A review is presented of the operations of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Overviews are provided of ACER activities and future planning in the following programs: (1) social context of education; (2) measurement and evaluation; (3) learning and teaching; (4) survey and psychometric services; (5) advisory services; and (6)…

The present article reviews and distinguishes three related but different types of significance: "statistical,""practical," and "clinical." A framework for conceptualizing the many 'Practical" effect size indices is described. Several effect size indices that counseling researchers can use are summarized. (Contains 58 references.) (GCP)

Discusses ongoing efforts of the National Rural Education Association (NREA) to support rural research and data collection activities. Describes research activities and projects at three university-based rural education research centers established with NREA endorsement. Provides criteria and application procedures for NREA-endorsed research…

This 1984-85 annual report from the Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) contains lists of officers, members, principal officials and staff; the chairman's report for 1984-85; a summary of projects in tabular form and a series of brief reports on projects; a note on overseas counsultancies; a list of SCRE publications; a note on…

The use of quantitative techniques for research and development management in large U.S. industrial firms is reviewed, current patterns of technique familiarity and usage are described, and suggestions for the direction of project management systems are given. (MSE)

The articles in this special issue from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of nearly lethal suicide attempts represents an important contribution to research on suicidal behavior. This commentary highlights certain aspects of this line of research as well as comments on the findings of the CDC study and their relationship…

Informal research and development (R & D) is defined as any small-scale, decentralized agricultural or extension education program that involves the population of learners in the process of planning, implementation, and evaluation of a learning process. It involves simple experimentation with potential solutions to common problems. The presence of…

Comparison of two studies in the United Kingdom and Switzerland regarding the efficacy of vocational education research and development highlights the importance of more rigorously establishing what happens to research results. Steps must be taken to ensure that such projects have a positive impact on practice and justify their costs. (SK)

This article introduces two conference papers (EC 607 450 and 451) which discuss the link between basic research into brain structure and function and the applied issues of instructional intervention in dyslexia. The papers, based on longitudinal studies at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine (North Carolina), were presented at a Middle Tennessee…

This Office of Technology Assessment report on the current state of research and development in the telecommunications industry in the United States examines four specific areas of research as case studies: computer architecture, artificial intelligence, fiber optics, and software engineering. It discusses the structure and orientation of some…

This introductory article on curriculum-based measurement (CBM) identifies the purpose of CBM, notes differences between CBM and other curriculum-based assessment approaches, and traces the history and development of CBM. The research and development program on CBM at the University of Minnesota is highlighted. (DB)

Report on current state of research in academic and research librarianship in Federal Republic of Germany highlights projects concerning acquisition of books; work procedure investigations; personnel requirements; cost accounting; investigations of library use (user research, user education); public relations work; librarianship; and subject…

The design and implementation of a two-year project on research utilization in elementary teacher education (RUETE) integrates: (1) the application of research on effective instruction; (2) the utilization of processes of adult learning in a systematic manner; and (3) the development of teacher education academies. The first of the study's two…

Seven articles on higher education and research and development in Australia are presented, along with 12 review articles. "Research into Postgraduate Education" (Ernest Rudd) reviews such topics as admission criteria, student characteristics, form and quality of instruction, and the employment market. "Postgraduate Education…

Agriculture and the rural economic bases in mining, fisheries, forestry, and natural resource extraction are experiencing major social and economic changes. The farm and rural crises of the 1980s are not short-term aberrations, but symptoms of long-term trends that were partially hidden by the relatively good times for agriculture and rural areas…