A literature search was made to assess information sources used by adult educators in deciding on educational content and format and achieving overall balance within agency programs. Attention was given to the involvement of individuals and groups in decision making as well as to certain conceptual factors in the decision making process. Generalizations included the following: (1) most information of possible use in program planning arises from the social and cultural setting in which the program will exist; (2) administrators have a central role in collecting, analyzing, and organizing information from the social sciences; (3) the structuring of knowledge for adult teaching requires a logical system somewhere between the broad concerns of adults and the rigorous limits imposed by subject matter; (4) experimental findings suggest, but do not dictate, possible educational decisions; (5) ranging from broad to specific, the levels of decision making involve determining the community to be served, identifying clientele, setting objectives, selecting subject matter and methods, and developing a sequence of learning activities. (Bibliographic summaries of 16 studies are also included.) (ly)