Findings on the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the use of cellular phones vis-à-vis face-to-face interviews in investigating health behaviors and conditions are presented for a national epidemiological sample from Lebanon. Using self-reported responses on identical questions, percentage agreement, ? statistics, and McNemar's test were used…

Record-keeping systems (or volunteer management systems) were identified as a capacity-building tool for Extension master gardener volunteer (EMGV) programs. Not all states have or use such systems, and there are differences among existing systems. A survey was conducted in June 2015 to document and compare record-keeping systems for EMGV programs…

In Djibouti, extreme poverty was 41.9% and relative poverty 79.4% according to the poverty profile elaborated by the national statistical office (DISED) in 2012. Malnutrition remains high in Djibouti, and comparable to Sub-Saharan countries, with 29.7% of children under the age of five chronically malnourished, 29.6% underweight, and over 17.8% of…

When yes/no or multiple-choice answers do not suffice--when a qualitative understanding of a topic rather than a quantitative head count is needed--it is time to consider focus groups. They work well when learning why, how, and what for is more important than measuring how many. Focus groups are primarily an open-ended form of inquiry, enabling…

Web-based surveys have become more prevalent in areas such as evaluation, research, and marketing research to name a few. The proliferation of these online surveys raises the question, how do response rates compare with traditional surveys and at what cost? This research explored response rates and costs for Web-based surveys, paper surveys, and…

Based on Penn State's popular "Innovation Insights" series, this book brings together in one handy reference nearly a decade of tried and true insights into continuous quality improvements in higher education. Their five-step model for integrating planning, assessment, and improvement moves plans off the shelf and into the weekly and daily…

The authors describe 2 efficiency (planned missing data) designs for measurement: the 3-form design and the 2-method measurement design. The 3-form design, a kind of matrix sampling, allows researchers to leverage limited resources to collect data for 33% more survey questions than can be answered by any 1 respondent. Power tables for estimating…

Describes the reporting system implemented by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) to account for the costs of responding to external requests for information. Outlines the procedures for assigning priority to data requests, filling the requests, and reporting costs. Provides samples of forms. (JP)

An evaluation of alternative methods--including three types of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews--of obtaining post training feedback from naval personnel is described. Using a sample of recent radio technician trainees, various approaches to data collection were employed. It was found that questionnaires provide the most cost-effective…

Utilizing three different techniques, a follow-up survey of participants in a vocational education course was conducted to determine which technique collects the most useful information efficiently. The course participants were divided into thirds and, using the same questionnaire, data was collected from each third via one of the following three…

This policy research brief summarizes changes in out-of-home placements of children and youth with mental retardation since the implementation of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) entitlements. Statistics are reported for 1977, 1987, and 1997 to show trends. Statistics were obtained from…

Provided is the appendix material from a study which examined and evaluated in detail all the existing sources of economic data on the arts and conducted a needs survey of arts councils, arts-producing organizations, and people concerned with the arts to find out which economic data sources, if any, they found useful. The study was conducted to…

To assist the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in making decisions about the Endowment's future role in the development of new, and improvement of existing, economic data on the arts and cultural institutions, all the existing sources of economic data on the arts were examined and evaluated in detail. A needs survey was also conducted. A…

Specifications for the types of information necessary for the evaluation of nontraditional college programs involve: content, respondent groups, schedule for data collection, possible instruments and forms of response, and presentation of the information to different groups. One important issue is the need for more precise definitions of…

A survey conducted to provide general information on instructional costs at universities similar to Montana State is presented in an effort to demonstrate difficulties involved in comparing costs among different universities. A sample of six comparable financial reports from Rocky Mountain area universities were collected. Figures are provided for…