Comprehensive state education data warehouses, such as Florida’s, are a gold mine for education researchers, but ensuring student privacy will be a major challenge. The Chronicle of Higher Education explores the issues.

The PRI Library has received announcement of the C2S Summer Biomarkers Institute, to be held June 9-11 at the Evanston, IL campus of the Northwestern University.

Upcoming Brown Bag Discussions:

What is This Thing Called Plagiarism and How do I Avoid It?
March 26, 2008
Noon-1:00 p.m.
102 Kern Graduate Building

The Ins and Outs of Internet Research
April 9, 2008
Noon-1:00 p.m.
102 Kern Graduate Building

Upcoming IRB Workshop:

The IRB Process Made Easy
April 3, 2008
12:00 – 1:30pm
102 Kern Graduate Building
* Pre-registration required

Most events are also webcast. For more information, including registration and remote access information, see the ORP web site.

Penn State’s Office for Research Protections has announced its fall Research Integrity Brown Bag Series.

Sessions focus on issues of ethics and integrity in research and are open to the public. All sessions are from noon to 1 p.m. in 102 Kern Graduate Building, and are available via live Web stream, videoconference and teleconference. Beverage and dessert are provided.

• Sept. 13: “Keeping Your Nose Clean While Getting Your Hands Dirty,” presented by David Rosenbaum, distinguished professor of psychology. This session will focus on ethical issues surrounding research publication, both for authors and reviewers.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m. Sept. 5. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 865-9999 just before noon on the day of the session.
• Sept. 26: “Minimizing Academic Dishonesty: Assigning ‘Cheat-proof’ Assignments, Detecting Plagiarism and Coaching the Writing Process” presented by Jessica O’Hara, associate director, Writing Across the Curriculum. In addition to discussing teaching strategies for minimizing academic dishonesty, this session will also consider the efficacy and ethics of plagiarism prevention subscription services such as http://www.turnitin.com online.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m. Sept.18. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 865-9999 just before noon on the day of the session.
• Oct. 10: “Working Towards Quality Research through Good Data Management Practices,” presented by Michelle Stickler, education specialist, Office for Research Protections. This session will focus on responsible data management practices and highlight some of the ethical issues inherent in collecting, recording, analyzing and sharing data.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 2. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 863-0013 just before noon on the day of the session.
• Oct. 26: “Human Participant Research: Pilot Testing and Secondary/Existing Data — IRB Review and Approval,” presented by Tracie Kahler and Jodi Mathieu, research compliance coordinators, Office for Research Protections. This session will assist researchers in determining when review and approval is needed for the pilot testing phase of a research study.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m.Oct. 18. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 865-9999 just before noon on the day of the session.

A research team at the at Oregon State University is giving drug tests to entire cities by measuring amounts of drugs in wastewater streams. The findings could be used to track the spread of dangerous drugs like methamphetamines. Jennifer Field, the study’s lead researcher, said the findings indicate that self-report surveys underestimate drug abuse. (AP via Centre Daily Times)

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, “one of the longest and most respected sociological investigations ever undertaken,” began as a survey of high school seniors’ post-graduation plans in 1957. Fifty years later, the study continues to examine how lifetime experiences affect quality of life as people age. This summer, WLS researchers are celebrating and sharing results with participants at their 50th high school reunions. (University of Wisconsin-Madison press release)

Adil E. Shamoo calls for less strict regulation of low-risk human subjects research in a column in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Shamoo, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says that current requirements create unnecessary roadblocks. Among the examples of low-risk research are social science surveys, interviews, and observations involving competent adult subjects that do not reveal personal information.

PRI’s Data Archive maintains a page of information about requirements for secondary data research at Penn State.

Note: The Chronicle article is available online to subscribers. PRI affiliates can read the Chronicle in the PRI Library or request online access from library@pop.psu.edu.

Measurement Error and Misclassification: A Comparison of Survey and Register Data by Arie Kapteyn and Jelmer Yeb Ypma (RAND working paper WR-283-1) examines survey and administrative data for reliability, and challenges the notion that administrative data represents “the truth”.

New from Family Health International, Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide (by Natasha Mack, Cynthia Woodsong, Kathleen M. MacQueen, Greg Guest, and Emily Namey) is a how-to guide for data collection for applied research.

The PRI Library has received an announcement from ICPSR for their Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research.