Overview of research techniques involved in gathering information on current products that can provide input into new product development highlights consumer purchase and use patterns. Comparison of mail questionnaires, telephone surveys, focus group sessions, and in-person interviews notes type of data, timing, relative costs, and advantages and…

Several categories of problems affecting adult learning services in Colorado require state-level policy intervention for their solution. They include problems that limit adults' access to existing learning services, inadequacies in existing services, deficiencies in statewide planning and coordination of learning services, and financial…

This policy report on compensation for child care providers is designed for use by directors, child care providers, clergy, board members, and other leaders in church-housed child care programs. Section I underscores the importance of securing fair compensation and reasonable benefits for child care providers in church-housed and non-church-housed…

A futuristic study of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District (TJPD) in the year 2000 was conducted by Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) to gain insights into those trends and pressures likely to affect the TJPD in the future. Interviews were conducted with 85 area leaders to determine their views and projections regarding lifestyles;…

Discusses the portrayal of science and scientists on prime-time television and assesses the impact that it has on public conceptions of science. Reports that television cultivates a less than favorable orientation toward science and scientists. Offers recommendations for improvement. (ML)

This study assesses how much control governments of the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth) are exercising over their universities. The study encompassed a review of the relevant literature, an examination of the acts and statutes which control universities, and a questionnaire sent to 70 university vice chancellors, which…

This book investigates a variety of contemporary issues, both domestic U.S. concerns and those of an international focus that involve the United States. The introduction develops the context of the book by discussing the Reagan legacy, the 101st Congress, the Supreme Court, and the making of the U.S. federal budget. The domestic policy issues of…

This study compared correctional education participants and non-participants in Maryland, Minnesota, and Ohio to assess the impact of correctional education on recidivism and post-release employment of inmates. The study attempted to address criticism of previous studies by using a treatment and comparison group, using statistical controls,…

In a county by county analysis, this report assesses the quality of life for Kentucky's children. Researchers developed a child quotient (CQ) based on 18 indicators: per capita income, children in poverty, women receiving inadequate prenatal care, infant deaths, teens giving birth, substandard dwellings, children in foster care, per-pupil…