The purpose of this focused newsletter is to give teachers who know little or nothing of computers some background on which to base further investigation and decisions. It begins by explaining what a computer is and defining such terms as software, hardware, memory, input/output devices, and disk drive. The newsletter then outlines four major uses…

Data holdings of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems as of November 30, 1984, are described. For each set of data, the following items are included: name, originating organization, contact person for originating organization, frequency of issue, time span covered by the data, subject matter and scope of the data,…

This guide discusses four types of microcomputer-based communication programs that could prove useful to evaluators: (1) the direct communication of information generated by one computer to another computer; (2) using the microcomputer as a terminal to a mainframe computer to input, direct the analysis of, and/or output data using a statistical…

As part of a comprehensive review and analysis of research about the division of labor in higher education, a university library computer system was used to search the ERIC Index, Sociological Abstracts, and Psychological Abstracts. The purpose of these experimental searches was to determine whether online access to computer-held social science…

This manual is designed for those researchers using the databank on classroom process surveys for the population of 13-year-olds in the Second International Mathematics Study. The manual opens with overviews of the study and the databank and states the purpose of the training. In the second section on "Interpretation," the codes, layout,…

The origin and continuation of the futures research seminar at the School of Education of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are discussed. The continuing research seminar takes place throughout the calendar year for students who wish to use futures research methods in their dissertations. One of the major projects of the seminar is…

In order to further define the role of information centers in institutional research activities, two hypotheses are advanced: there are distinctive markets for information center activities within the university; and different services, products and delivery mechanisms are needed to serve each market. Following a discussion of the evolution of the…

A salary study was conducted employing a national peer group because of the expiration of a faculty contract in 1987. The problem addressed was the way in which to produce this national peer group and the resulting salary database in such a fashion that it would be accepted and utilized by both faculty and administrators involved in the collective…

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…

This brochure outlines the general provisions of the Personal Privacy Protection Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6-A, sections 91-99) which became effective on September 1, 1984, and is intended to protect each individual's privacy by regulating the manner in which the state collects, maintains, and disseminates personal information about its…

This document is a state-of-art review of CD-ROM technology, hardware, software, and applications in library and information work, e.g., as direct replacements of large reference publications and as a substitute for and complement to online databases. Based on information published in the last three years and on information gained from…

The use of student outcomes data in higher education is discussed. Consideration is given to a widely recognized taxonomy of student outcomes developed by Alexander Astin and his associates, and a classification of outcomes developed by Oscar Lenning and his associates at the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). Issues…

Use of online information services is currently widespread in public, academic, government, and corporate libraries and information centers. The trend is for smaller libraries of all varieties to install terminals and obtain passwords, while larger libraries add systems of all types. Even in the face of a severe recession, online growth rates have…

To help determine the future of the Bibliographic Service Development Program (BSDP), the Council on Library Resources (CLR) sponsored a conference to examine bibliographic services for library users with emphasis on their needs. The 32 participants included invited speakers, research library administrators, foundation officers, network and…

This manual is designed to assist searchers in developing cost-effective techniques for searching ABI/INFORM, a database which provides worldwide coverage of management trends, tactics, and techniques, citing articles from more than 550 business and management journals in English and other languages. ONTAP ABI/INFORM, a subset of the database, is…