Your Thoughts Matter

Marijuana use and motor vehicle crashes

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Marijuana usage in America rose 6.9% between 2009 and 2010, when some 17.4 million Americans reported using the drug. Sixteen states now permit the medical use of marijuana for diseases such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, but the drug’s growing popularity is primarily due to more recreational users ages 18 to 34, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Can prominence matter even in an almost frictionless market?

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Firms pay to compete for the top slot within search engines such as Google. The first result for a search for “toys,” for example, will show a paid placement followed by organic search results generated by an algorithm. How search results influence buying and price-shopping habits within the online ecosystem — and what ultimate benefit it has for businesses — is a matter of ongoing economic and marketing research.

How do phone and Internet surveys compare?

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Random Digit Dialing (RDD) is a popular research method in which participants are contacted by the random dialing of telephone numbers. As more U.S. residents move to cell phones, however, they are increasingly out of reach of such traditional phone-based surveys. The Internet can also be used to administer surveys, and it has the advantage of allowing researchers to target specific populations (known as a “probability” survey) or random groups (a “non-probability” survey).

Federal student loans: patterns in tuition, enrollment and federal Stafford loan borrowing up to the 2007-08 loan limit increase

Source: JournalistsResource.org

College tuition costs, which have been steadily rising over the past few decades, may put higher education out of reach for many aspiring students. To provide more financial resources for these students, Congress has raised the ceiling on the amount qualified undergraduates could borrow from the federal Stafford Loan program.

World Bank government-reform projects: One-size-fits-all or adapted to their context?

Source: JournalistsResource.org

The World Bank was founded toward the end of World War II by representatives from the 44 Allied nations. Its stated mission was to reduce poverty in developing countries through direct loans. Currently, the organization manages 1,600 projects in 172 countries and in 2012 provided approximately $30 billion in loans.