Managing evaluation studies, evaluators and other workers, and evaluation units is an omnipresent but almost invisible practice little studied and written about. The authors ask whether this should change and how. It is necessary to illuminate this practice before deciding, making distinctions among management, manager, and managing, the first a…

Ethical, Legal and Social Implications ("ELSI") research has played an increasingly important role in scientific research. Tens of millions of dollars, many of which are public, are spent funding scientific research projects. Taxpayers are demanding that scientific advancement move forward, hand-in-hand with careful examination of the many ethical…

On the basis of a multistage exploration of evaluation texts, electronic searches, and nominations from the field and from managing social science, the author concludes there is little research literature on managing evaluation studies, evaluators and other workers, and evaluation units. The discussion explores what this limited literature tells…

The philosophical basis for the federal human subject protection policy is congruent with the values of the social work profession. The pragmatics are more complicated. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes toward, knowledge about, and practices of institutional review boards (IRBs) across colleges and universities as reported by…

Donald W. Compton, the first director of evaluation services at the National Home Office (Atlanta) of the American Cancer Society, tells the story of building the unit in conditions of high demand and a limited budget. Along the way, evaluation was brought to regional divisions and to local offices in part as a response to United Way and to his…

The authors tell about their heterogeneous 91 person research and evaluation unit at an operating foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. They focus on evaluation for program improvement, one of several purposes of studies they work on. The three authors write from their different manager positions within the unit. Included are the context of the…

University-managed research differs greatly from industry-managed research in terms of budgeting, staffing, and decision-making. Procedures at the University of Guelph are cited that use an integrating control system to manage a project. For journal availability see HE 509 147. (LBH)

The role of the evaluation project director as middle manager is examined, five types of evaluation environment are defined and conclusions about the way in which different types of work environment affect the performance of evaluation management tasks are drawn. (Author/PN)

Thirty-four key ideas on research and research management summarize the views of scientists in charge of research institutes who attended three regional seminars held in 1960 and 1961 in France, Austria, and Denmark. Meaningful research, whether pure, directed, or applied, requires professional management by directors who are technically skilled…

The DELTA Chart acts as a communication device by displaying project needs in flow-chart form. Its five elements are: Decision box, Event box, Logic box, Time Arrow, and Activity box. It can also provide the administrator with better planning and monitoring capabilities. For journal availability see HE 509 147. (LBH)

Presented are the results of a survey, initiated in mid-1974 by the National Science Foundation, to update the findings of a 1968 survey designed to obtain information on research activities of faculty in colleges and universities. Survey topics deal with faculty composition, tenure, proportion of faculty active in research, division of research…

A detailed analysis of the research administrator's profile compares seven categories of Society of Research Administrators membership (Academic Medical, Academic Non-Medical, Hospital Medical, Foundations and Non-profits, Industry, Government, and Other) with educational attainment and the 21 Priority Interest codes of the membership. (MLW)

University administrators should study the various organizational approaches used for managing interdisciplinary research (IDR) in their institutions. More aggressive, innovative approaches to IDR management should be adopted. Available from: the Society of Research Administrators, 2855 East Coast Highway, Suite 225, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.…

Because of the growing significance of R&D expenditures, the importance of some rational approach to planning and budgeting is seen as being imperative. It is proposed that more studies on the question of project cost and duration estimates be conducted. A bibliographical survey is included. (MLW)

Research administrators can avoid falling into bureaucratic traps by (1) understanding what is important and what is subordinate to it; (2) becoming a better manager; and (3) improving public relations by being more accessible, soliciting complaints, consulting, supporting clients, making the rules work for clients, and educating clients.