Special education researchers have indicated the need for an increased use of mixed methods research to address many of the complex issues in the field. An important first step in designing mixed methods research is to develop quality research questions. The aim of this article is to provide fundamental information on the formation of mixed…

Consistency in the title, problem, purpose, and research question improve the logic and transparency of research. When these components of research are aligned research design and planning are more coherent and research reports are more readable. This article reviews the process for checking for and improving consistency. Numerous examples of…

Over the last few years, there has been evolution, although not a linear one, that has progressed from an emphasis on statistical significance to an emphasis on effect size to an emphasis on both of these concepts to what is believed to be a pragmatic emphasis on replicability. This paper presented two methods of estimating a study's replicability…

In a conjoint-analysis consumer-preference study, researchers must determine whether the product factor estimates, which measure consumer preferences, should be calculated and interpreted for each respondent or collectively. Multiple regression models can determine whether to aggregate data by examining factor-respondent interaction effects. This…

This paper provides examples of how one can use the research issue and the relationships between qualitative and quantitative research as a frame for instructing students and judging the quality of research. The emphasis is on validity estimates, also called legitimization techniques, with attention to the idea of a qualitative-quantitative…

The purpose of this paper is to assist researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in identifying and addressing key questions related to the task of choosing among the analytic techniques designed to analyze a dichotomized dependent variable with a set of independent variables. The discussion is limited to (1) the analysis of data by the…

This article presents two methods of estimating a study's replicability that researchers should consider reporting along with their statistical significant and effect size findings. One method of estimating the replicability of the findings deals with replication in the exact same system. The second method, which may contain subjective probability…

The major concern for any research model, whether disproportionate or not, is the research question and how well that question is reflected by the model. Three "exact solutions" for disproportional situations, the hierarchial, unadjusted main effects, and fitting constant methods, are discussed in terms of the research question that each…

This paper presents a discussion of various statistical concepts and techniques in light of two propositions. The first is that researchers need to select analytical techniques that prevent them from committing Type VI errors, which are inconsistencies between the research question and the statistical analysis. The second is that many statistical…

The intention of this paper is to provide an overall reference on how a researcher can apply multiple linear regression in order to utilize the advantages that it has to offer. The advantages and some concerns expressed about the technique are examined. A number of practical ways by which researchers can deal with such concerns as…

In this paper the binomial index of model fit is applied to four path-analytic or structural-equation models to demonstrate how this goodness-of-fit measure can be used and interpreted. In addition, the conclusions derived from the results of the binomial index of goodness of fit were compared to the statements presented by the authors of the…

Presents situations in which researchers can use the general linear model to uncover reasons for discrepant effect-size results of meta-analysis of similar studies. Situations include similarly labeled treatments or participants differing in important ways, treatment effectiveness varying by subject aptitude or situational variables, research…

When investigating the impact of predictor variables on an outcome variable or measuring the effectiveness of an educational program, educational researchers and program evaluators cannot ignore the possible influences of interaction effects. The purpose of this paper is to present a procedure that educational researchers can follow in order to…

Introduces the basic concepts of chaos theory and chaos modeling. Relates chaos theory to qualitative research and factor analysis. Describes some current research in education and psychology using chaos theory. Claims that the philosophical implications of chaos theory have been misapplied in practical terms. (KS)

This paper presents a model for qualitative and quantitative evaluation research that has been used in a preliminary way in evaluating a teacher education program. The model is based on three underlying constructs which are hierarchical in nature: (1) the assumption that the question of interest always must dictate the structure of the research…