REPRESENTATIVE CONCEPTS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM RESEARCH LITERATURE WERE SUMMARIZED AND INTEGRATED DURING THIS PROJECT, INVOLVING (1) REVIEW AND INTEGRATION OF RECENT, RELEVANT RESEARCH IN ADULT EDUCATION, (2) REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH IN RELATED DISCIPLINES AND APPLIED FIELDS, (3) INTERVIEWS OF LEADING PERSONS IN THESE DISCIPLINES AND APPLIED FIELDS, (4) REVIEW OF THE WRITINGS OF PROFESSORS OF ADULT EDUCATION, AND (5) SYNTHESIS OF RECOMMENDATIONS EMERGING FROM A WORK CONFERENCE IN WHICH LEADING ADULT EDUCATORS APPRAISED AND CRITICIZED A PRELIMINARY REPORT OF NEEDED RESEARCH. THE STUDY (1) DEVELOPED A STRUCTURE WITHIN WHICH RESEARCH RELATED TO ADULT EDUCATION COULD BE IDENTIFIED AND (2) IDENTIFIED RESEARCH NEEDS OF THE FIELD IN RELATION TO THAT STRUCTURE. IT WAS FOUND SUBSTANTIAL RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS COULD BE OBTAINED FROM THE DISCIPLINES OF SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY. THE APPLIED FIELDS OF COMMUNICATIONS, HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS, AND SOCIAL WORK WERE FOUND TO HAVE IMPORTANT ROLES ALSO. NEEDED RESEARCH WAS IDENTIFIED IN THREE INTERRELATED CATEGORIES OF APPLICATION--(1) THE ADULT AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND A LEARNER, (2) THE ADULT RESPONSE TO SOCIOCULTURAL PHENOMENA, AND (3) THE ADULT EDUCATION ENTERPRISE. (JM)