Qualitative data offer advantages to evaluators, including rich information about stakeholders' perspectives and experiences. However, qualitative data analysis is labor-intensive and slow, conflicting with evaluators' needs to provide punctual feedback to their clients. In this method note, we contribute to the literature on rapid evaluation and…

Presents a new image compression algorithm that employs some of the most successful approaches to adaptive lossless compression to perform adaptive online (single pass) vector quantization with variable size codebook entries. Results of tests of the algorithm's effectiveness on standard test images are given. (12 references) (KRN)

Evaluates the performance of different methods of data compression coding in several situations. Huffman's code, arithmetic coding, fixed codes, fast approximations to arithmetic coding, and splay coding are discussed in terms of their speed, memory requirements, and proximity to optimal performance. Recommendations for the best methods of…

Presents an inference algorithm that produces a weighted finite automata (WFA), in particular, the grayness functions of graytone images. Image-data compression results based on the new inference algorithm produces a WFA with a relatively small number of edges. Image-data compression results alone and in combination with wavelets are discussed.…

The Department of Administrative Programming Services of Clemson University investigated products available in user-friendly retrieval systems. The test of INTELLECT, a natural language query system written by Artifical Intelligence Corporation, is described. (Author/MLW)

A study dealing with administrative computer centers in four-year institutions of higher education in the United States is described. Organizational impact on management of computers, descriptive findings about the institutions used in the study, factor analysis of dependent variables, and multiple regression analysis are reviewed. (MLW)

The politics of information on college campuses are seen in national, regional, and statewide concern with planning, management, and evaluation. Concepts, methods, and information-processing styles in each of these three institutional functions have been greatly influenced by political pressures in the past 15 years. (Author/MLW)

Describes the use of a graduate student in computer science to develop an automated fiscal reporting system to handle budgetary problems associated with funded research projects at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. The roles of graduate students, faculty members, and system users in the project are described. (Author/JL)