Background: The adult reading history questionnaire (ARHQ) is frequently used in research on adult dyslexia and family risk for dyslexia. However, this measure is lengthy (23 items), reducing its applicability in studies with extensive assessment batteries. Methods: We identified the best-performing ARHQ items in a sample of 396 Finnish adults…

This paper reviews literature on the rationale, challenges, and recommendations for choosing a nonequivalent comparison (NEC) group design when evaluating intervention effects. After reviewing frequently addressed threats to validity, the paper describes recommendations for strengthening the research design and how the recommendations were…

The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the Monitoring the Future research design, including sampling design, data collection procedures, measurement content, and questionnaire format. This study assesses the changing lifestyles, values, and preferences of American youth on a continuing basis. Each year since 1975, at…

Evaluations should be issues driven, not methods driven. The starting point should be priority programs to be evaluated or policies to be tested. From this starting point, a list of evaluation questions is identified. For each evaluation question, the task is to identify the best available method for answering that question. Hence it is likely…

The present article focuses on data collection through web questionnaires, as opposed to the traditional pen-and-paper method for research in second language acquisition and bilingualism. It is argued that web questionnaires, which have been used quite widely in psychology, have the advantage of reaching out to a larger and more diverse pool of…

The National Assessment Governing Board adopted a Program of Preparedness Research in March 2009. Several categories of research studies were recommended to produce results for reporting 12th grade preparedness for the 2009 grade 12 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics. The categories included content…

This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between science learning environments and scientific literacy level of learners. Descriptive research design of the survey type was employed. The population for the study was made up of both secondary school students and science teachers, stratified into types A, B, and C. Four hundred and…

Clear, coherent and trusted, this book is the perfect guide to the main social research methods in use today. The much anticipated Third Edition of Clive Seale's bestselling title further expands its coverage to provide an authoritative introduction to all of the social research methods used to analyze qualitative and quantitative data. Written by…

This article is the third contribution to a research methods series dedicated to getting good results from survey research. In this series, "good results" is a stenographic term used to define surveys that yield accurate and meaningful information that decision makers can use with confidence when conducting program evaluation and policy assessment…

The purposes of evaluation design are stated. A description of experimental, quasi-experimental, survey, and naturalistic designs is presented. Emphasis is placed upon the identification of sources of invalidity in these designs that may compromise the accuracy of inferences regarding program effectiveness. (Author/JAZ)

True experimental designs are thought to provide internally valid results. In this investigation of the evaluations of five interventions, a source of internal invalidity is identified when self-report measures are used. An alternative approach is presented and implications of the findings for evaluation research are discussed. (JKS)

The nine-volume Survey Kit is designed to help readers prepare and conduct surveys and become better users of survey results. All the books in the series contain instructional objectives, exercises and answers, examples of surveys in use, illustrations of survey questions, guidelines for action, checklists of "dos and don'ts," and…

The nine-volume Survey Kit is designed to help readers prepare and conduct surveys and become better users of survey results. All the books in the series contain instructional objectives, exercises and answers, examples of surveys in use, illustrations of survey questions, guidelines for action, checklists of "dos and don'ts," and…

The nine-volume Survey Kit is designed to help readers prepare and conduct surveys and become better users of survey results. All the books in the series contain instructional objectives, exercises and answers, examples of surveys in use, illustrations of survey questions, guidelines for action, checklists of "dos and don'ts," and…

This paper provides a progress report on an investigation to validate and extend the autocatalytic model for the adoption of educational innovations. Three topics are dealt with: (1) a brief description is provided of the autocatalytic model and its current application, (2) the design of a survey to collect data for further tests of the model is…