the personal construct method. (RKM)

Nurse-led research ethics committees are generally more tolerant of diversity in research proposals than are medical committees steeped in empirical traditions. However, national trends in nursing in Britain may influence a preference for multidisciplinary over nurse-led committees. (SK)

Examines Peter Woods' argument for "phase two" ethnographic research which involves"leaps of (theoretical) imagination" and "hypothesis formation and testing." Concludes that current theories are not improved upon and that instead of further research, major reassessment and reconstruction of ethnographic practice must…

Replying to a critique of his "phase two" ethnographic research, Woods states that testing studies in the manner that Hammersley advocates would be inappropriate and counter-productive. More "phase two" work with reflection on existing material rather than investigation of new areas is recommended. Cautions against systematic…

Replying to Woods' analysis of his original critique, Hammersley lists four points of disagreement: (1) what counts as theory development; (2) phases of theory development; (3) the nature of theory testing; and (4) whether theory development and testing is an achievable goal. (GEA)

Finding that British researchers are believed to use qualitative methods while North Americans favor quantitative measurement in adult education enquiry, the author examines substantive research concerns and research publication in the United States, Britain, and Canada and concludes that there is some validity to the stereotype. (Availability:…

Describes a research method used in a British project studying the professional culture of teachers, that of "dialogic interviews." The focus was on cultural constructs teachers used spontaneously, and the interviews were formed around elements of concept, discourse, general accounts of teaching, and site-specific accounts of teaching.…

This paper reviews four currently recognized modes of inquiry available to reading researchers, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The paper discusses empiricism, interpretive research, critical science/theory, and action research, briefly describing the purposes, goals, and assumptions underlying each mode of inquiry. The…

Notes that problems of measurement in educational research are often addressed by using the terms validity and reliability. Discusses the meaning given to these terms and how they relate to the aims of the measurement process in educational research. (RKM)

Describes a technique that sensitizes normative school-focused research and enables the practitioner's perspective to be incorporated into the research design. Bases procedure upon small group discussions called exploratory groups. Finds that the exploratory groups substantially influenced the extent that two related studies were able to address…

Describes an approach to research and teaching in educational management that differs from the standard approaches by its emphasis on work in the field. Argues for the need for the new approach and that this approach takes advantage of the strengths of the polytechnics. (Author/IRT)