Dr. Robert Sandieson, PhD
Associate Professor
My interest is information literacy and information science; particularly research knowledge acquisition and dissemination to facilitate informed decision-making. The focus is how research databases, such as ERIC, PsycINFO, and Medline, contribute to this goal. I am developing a new information retrieval methodological framework called Pearl Harvesting, which has been shown to dramatically increase the efficiency of searches.
Dr. Robert (Bob) Sandieson works in the area of autism, intellectual disabilities; cognitive and information science. He is on the board of Western University’s Autism Centre of Excellence, past board member of the Council for Exceptional Children Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and past president of the Canadian Association of Educational Psychologists. His early research with developmental psychologist Robbie Case situated hierarchical instructional design principles within a developmental theory to ensure learners at each stage receive appropriate and successful instruction.
His current research shifted as a result of producing a four edition set of books on intellectual disabilities. An online database of articles in the journal Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities created to facilitate these books turned out to be a valuable and highly used resource. It also enabled the location of terminology in the larger research databases pertaining to the topics in the journal/books. This then became the genesis of a new information retrieval methodology, Pearl Harvesting; empirically supported with international acclaim. Further research extends this work to new topic areas, e.g., autism, gifted education; and to issues such as how to locate and use a variety of pertinent databases. Documenting exemplar search strategies beyond this initial research takes place on a wiki. Teaching how to search in databases provides both application and inspiration for further work.
Recent Publications
Sandieson, R.W., & McIsaac, S. (submitted for publication). Searching the information maze for giftedness using the Pearl Harvesting Information Retrieval Methodological Framework
Sandieson, R.W., Kirkpatrick, L.C., Sandieson, R.M., Zimmerman, W. (2010). Harnessing the Power of Research Databases: The Pearl Harvesting Methodological Framework for Information Retrieval. The Journal of Special Education. 44, 161-175.
Sandieson, R. (2006). Pathfinding in the research forest: The Pearl Harvesting method for effective information retrieval., Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 41(4), 401- 409.
Nowicki, E., & Sandieson, R. (2002). A Meta-Analysis of School-Age Children’s Attitudes Towards Persons with Physical or Intellectual Disabilities. International Journal on Development, Disability and Education 49 (3), 243-265.
Nowicki, E., & Sandieson, R. (2000). Including peers with developmental disabilities: Adolescents’ strategies and attitudes. Exceptionality Education Canada, 9(3), 3-16.
Sandieson, R. (1998). ILinking instructional design and developmental capabilities for persons with Developmental Disabilities: Monetary calculations, evaluations, and transactions. Exceptionality Education Canada, 7(3), 61-77.
Sandieson, R. (1998). A survey on terminology that refers to people with mental retardation/developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 33, 290-295.
Sandieson, R., & Gorodzinsky, F. (1998). The psycho-educational outcomes of children with Very Low Birth Weight. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services. 17(1), 5-61.
Sandieson, R., & Sharpe, V. (Eds.) (2004). Foundations, Families, and Teachers in Developmental Disabilities. Selected readings from Education and Training in Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities 1966-2004. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publishing.
Sandieson, R., & Sharpe, V. (Eds.) (2004). Communication and Social Skills in Developmental Disabilities, Selected readings from Education and Training in Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities 1966-2004. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publishing.
Sandieson, R., & Sharpe, V. (Eds.) (2004). Assessment and Instruction in Developmental Disabilities, Selected readings from Education and Training in Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities 1966-2004. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publishing.
Sandieson, R., & Sharpe, V. (Eds.) (2004). Inclusion and Employment in Developmental Disabilities, Selected readings from Education and Training in Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities 1966-2004. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publishing.
Recent Conference Presentations
Sandieson, R. (May, 2012). A validated approach to information retrieval for evidence- based research : The Pearl Harvesting Information Retrieval Methodological Framework. Presented at the Campbell Collaboration Colloquium, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Servais, M., & Sandieson, R. (May, 2012). Understanding teachers’ special education information needs and preferences. Presented at the Canadian Society for Studies in Education, Waterloo.
Sandieson, R., & Perner, (January, 2012). Understanding language usage and how it affects the students we teach. Presented at 13th International Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, & Developmental Disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children, Miami, Florida
Sandieson, R. (July, 2011). An Information Map and Search Pathway for the topic of Giftedness: The Pearl Harvesting Information Retrieval Method. Presented at the International Centre for Innovation in Education: Excellence in Education for Giftedness, Creativity and Development. Istanbul, Turkey.
Sandieson, R. (October, 2010). Creating a comprehensive literature search for research in Autism using the Pearl Harvesting Method. Presented at the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities. Rome, Italy.
Sandieson, R. (January, 2010). Finding research information on Developmental Disabilities: Overcoming the problem of too much information. Presented at the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities of the International Council for Exceptional Children. Maui, Hawaii.
Sandieson, R. (June, 2009). Harnessing the power of Internet databases for an inclusive society for persons with intellectual disabilities. Presented at the 2nd International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities Asia Pacific Conference, Singapore.
Other
External Links
Indexing project of the journal Education and Training in Autism and Developmental disabilities:
http://mis.edu.uwo.ca/ETMRDD/
The Pearl Harvesting Search Thesaurus
http://pearlharvestingsearchthesaurus.wikispaces.com/
