Major Field Test Research Articles

The Reliability and Validity of the "Major Field Test" in Measuring the Learning of Sociology

L'A. examine les methodes d'evaluation des connaissances mises en place dans le cadre de la sociologie et utilisees dans les universites americaines. Il s'interesse plus particulierement au «Major Field Test». Il s'interroge sur le caractere pertinent de ce type de test. Ils presente les resultats obtenus grâce a cette methode en 1992 a l'universite d'Austin dans le Texas. Pour evaluer son bien-fonde il compare le niveau de connaissances des etudiants en sociologie concernant leur discipline avec le niveau des connaissances en sociologie des etudiants suivant une formation dans une des autres sciences sociales

PROJECT A: SPECIFICATION OF THE PREDICTOR DOMAIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SELECTION/ CLASSIFICATION TESTS

A major goal of the Army Selection and Classification Project was to develop an experimental predictor battery that would best supplement the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery for making selection and classification decisions for entry‐level enlisted personnel. That is, what predictor measures would best serve the needs of all the jobs in an entire selection/classification system? This paper describes the characteristics of the new test battery and the procedures that were used to develop it. The major steps in the procedure were a structured literature search using a standard protocol, an extensive expert judgment study of expected true validities for a population of predictor variables against a population of performance components, fabrication of modularized software and a special response pedestal for computerized measurement of perceptual and psychomotor abilities, evaluations of experimental measures in three iterative pilot tests and one major field test, and a series of reviews by a panel of scientific advisers. The test battery that resulted from this 2 1/2‐year development effort is described. The basic psychometric properties of each measure, as determined in a large concurrent validation sample, are also described.

Negotiated solutions to overcoming impediments in a law‐related experiment

AbstractThree arenas for negotiation in design and execution of randomized experiments are discussed for a major field test of pretrial hearings.

Casing Strain Resulting From Thawing of Prudhoe Bay Permafrost

A compact five-spot well pattern was completed through permafrost at Prudhoe Bay and circulated with hot fluid, creating thaw zones. Compaction Prudhoe Bay and circulated with hot fluid, creating thaw zones. Compaction and deformation of soil in these zones led to casing strain. Analysis determined that casing strains were caused by large differences in compactibility of soil types. Introduction The development of petroleum reserves in the arctic region of Alaska requires new petroleum engineering technology to deal with permafrost problems. A conventional well drilled through permafrost is subjected to the hazards of external freezeback pressures, internal freezeback pressures, and thaw consolidation (compaction). These three major concerns have been studied extensively by operators in the Alaskan arctic. Solutions to the problems associated with the freezeback of shut-in wells have been published in the past four years. Thawing of permafrost around a wellbore also can lead to casing damage. When ice melts, it is reduced approximately 9 percent in volume. Stresses carried through the ice phase of in-situ permafrost tend to transfer to the soil matrix as the ice melts and the pore pressure diminishes because of this reduction. The soil tends to compact when subjected to a higher stress level. The degree of compaction depends on the type of soil, the stress state in the frozen permafrost, the pore pressure after thaw, and the size of the thawed region. Although most compaction is accounted for by lateral movement of the surrounding frozen permafrost, some vertical consolidation or subsidence also can be expected. This vertical consolidation or movement can damage the casing strings throughout the permafrost section. The original field rules for Prudhoe Bay development required that a producing well be protected from subsidence damage by refrigeration, insulation, or other means. To understand thaw consolidation in the thick permafrost at Prudhoe Bay, BP Alaska Inc. conducted a permafrost at Prudhoe Bay, BP Alaska Inc. conducted a field test to thaw a limited region surrounding a well. The amount of thaw in this field test was equivalent to that created around a heavily insulated producing well. Both casing strain and formation movement were detected with a moderate degree of uncertainty in the field data. One solution to the internal freezeback problem is to replace water-base mud with a gelled, weighted oil-base fluid. The thermal-insulating properties of this fluid are quite good. However, a producing well insulated in this manner would develop a larger thaw radius during its operating life than was created in the BP Alaska field test. Petroleum engineers designing casing programs for field Petroleum engineers designing casing programs for field development were uncertain of the effect of this large thaw zone on casing integrity in a producing well. To assess the significance of the consolidation process for a gelled-oil-insulated completion, a major field test at Prudhoe Bay was conducted. The test site was located in Prudhoe Bay was conducted. The test site was located in Section 11, T10N, R15E, in the center of the Prudhoe Bay field and adjacent to a BP Alaska well where numerous cores were taken in the permafrost. Core analysis provided a complete lithology of the permafrost. The provided a complete lithology of the permafrost. The goal of the field test was to observe casing integrity and to measure the strain of a casing string surrounded by a thaw zone equivalent in size to a zone created by a well after 20 year's production. This paper describes the field test, operational aspects, and results. JPT P. 468