This paper presents an ethnographic analysis of a controversial research project, the Putaney Study, as an argument for the involvement of anthropologists in research that is perceived to be potentially controversial. A research team from Putaney University initiated a research project to document the fertility attitudes and practices of 600…

The study of knowledge production and utilization deals with the problems of how to translate theoretical concepts and knowledge into practical solutions to people's problems. Many criticisms have been leveled at aspects of previous information system models, including their linearity, one-way communication paths, overdependence on scientific…

The paper identifies major types of social indicators and explains how they can be used in social forecasting. Social indicators are defined as statistical measures relating to major areas of social concern and/or individual well being. Examples of social indicators are projections, forecasts, outlook statements, time-series statistics, and…

The paper presents summaries of round table discussions in which 24 special educators from 21 nations considered the following four topics: the delivery of special education to exceptional youth; the selection, preparation, and improvement of personnel involved in educating exceptional youth; the improvement and facilitation of research activities…

Military psychology has made three major contributions to civilian education. The first is the systems approach which contains two complementary components: the conceptual and the empirical. The purpose of the conceptual approach is to understand nature to determine on what principle the system works; the purpose of the empirical approach is to…

During the past 10 years, a partnership between researchers and practitioners in educational research has developed in Oregon. In 1965 the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission was established. Since then, the commission has carried out research and influenced the development of various aspects of teacher education, certification, and related…

Although social scientists are often adjured to become more "scientific," they might well remember a phenomenon described by Arthur Lovejoy as "metaphysical pathos" or the set of sentiments with which every theory is associated and which are congruent with the mood or deep lying sentiment of its adherents. Examples from the past include the Social…

According to this acceptance speech delivered by the recipient of the 1987 Kurt Lewin Award, social psychological contributions should be placed within an interdisciplinary framework and an institutional structure in order to make it more relevant for public policy. Recommendations for doing this are offered. (BJV)

In the last 20 years, research on language has gone from an area that specialists in composition and rhetoric took quite seriously to one that specialists now pay little attention to. This shift can be accounted for because (1) some teachers appear to have given up on using any insights from linguistic analysis in their teaching of composition;…

Defining research as systematic, self-critical inquiry open to public criticism and/or empirical test, the author considers the relevance of scientific, historical, and educational research to practice. He asserts that teachers must be involved in educational research and that researchers must justify themselves to practitioners, not practitioners…

Ethical issues; institutional characteristics and organizational arrangements; and roles and skills of the researcher must be considered if the government is to apply social science research findings more widely for the public good. (Available from: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 433 California St., San Francisco, CA 94104, single issue, $6.95.) (Author/GDC)

The moral rules that come into play when researchers engage in qualitative inquiry are explored. Qualitative researchers first need to consider the aims of the research and how it is conducive to the educational good. A primary methodological consideration is to obtain the informed consent of those who participate in the research. The social…

A generation ago, Fred N. Kerlinger proposed that there were a number of myths that pervaded educational research. An overview of three specific myths is presented, followed by a discussion of the degree to which these myths have been overcome or still exist in educational research. The first of these myths, the "methods" myth, is…

Various opinions surround the usefulness of research on women superintendents. An analysis of the benefits and the drawbacks of such research is presented here. The text opens with 10 reasons why such research is of use to women and men. The reasons include: women make up over 70 percent of the teaching ranks but only 7 percent of them occupy…

The analysis of small group data with hierarchical linear models is discussed, concentrating on the usefulness and reliability of such analyses using data reported by N. M. Webb (1982). Results of Webb's analyses for 96 junior high school students in small groups are compared with results obtained with random effects linear models for the analysis…