The questionnaires' origin (sources from which elements of the questionnaire are derived) and initial development (process of making a questionnaire from elements) should be assessed before their measurement properties. There is no Critical Appraisal Tool (CAT) that comprehensively assesses the origin and initial development of questionnaires…

Monitoring the learning process in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments is a key element for supporting the efficacy of tutor actions. This article proposes an approach for analysing learning processes in a CSCL environment to support tutors in their monitoring tasks. The approach entails tracking the interactions within…

Describes database and index design and data collection methods for compilation of the National Tune Index, a comprehensive, multifaceted tool for research in and analysis of eighteenth century American and British secular music, restoration of early American theater works, and identification of specific tune or text fragments. (MBR)

Major databases and data collection efforts related to postsecondary education are described. Database selection was limited to data that was national in scope, of broad interest, and timely (after 1972). Approximately 95 databases are covered, each of a two-page abstract that describes the subject matter and scope of the database, the data…

Major databases and data collection efforts related to postsecondary education are described. Database selection was limited to data that was national in scope, of broad interest, and timely (after 1970). Over 75 databases are covered, each on a two-page abstract that describes subject matter and scope of the database, the data collection method,…

This example of online searching, employed as a research method rather than as a tool to gather bibliographic information, used Magazine Index to collect data which were manipulated using geographic codes and compared with the buildings of a 1977 study on geographic bias in television news reporting. (EM)

The World Wide Web provides a convenient source of databases and examples of survey resources for those who teach research methods. For example, lottery numbers as sources of data, demographic-based search engines, and surveys and their results can be found on the World Wide Web. These can stimulate discussion and lead to student analyses…

Preliminary findings of this research effort provide support for the hypothesis that existing databases maintained by federal agencies for administrative or monitoring purposes can serve as useful data sources in special education policy research. The research explored the relationships among a number of state-level special education, fiscal, and…

Different kinds of pictorial databases are described with respect to aims, user groups, search possibilities, storage, and distribution. Some specific examples are given for databases used for the following purposes: (1) labor markets for artists; (2) document management; (3) telling a story; (4) preservation (archives and museums); (5) research;…

An issues-oriented framework for selecting data to support typical state-level planning analyses is presented. Attention is focused on questions concerning the planning issues, and the general data requirements required to support a given state's analytical questions and decision requirements. State-level planning issues in postsecondary education…

The GENESYS (GENeric Evaluation SYStem) evaluation system of the Austin, Texas school system is described, and its second year of operation--1989-90--is reviewed. GENESYS is a method of streamlining data collection and evaluation through the use of computer technology. It gathers and reports the following standard information on specified groups…

This paper is based on information related to the use of computers in special education within California, and on the experiences of the San Juan Unified School District in using computer information for special education research, evaluation and planning. The majority of special education planning agencies in California have some type of…

The guide is intended to explain and demonstrate by example how to use the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system, especially to find information pertaining to Mexican Americans. An overview of ERIC and ERIC/CRESS (ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools) is given, noting definitions, potential users, types of…

Electronic access to research on women is available in a variety of forms, from both primary and secondary sources. Both types of sources are growing dramatically in number and scope. This guide provides information on resources directly available to the researcher through electronic communications media. It includes enough technical information…

This is a report evaluating the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), which is designed to track federal student financial aid (Title IV) programs and provide research and support functions such as prescreening of aid applicants for eligibility and enrollment status. The report finds that the Department of Education has made only limited…