This chapter sets out various methods for gathering important data on the language uses of participants in a research project. These methods imply interaction between students, teachers and researchers. They are used in the design of research projects based on action research, ethnography or conversational analysis, this being the case with the…

The education sector is beginning to embrace a culture that values, demands and uses data to support improved decisionmaking at every level--in classrooms, at kitchen tables and in state capitols. This shift is due in large part to state policymakers' leadership over the last six years in building statewide longitudinal data systems that collect…

Since third party access seems to resist effective control, it may be necessary to restrict the contents of student records to the barest minimum. With the least amount of information being kept, the practice of sharing will be reduced and so will the potential harm to students. (Author)

The federal government, credit bureaus, banks, and insurance and telephone companies all maintain files on clients. Once available, the temptation to use information on file is often irresistible. In terms of personal privacy, the most frightening development is the growth of computer-matching programs, where two agencies check each others' files.…

Issues of confidentiality in educational data collection and access are examined in this paper, with attention to the treatment of confidential data. Confidentiality problems faced by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) are discussed in relation to the 1988 Hawkins-Stafford amendments, which protect the privacy rights of…

This dissertation problematizes the "state dossier system" (SDS): the production and accumulation of personal information on citizen subjects exceeding the reasonable bounds of risk management. SDS--comprising interconnecting subsystems of records and identification--damage individual autonomy and self-determination, impacting not only…

Individual privacy, suggests a Swedish judge, must be protected by restricting the kinds of personal data collected and the uses to which it will be put, and by preventing erroneous information to be used. An issue is whether personal data in education files can be used in conjunction with data in other files. (Author/LBH)

Sophisticated computer technology now allows for increasingly adaptable privacy safeguards. Various protection mechanisms are described, including password technology and encryption techniques, and administrative guidelines are offered. (Editor/LBH)

Examines issues regarding the privacy of information contained in patron databases that have resulted from online circulation systems. Topics discussed include library policies to protect information in patron records; ensuring compliance with policies; limiting the data collected; security authorizations; and creating and modifying patron…

This paper examines the effects of Privacy laws on the conduct of legitimate social research. The report focuses on national legislation dealing with individual privacy, in particular the Privacy Act of 1974, and considers several new statutes which concern the privacy of participants in research. A large portion of the paper discusses (1)…

Examples of current institutional policy and practice illustrate threats to individual rights to privacy. Problems relate to computerized records and communications technology, the accuracy of the records, and the usage of the information. (Editor/LBH)

Education-agency and school staff are legally and ethically responsible for safeguarding student information. In addition to federal and state laws and regulations, education agencies need policies and procedures to guide their everyday information-maintenance operations. This document provides examples of policies and procedures as well as…

"Enrollment Information System" is used to denote a procedure by which student specific data, rather than aggregated tables, will be transmitted to the Maryland State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) on computer tapes. Tapes received by SBHE contain essentially one punched card per student, permitting staff to generate more efficiently…

Should private employers have a right of access to criminal history record information in order to make employment decisions about applicants and employees? This book addresses both legal and operational questions relating to the use of criminal justice data for private employment and decision-making purposes. The informative, non-prescriptive…

Describes the development and current uses of computerized databases of information about individuals by the government and private agencies, especially credit bureaus, and discusses three major categories of abusive information practices that threaten personal privacy: information collection, information dissemination, and information management…