Provides research, evaluation, consulting, and technical assistance services that contribute to the lifelong process of learning and improving personal performance.

Produces and disseminates information to provide motivation and tools to enable individuals to make informed decisions about health issues.

Develops and implements education testing programs that benefit students, parents and public officals.

Works with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the government's primary source for collecting and analyzing data about public education.

Helps to provide all children with access to a quality education, and empowers people, organizations, and communities to bring about social change.

Is committed to helping clients improve the effectiveness of their workforce through a wide range of management, organizational, and business improvement efforts.

Produces, maintains and disseminates systematic reviews of the effects of social and behavioral interventions.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Quantitative research deals in numbers, logic and the objective, focusing on logic, numbers, and unchanging static data and detailed, convergent reasoning rather than divergent reasoning. Its main characteristics are:

• The data is usually gathered using more structured research instruments.
• The results provide less detail on behavior, attitudes and motivation.
• The results are based on larger sample sizes that are representative of the population.
• The research can usually be replicated or repeated, given its high reliability.
• The analysis of the results is more objective.

Qualitative research, on the other hand, deals in words, images and processes data as words, emotions, feelings, emotions, color, and music. Its characteristics are:

• The data is usually gathered using less structured research instruments.
• The findings are more in-depth since they make greater use of open-ended questions.
• The results provide much more detail on behavior, attitudes and motivation.
• The research is more intensive and more flexible, allowing the researcher to probe with greater latitude.
• The results are based on smaller sample sizes and are often not representative of the population.
• The research can usually not be replicated or repeated, given its low reliability.
• The analysis of the results is much more subjective.