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Proceedings of the 1956 International Conference on the Planning of Nursing Studies, organized to provide information on research methodologies, are reported. At the opening session, the chairman stressed the importance of research in nursing and suggested areas in nursing where research is needed. Conference Leader Margaret Arnstein (Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Division of Nursing Resources) identified four stages of involvement in the research process: development of an open mind, evaluation of original reports, collection of data, and examination of nursing participation in research. Bernard G. Greenberg (University of North Carolina, Department of Biostatistics) described the three main types of research -- descriptive, analytical, and experimental -- and suggested characteristics and usages of each. Ariane Levy-Schoen (Sorbonne, Paris, France) discussed data collection, including sources of data, questionnaires, observations, and interviews. Survey methods, used for the study of a community, were described and time-studies dealing with job efficiency were discussed by Fraser Brockington (Manchester University, England). Requirements for experimental studies were presented by Mme. Levy-Schoen using a study of infant smiling responses as an example. Methods of classifying data were explored and a lecture on statistical procedures dealt with problems of sampling. The final lecture on the Preparation of a Research Proposal summarized the work of the entire conference. Afternoon sessions were planned to provide experience in the use of research methods. Group reports of research conducted on nursing problems using the research methods examined in the afternoon sessions are included.