In addition, he reviews log-linear models, latent trait models, and a number of restricted latent class models in detail as well as for the estimation of parameters for these models.

This volume is based on an international conference held at the Institute for Science Education (IPN) in Kiel in August 1985. The IPN is a national research institute for science education of the Federal Republic of Germany associated with the University of Kiel. The aim of this conference-to treat latent trait and latent class models under comparative points of view as well as under application aspects-was realized in many stimulating contributions and very different ways. We asked the authors of these papers to work out their contributions for publication here, not only because many of the papers present new material, but also because the time is ripe for a comprehen sive volume, working up the widespread literature of the past ten years in this field. We have tried to compile a volume that will be of interest to statistically oriented researchers in a variety of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, education, political science, epidemiology, and the like. Although the chapters assume a reasonably high level of methodo logical sophistication, we hope that the book will find its way into advanced courses in the above fields. We are grateful to the IPN for organizing the conference, to our contributors for their untiring efforts in revising their chapters for publication, and to the staff of Plenum Publishing Corporation for helping to make this book a reality.

This book provides methods and applications of latent class analysis, and the following topics are taken up in the focus of discussion: basic latent structure models in a framework of generalized linear models, exploratory latent class analysis, latent class analysis with ordered latent classes, a latent class model approach for analyzing learning structures, the latent Markov analysis for longitudinal data, and path analysis with latent class models. The maximum likelihood estimation procedures for latent class models are constructed via the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm, and along with it, latent profile and latent trait models are also treated. Entropy-based discussions for latent class models are given as advanced approaches, for example, comparison of latent classes in a latent class cluster model, assessing latent class models, path analysis, and so on. In observing human behaviors and responses to various stimuli and test items, it is valid to assume they are dominated by certain factors. This book plays a significant role in introducing latent structure analysis to not only young researchers and students studying behavioral sciences, but also to those investigating other fields of scientific research.

The Handbook of Methodological Approaches to Community-Based Research is intended to aid the community-oriented researcher in learning about and applying cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches.