Discusses practices that a college can use to outsource services and maximize the opportunity for financial and operational success. The importance of data gathering, consensus building, and goal setting are stressed followed by tips on the preparation and completion of Requests for Proposals and recommendations for contract administration. (GR)

Guidelines for assessing small business skill needs include paying attention to internal resistance, limiting analysis to a small area, considering all stakeholders' perspectives and interests, using action-research methods, and understanding needs assessment as a continual learning process. (SK)

Presents data from 1990 to 2000 on college and university maintenance and operations (M & O) spending showing that M & O spending per student is less, spending per square foot is up. Included are M & O median salaries levels, and the median number of full- and part-time staff by function. (GR)

Explains to college/university business officers how to comply with Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statements Nos. 34, 35, and 9, which require the direct method of presenting cash flows from operating activities and reconciliation of operating cash flows to operating income by fiscal year 2001. Institutions are urged to begin immediately…

Explains how libraries can use data mining techniques for more effective data collection. Highlights include three phases: data selection and acquisition; data preparation and processing, including a discussion of the use of XML (extensible markup language); and data interpretation and integration, including database management systems. (LRW)

Proposes that a national database that allows for analyses of the demographic characteristics and the professional practices of school psychologists is essential to both represent and advance the field. Surveys 20% of all Regular members of the National Association of School Psychologists, asking for responses to items relating to a range of…

A discrepancy model defines what successful continuing medical education is and what it should be. Then data are collected and analyzed to describe the nature and scope of the discrepancy. This approach to educational needs assessment uses an outcomes focus to plan more effective continuing-education programs. (SK)

The data disk graphic organizer helps primary students learn to record and classify social studies information. This graphic organizer is made out of large paper circles divided into pie-shaped segments, with a brad attached to the center. Children use the disks to categorize information on the topic currently being taught in social studies. (SM)

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international project to locate, review, and disseminate information on available randomized controlled trials of health care interventions. Occupational therapists can use it to learn about best practices and evaluate research relevant to their clients. (SK)

A new method is presented for the parameterization of glottal volume velocity waveforms that have been estimated by inverse filtering acoustic speech pressure signals. The new technique combines two features of voice production: the AC value and the spectral decay of the glottal flow. Testing found the new parameter correlates strongly with the…

To test the effect of less-frequent interviews on data quality in longitudinal surveys, event history data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 regarding welfare and employment were analyzed. Due to the longer recall period, respondents failed to report short spells of welfare, employment, and unemployment. (SK)

Presents data on college spending for maintenance and facility operations for the 2000-01 school year. Data reveal a greater allocation of maintenance and operations being funded by colleges. Funding comparisons per student and per square foot of building maintained are provided along with data on median salaries and personnel allocation. (GR)

Presents examples of types of analyses that can be employed in cross-national comparisons of marijuana using samples from U.S. data. The data illustrate basic trends in use over time and the differences between demographic groups in the U.S. Suggests uniform data collection methods would help towards identifying marijuana use as a world-wide…

Discusses the use of Web log analysis to help understand user visit patterns to Web sites and describes the use of computer software to generate a variety of interactive visualizations of log data that can be used to explore server data across various dimensions. Explores difficulties of data collection, presentation, and interpretation.…

Midwifery students collected data during clinical preceptorships. Faculty review of data sheets highlighted errors in process, data entry, and mission, identifying areas for further learning. The data also provided more information about clinical practice sites. (SK)