A Behind‐the‐Scenes Guide to School‐Based Research

Schools are an important context for both basic and applied scientific research. Unlike the laboratory, however, the physical and social conditions of schools are not under the exclusive control of scientists. In this article, we liken collecting data in schools to putting on a theatrical production. We begin by describing the large cast of characters whose collaborative efforts make school‐based research possible. Next, we address the critics, including the university Institutional Review Board (IRB) and school administrators, whose feedback often improves the final study design. We then turn our attention to set building, stage directions, and rehearsals—key steps in the iterative process of refining study procedures. We end with a discussion of the day of data collection itself and activities that take place after the curtain drops. Throughout, we make recommendations based on our recent experience collecting data at several high schools.     

General library standards

Paul Evan Peters begins his discussion of library standards with a convincing argument that the acceptance by librarians of the need for order and standards is not a character flaw. Rather, in promoting the use of standards, librarians are efficiently forwarding their missions to build and organize collections and to make them accessible to their clients. Pointing out the economic realities of contemporary libraries, Peters further argues that standards are appealing because they help librarians to control costs. Paul Evan Peters, systems coordinator for the New York Public Library, is vice chairperson of the National Information Standards Organization and principal representative of the American Library Association to Accredited Standards Committee X3 (Information Processing Systems). Address for correspondence.