The Department of Administrative Programming Services of Clemson University investigated products available in user-friendly retrieval systems. The test of INTELLECT, a natural language query system written by Artifical Intelligence Corporation, is described. (Author/MLW)

Twenty-nine steps necessary for data file preparation for secondary analysis are discussed. Data base characteristics and planned use vary the complexity of the preparation. Required techniques (file verification, sample verification, file merger, data aggregation, file modification, and variable controls) and seven associated pitfalls are defined…

Surveys the field and literature of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data representation as it relates to GIS. Highlights include GIS terms, data types, and operations; vector representations and raster, or grid, representations; spatial indexing; elevation data representations; large spatial databases; and problem areas and future…

This paper describes and evaluates a computerized system, MATCH, which is being used in South Carolina to match or link student records from year to year. The functioning of MATCH and its specific features are described, and its use in matching student test scores is detailed. The problem of mismatched records and the use of visual editing to…

The plotting of multivariate data using computer line-printers has become a popular means of quickly representing multidimensional data. While many plotting programs are available, there is a paucity of research regarding the validity and reliability of interpretations made by viewing such graphics. This study explores the validity of four…

This packet of forms, instruments, and guidelines has been assembled to aid in the determination of the articulation status and needs existing in elementary-junior high school and junior-senior high school programs. The term "articulation" is understood to mean the smooth transition from one grade or subject area into the next with as little…

Initial efforts to collect data on the impact of Elementary Secondary Education Act Title I programs began in Pennsylvania in 1972. Due to the frequent turnover of local education agency (LEA) staff responsible for Title I impact reports and the fact that a study of the accuracy of reported scores revealed that some sort of errors appeared in…

Two factor analysis algorithms, previously described by P. Horst, have been programed for use on the General Electric Time-Sharing Computer System. The first of these, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), uses the Basic Structure Successive Factor Method With Residual Matrices algorithm to obtain the principal component vectors of a correlation…

This study was designed to determine the relative impact of dichotomized task performance data compared to percent time-spent estimates for those members performing each task on the group job descriptions determined through application of the Comprehensive set of Occupational Data Analysis Programs (CODAP). Using groups identified by a routine…

Administrators, faculty, and staff should have electronic access to records needed to perform their jobs, and students should have access to their own records--course registration and addresses. User-directed analysis and reporting are discussed and the security and audit issues are examined. (Author/MLW)

The survey holds an increasingly important place in institutional advancement. As college and university decision makers turn more and more to their constituencies for support and assistance, a competent information-gathering and processing network becomes crucial. Heuristic v algorithmic designs, Attitude Information System, and the microcomputer…

Textbooks and websites today abound with real data. One neglected issue is that statistical investigations often require a good deal of "cleaning" to ready data for analysis. The purpose of this dataset and exercise is to teach students to use exploratory tools to identify erroneous observations. This article discusses the merits of such…

This document describes the review, analysis, and decision-making process that Trinity University, Texas, went through to develop the three-part computer network that they use to gather and analyze EEG (electroencephalography) and EKG (electrocardiogram) data. The data are gathered in the laboratory on a PDP-1124, an analog minicomputer. Once…

To facilitate the secondary analysis of citizenship and social studies data collected by the National Assessment for Educational Progress, this project constructed a set of three consolidated data archives and provided a simplified documentation system for users. The three consolidated files produced were (1) the 1971-72 Social Studies Assessment,…