Describes the use of the Open Archives Initiative (OAI) Protocol for Metadata Harvesting in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Science Digital Library (NSDL). Describes the implementation experience and early practical tests. The overall conclusion is optimism that the OAI will be a successful part of the NSDL. (Author/AEF)

Observation of 12 outstanding service-sector leaders showed how they use theories of employee learning to guide collection of information that they use to achieve the intellectual transformation of the work force. Notes that their success also depends on their ability to motivate and raise employee self-confidence. (SK)

Presents a selective review of research based on the Internet, using bibliometric and informetric methods and tools. Highlights include data collection methods on the Internet, including surveys, logging, and search engines; and informetric analysis, including citation analysis and content analysis. (Contains 78 references.) (Author/LRW)

Reports on Counting on Results, a project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services that developed and tested tools to standardize and simplify the collection of outcome data from public library patrons. Discusses results of questionnaires that addressed "Planning for Results" service responses. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the need to reconceptualize early childhood education assessment in terms of the sociocultural theories that inform teaching and learning. Examines sociocultural approaches to assessment, considering assessment tools and the type of data they would gather. (JPB)

Describes the development of a pilot uniform data set (UDS) intended to serve as the primary data collection mechanism for all grants and standard cooperative agreements funded by the U.S. Office of Minority Health. The UDS is the product of a formative research project with implications for other program evaluations. (SLD)

Examines the effectiveness of the use of monetary incentives in mail survey data collection. Monetary incentives produces higher rates of return compared to mailings in which nonmonetary or no incentives are provided. The use of monetary incentives is more cost effective than other types of incentives and may be particularly valuable when…

Explains why Honeywell's Market Research Department replaced its traditional data collection and paper-based tabulation with blended modes, including electronic interviewing and real-time reporting. Describes how the Six-Sigma quality control process demonstrated that a hybrid approach with blended modes and Web-based reporting tools could deliver…

Reviews studies, conducted between 1995 and 2000, on Web search behavior, of children and adults. Most studies on children describe their interaction with the Web; research on adults focused on describing search patterns, effects of selected factors on search behavior, and the use of multiple data-gathering methods. Many studies lack external…

Presents a progress report of the Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary project; discusses the corpus; and presents the historical, theoretical, and methodological bases for the project. Observations are presented on the wider implications of the COBUILD project. Contains 30 references. (GLR)

Notes that researchers are often required to examine specific model under two different situations. Cites studies in which authors compared results descriptively without use of inferential statistics. Describes use of series of regression tests to compare two situations statistically. Gives example from recent study to illustrate technique.…

Needs assessment, a prioritizing procedure providing for equitable resource allocation, should be preceded by a three-phase preliminary investigation including preassessment activities; the formal assessment (data gathering, analysis, and priority-setting); and postassessment activities (assessment evaluation and utilization of results). This…

The appropriateness of the metaphor of the purity of data is questioned, using a perspective based on L. S. Vygotsky's idea of the zone of proximal development and its emphasis on a genetic method in which development is mediated by cultural tools and signs. (SLD)

Discusses the use of glyphs, which are pictorial shorthand, to communicate data. Incorporates graphs and Venn diagrams. (MKR)

This paper contends that behavior observation data relating to speech-language pathology are reliable if they are not affected by differences among observers or other variations in the recording context. The theoretical bases of methods used to estimate reliability for observational data are reviewed, and suggestions are provided for improving the…