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This book combines an overview of validity theory, trends in validation practices, and a review of standards and guidelines in several international jurisdictions with research synthesis of the validity evidence in different research areas. An overview of theory is both useful and timely, in view of the increased use of tests and measures for decision-making, ranking, and policy purposes in large-scale testing, assessment, and social indicators and quality of life research. Research synthesis is needed to help us assemble, critically appraise, and integrate the overwhelming volume of research on validity in different contexts. Rather than examining whether any given measure is "valid", the focus is on a critical appraisal of the kinds of validity evidence reported in the published research literature. The five sources of validity evidence discussed are: content-related, response processes, internal structure, associations with other variables, and consequences. The 15 syntheses included here, represent a broad sampling of psychosocial, health, medical, and educational research settings, giving us an extensive evidential basis to build upon earlier studies. The book concludes with a meta-synthesis of the 15 syntheses, and a discussion of the current thinking of validation practices by leading experts in the field.

"This book analyses police corruption across four country case studies, exploring how the problem manifests in each country and how it can be reduced. The problem of police corruption ranges from having to pay a bribe to a traffic cop to avoid a speeding fine, right up to more serious forms, such as collusion with organised crime groups and terrorists. The issue therefore constitutes a significant security threat and a human rights issue, but it is often difficult to understand the extent of the problem, and how it varies across contexts. This book analyses the corruption situation in Bulgaria, Germany, Russia and Singapore, identifies similarities and differences across them, and analyses the various means of addressing the problem: punitive, incentivising, technological, administrative, imaging, and the role of civil society. Drawing on existing literature and research, the book also makes extensive use of local sources and original survey data across the four countries. As comparative literature on police corruption remains rare, this book's survey of the situation in two developed states and two post-communist transition states will be of considerable interest to students and researchers across corruption studies, criminology, police studies, and security studies, as well as practitioners working in anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies"--

This biannual conference in Pahang, Malaysia, is a clearing house for many of the latest research findings in a highly multidisciplinary field. The contributions span a host of academic disciplines which are themselves rapidly evolving, making this collection of 90 selected papers an invaluable snapshot of an arena of pure and applied science that produces many versatile innovations. The book covers a multitude of topics ranging from the sciences (pure and applied) to technology (computing and engineering), and on to social science disciplines such as business, education, and linguistics. The papers have been carefully chosen to represent the leading edge of the current research effort, and come from individuals and teams working right around the globe. They are a trusted point of reference for academicians and students intending to pursue higher-order research projects in relevant fields, and form a major contribution to the international exchange of ideas and strategies in the various technological and social science disciplines. It is the sheer scope of this volume that ensures its relevance in a scientific climate with a marked trend towards disciplinary synthesis

The internet has had a vast and pervasive effect on many industries. It has resulted in the creation of new industries and has overhauled the dynamics that governed existing industries. One of the most traditional industries that is now struggling to cope with the changes brought on by the internet is the industry of higher education. Students can now access resources that they previously had no access to, and can enroll in courses that were previously out of reach to them. To cope with these changes, universities are more and more incorporating the use of learning management systems (LMS) in traditional face-to-face courses. So far, these systems have been primarily used as communication tools, that is, posting announcements for students, sharing slides and articles, and sending group emails. This case illustrates how student login data collected by these systems can be used by instructors to predict student performance, thus enabling instructors to identify low-performing students before the end of the semester when it is too late. Since the variable of interest is how much time passes between two consecutive logins for each student, I use a statistical technique called event-history analysis or survival analysis. Event history analysis is used to analyze the time to the occurrence of an event. It involves calculating the probability that an individual will log into the system at a certain time, in addition to finding the factors that might either increase or decrease this probability. The case study will explain the basic premise of this technique, and when it can be used.

Intro -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication Page -- Contents -- Introduction to the Transaction Edition -- Foreword -- Preface -- The Author -- 1. Experiment in the Application of Survey Research -- 2. Continuous National Survey: Structure and Analysis -- 3. Development and Funding of the Survey Experiment -- 4. Planning and Conducting the Project -- 5. Assessing the Survey Experiment -- 6. Utilization of the Survey Information -- 7. Future of Survey Research for Meeting National Needs -- Appendix A: Questionnaires -- Appendix B: Basic Coding Sheet and Summary Tables -- Appendix C: Agency Memos, I -- Appendix D: Agency Memos, II -- References -- Index

Preface -- Series editors' foreword -- What is relational interviewing? -- Building working relationships -- Selecting, finding, and approaching interviewees -- Strategies for conducting interviews -- I have my data : now what? -- The ethos of relational interviewing -- References -- Index.

Sharpen your tools -- How to formulate a question -- How do you choose a site? -- Talking to people -- Hanging out -- Ethics in research -- Comparing -- Dealing with documents -- Interpreting it and writing it up