Issues concerning the collection and uses of data about college student retention are considered. Some of the documented findings about student retention in U.S. colleges is summarized, with attention to both national data and data for colleges belonging to the United Negro College Fund. Difficulties in obtaining useful retention data are…

The difficulties in collecting data on library inventories and expenditures are discussed first by Heron in a reply to Machlup's earlier book, and then by Machlup in a rebuttal. (LBH)

Investigates questioning behavior--the generation and formulation of questions--as an observable behavioral act reflecting information needs which proceeds from a series of cognitive processes produced by the "need to know." Statistical and linguistic analyses support the theory that the nature of information need can be discerned…

Noting that obtaining facts and figures on important policy issues related to children is the critical first step toward identifying what is working and what needs improvement, this Kids Count guide is designed to help local community members find and use data on the condition of children and families in Minnesota. The guide describes how to…

Objective: First, to provide information about best practices in handling missing data so that readers can judge the quality of research studies. Second, to provide more detailed information about missing data analysis techniques and software on the Journal's Web site at www.jaacap.com. Method: We focus our review of techniques on those that are…

The most advantageous relationship between computer technology and institutional research is considered. Three potential problem areas are discussed: those associated with a central data processing center, those germane to minicomputers or terminals within the institutional research office, and those nondiscriminating types which cover both…

The principal uses of statistics in library planning may be illustrated by examples from the state of Illinois. State law specifies that the Illinois State Library compile and publish statistics on libraries. State agencies also play an important and expanding role in this effort. The state library now compiles statistics on all types of…

The Prince George's County (Maryland) school system has developed a database warehouse system as an evaluation data support tool for fulfilling the system's information demands. This paper described the Research and Evaluation Assimilation Database (READ) warehouse support system and considers the requirements for data used in evaluation and how…

The Student Outcomes Questionnaire and the Student Outcomes Information Analysis Service (SOIS) developed by NCHEMS and the College Board are discussed. The term, "student outcomes," is defined as the consequence of a student's enrollment in an educational institution and involvement in its programs. The importance of this type of…

This report is intended to provide a statistical basis for discussion of the experiences of immigrant children in New York City (New York) public schools. Most of the information is taken from an analysis of the 1980 U.S. Census. Since 1980, school immigrant enrollments have followed a general shift away from European groups to those from the…

An international numerical coding structure is presented for classification of data on education according to level category, educational field, and program type. Explanation of the overall system and a guide for its use is followed by a listing of levels, fields, and programs of education in coded order. The various educational program…

Possible impacts of changing information technology on the role of the institutional researcher, who serves as a decision support intermediary, are examined. Attention is directed to measurement, human information processing, and decision support technology. It is noted that management information systems are dependent on measurement for data…

Tools and methods designed to assist colleges in analyzing and managing student attrition are described in this manual. The proposed strategies are intended to help the individual college identify patterns and causes of attrition and to establish reasonable goals and means for reducing attrition. The manual consists of five parts. Part I provides…

This report concerning information on education in the United States addresses three questions: (1) what has happened over the past 15 years? (2) what are some reasons for the decline that has taken place in information gathering activity? and (3) how far does the problem in information gathering extend? Federally sponsored research and…

IN PHASE II OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) SURVEY TO FIND OUT HOW SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES ACQUIRE INFORMATION, SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY WERE INTERVIEWED TO DETERMINE THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS AND THE FLOW OF INFORMATION INHERENT IN SATISFYING THESE…