Relativism is an inevitable consequence of our interpretive mode of being in the world. This is so for both our daily lives and our professional lives. What does not overly concern us at the former level should likewise not concern us at the latter level. (Author/BJV)

Examines research reviews on exceptional schools and summarizes findings on the leadership, efficacy, and efficiency dimensions of effective schooling. Discusses strengths and weaknesses of the research, and suggests ways that research can be used to improve schools. (MJL)

Answers criticisms by Mary Anne Bunda, Ernest House, and Mary Kennedy. Discusses, among other issues, legal authorization for the use of higher quality evaluation designs and the use of evaluation research results. (GC)

Discusses the Privacy Act of 1974, noting that it "establishes minimal standards for the protection of individual privacy. By contrast, educational researchers and the social science community generally have a far more restrictive attitude toward the protection of individually identifiable data pertaining to research subjects."…

This interview with Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) Sharon Robinson describes the new organization of OERI and its new emphasis on accessibility and information dissemination. It outlines plans for the agency and goals for educational research. (SLD)

Concludes that the social sciences must meet the same standards of rationality and honesty as the natural sciences, and, in addition, be wary of the uncertainties that arise from bias within and from the interests at stake outside. (Author)

Presents some findings and recommendations of the University of Tennessee's research into ways of improving the management of large scale interdisciplinary research projects as part of the Research Management Improvement Program. (Author/AM)

Notes that whether or not the goal of achieving a clearer understanding of the relationships between science and policy is reached, a clearer understanding of the complexities of the relationship is emerging in the process. (Author/AM)

Points out that educational research has more critics than supporters. Until researchers convince lawmakers, educators, and taxpayers that research is useful, support for research will not be forthcoming. The constraints on and accomplishments of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement are discussed. (VM)

Problems in trying to apply the laws of learning to educational situations derive both from the failure to take account of differences between humans and other animals, and from failure to take into account of important variables interacting with independent variables in natural educational settings. (Author/JM)

The articles of this theme issue explore the use of educational research and whether the American Educational Research Association should play more of an advocacy role in the educational policymaking process. The challenge is one of expanding debate and discussion on educational research beyond the research community to the policy process. (SLD)

Argues that the theory and practice of educational measurement would benefit from expanding the dialog among measurement professionals to include voices from different research traditions and from the communities researchers study and serve. The critical dialectic between naturalist and interpretive conceptions of social science is explored. (SLD)

The current unified-system view of educational knowledge production and utilization is seen to be inadequate. A reformulation of the conceptual structure on which the program is built must be complete, balanced, and realistic in order to mount programs in education which can command broad-based support. (Author/AM)

Triangulation strategy results in evidence characterized by the following: (1) convergence; (2) inconsistency; and (3) contradiction. In order to render the data sensible, the researcher or evaluator must report data collection procedures, as well as the three levels of information from which explanations of social phenomena are constructed. (BJV)

Identifies two major problems--first, both the formal and informal communication networks are extremely diffuse; and second, the interval from the start of a piece of research until its integration into the archival body of scientific knowledge is long--and presents some suggestions for alleviating them. (Author/JM)