Although scholarship has addressed issues around serving international students in U.S. and Canadian libraries, reports on how Chinese graduate students use information in Chinese universities, especially for a particular discipline, are rare. In this study, the author interviewed 15 graduate students and researchers in a top-ranked chemistry…

Among the data described are infrared indexes, mass spectral data, chromatographic data, X-ray emmission data, odor and taste threshold data, and thermodynamics data. This paper provides the chemical documentarian a complete reference source to a wide variety of analytical data. (Author/NH)

Discusses data sources and data collection activities at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Describes a project to develop a computerized database, retrieval, and dissemination system on minority populations using 1980 census data. Suggests that the 1980 census provides important information for identifying minority and civil rights…

Major categories of national higher education data are outlined and descriptions and sources are provided for over 50 databases. Categories include institutional descriptors, enrollments/completions, student demography, student longitudinal data, financial aid, institutional financial support, tuition/fees, faculty/staff salaries and benefits,…

A data base designed for scientists, engineers, and others in need of factual information developed under the Long Range Research Project at Indiana University is described. (3 references) (SJ)

Institutional researchers are often called on to compare financial performance across institutions as part of comprehensive institutional management teams. Several types and sources of national data, including databases and publications, are appropriate for this, each with particular strengths and limitations. Three sources also provide…

Designed for use by professionals interested in the field of environmental communications, this resource guide contains sources of information pertaining to employment opportunities especially in the area of written environmental communications. References are compiled under the headings of: (1) subject headings (listing key descriptors for…

Social science data, existing in a format that can be manipulated by computing machinery, can be used for many purposes in addition to those for which they were initially collected. Scholars and government planners should hve ready and equal access to such material and these groups will be best served if they are informed regarding the…

Higher education is now and will increasingly be faced with requests for data from a variety of sources to which it is accountable. Such data may ultimately be used in decision-making regarding the appropriation of public and private resources. Comparisons of costs and other measures among institutions will be the byword. Thus it is important that…

Presents an overview of the 1990 census and its many components, including sources of census data, format availability such as CD-ROM and databases, and ways in which census data are used. The effect of new technology, especially CD-ROM, on users and reference librarians is considered. (Author/LRW)

It is proposed that numerous national surveys of faculty since the late 1960s provide institutional researchers and others with rich sources of descriptive data to help address the shifting national issues and institutional concerns related to faculty resources. An annotated list of 12 major faculty surveys is appended. (MSE)

This international collection of papers on the role of technical information in the engineering profession contains 18 discussions on the following: activities of the Committee on Engineering Information (CEI) of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO); engineering information in the framework of UNESCO/UNISIST; industrial and…

Two types of national data sets are described and used to analyze minority student equity in higher education: longitudinal survey data for tracking student persistence and cross-sectional data for monitoring the performance of institutions. Development of additional data sets of institutional characteristics that can provide true explanatory…

The National Science Foundation's Computer-Aided Science Policy and Research database system provides microcomputer-based access and manipulation of multiple national databases for federal and now institutional use. Applications at West Virginia University, Portland State University, and the State University of New York at Buffalo pilot tested the…

Factors that affect the utility of financial data collected through the Higher Education General Information Surveys (HEGIS) are examined. Attention is also directed to the process associated with the collection and use of that data; roles and responsibilities of various parties to that process, with a focus on researchers' roles; and possible…