This third article in a five-part series focuses on personal computer software (instructional packages for the computer itself). Topics covered include 11 categories of microcomputer software, evaluation and selection, purchase, version numbers and upgrades, copy protection, disk operating system commands, preparation of master disk, batch files,…

This introduction to the nonbibliographic databases offered by the Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service describes file content and search strategies in four groups: Dow Jones Business and Economic News; Dow Jones Quotes (market prices for stocks and other securities); Financial and Investment Services; General News and Information Services. Examples…

Discusses data acquisition systems for biologists, considering: (1) input; (2) output; (3) controllers; (4) software for data acquisition; and (5) programing languages. Also discusses several biochemical databases, including those storing data on protein sequences and on chemical structures in two-dimensional form (together with biological testing…

Last article in a series reviews online databases in fields of astronomy, earth sciences (geology, oceanography, other geosciences), and materials science (interdisciplinary subject encompassing ceramics, polymers, metals, glasses, etc.), noting coverage and search strategies. A table of 28 databases citing major subjects, producers, and starting…

Describes a procedure for using commonly available database management systems to produce indexes on microcomputers. Production steps discussed include creation of the database, data entry, database sort, formatting, and editing. (Author/MBR)

Describes statistical techniques for analyzing data collected by management information systems. The techniques permit comparison of the performance of service providers and are applicable to databases developed for all service systems where human beings are being provided total care. The approach involves the application of both traditional…

Reviews databases providing information on published, standardized and unpublished, non-standardized test instruments: Educational Testing Service File, Mental Measurements Yearbook Database, Dissertation Abstracts Online, ERIC, and Psychological Abstracts. Search strategies, search examples, and a summary chart of searchable fields for test…

Enumerates principal management objectives of database management systems (data independence, quality, security, multiuser access, central control) and criteria for comparison (response time, size, flexibility, other features). Conventional database management systems, relational databases, and database machines used for backend processing are…

A test was carried out to investigate the assumption that there is a significant level of redundancy between documents. The conclusions were that notional overlap exists, but there appear to be very few cases of extreme redundancy, and at the document level, there is little possibility of practical application. (Author)

A cost analysis of 411 on-line bibliographic search requests was conducted. The average cost was $28.41 exclusive of telephone line charges. (Author)

Five public libraries and three academic libraries were surveyed about their use and evaluation of the New York Times Information Bank. (PF)

This report examines school district staffing patterns in Florida. School districts selected for this report were asked to identify actual job duties for all staff who were assigned to an instructional job title for the 1997-98 school year, were not assigned to a specific group of students, or were assigned to the superintendent's office. Staffing…

Individual program evaluation studies have the potential to accumulate of very valuable knowledge and practical wisdom. Drawing on "The Case for Pragmatic Psychology" (D. Fishman, 1999), this paper contends that much of this wisdom is being thrown away because of the positivist paradigm used in determining which knowledge should be…

This Bulletin reviews data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 1997 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data file that pertain to juvenile victims, revealing that while juveniles made up 26% of the population of the 12 states participating in NIBRS in 1997, they accounted for only 12% of the reported crime victims. At the same…