Conducting Research That
Makes a Difference
William E. Sedlacek
University of Maryland
wsed@umd.edu
www.williamsedlacek.info
Research Problems
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The Quest for the Golden Label
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Three Musketeers
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Same studies repeated at same level
I’m OK; You’re Not
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Statistical bias may lead to racial/gender bias
Horizontal Research
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All for one & one for all
Bias is Bias
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Noncognitive variables
I’m the good guy
Multicultural Myth- We are equally sensitive to all
types of discrimination-professional human beings
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70% of multicultural office staff would admit no biases
Audience
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Define & understand your audience
White students
 Students of color
 Faculty
 Administrators
 State legislators
 Parents
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Types of Research
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Define research broadly
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Surveys
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Likert v. Thurstone
Interviews
 Nonreactive measures
 Qualitative designs
 Perceptual mapping
 Observation
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Focus Your Questions
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Don’t try to do too much in one study
Information
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How many Muslims are terrorists?
What is range of majors for Asian Americans?
Attitudes
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How do men feel about women?
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How do White students feel about diversity?
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Situational Attitude Scale-SAS
Universal Diverse Orientation- UDO
Behavior
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What interactions work best between able-bodied students &
students with disabilities?
What predicts student graduation?
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Noncognitive variables-NCQ
Control The Turf
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Choose your topics well
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Decide for yourself what to study
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Research v data v public relations
Make others react to your data
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Multiple methods of communication
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Data don’t speak for themselves
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Galileo
Articles
Books
Presentations

Multiple groups
The Long-Term View
Use references
 Incremental gains
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Longitudinal studies
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Noncognitive variable research
Maryland Longitudinal Study
Long-term cross-sectional studies
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Racism over 25 years at UMD
Become The Source

Who do you trust?
Politician
 Partisan think tank researcher
 Pollster working for a cause
 Pundit
 Professor
 Others
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Up The Conceptual Ladder

Deductive
Test models or theories
 Don’t always measure variables well
 Too much too soon

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Inductive
Build higher order constructs from bottom
up
 May never work up ladder
 Don’t use data just because it’s there
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Stick To Your Principles
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Do follow
Your goals & interests
 Defining your interests in terms of your
audience
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Don’t follow:
The money
 The latest fad
 What will get published
 What others want you to do
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Patience & Persistence
The mosaic model
 Internal v external motivation
 Share ideas & interests
 Satisfied with small gains
 Learn from nonsignificance
 Say hmmm at least once a day
 Have fun
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References
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Sedlacek, W. E. (2004). A multicultural research program. In F. W.
Hale Jr. (Ed.) What makes racial diversity work in higher
education (Pp.256-271). Sterling VA :Stylus Publishing.
Sedlacek, W. E. (2004). Beyond the big test: Noncognitive
assessment in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Longerbeam, S. L., Sedlacek, W. E., Balón, D. G., & Alimo, C.
(2005). The multicultural myth: A study of multicultural program
organizations at three public research universities. Journal of
College Student Development. 46 (3), 88-97.
Sedlacek, W. E. Conducting research that makes a difference.
(2007). In C.C. Lee, & G.R. Walz (Eds.) Counseling for social
justice. (Pp. 223-237). Alexandria, VA. American Counseling
Association.
Sedlacek, W. E. (in press). Measures worth considering in
diversity research and programming. Readings on Equal
Education.