Any general systems approach has five basic elements, which serve as the tasks for the researcher using systems analysis. The five are (1) the objectives, (2) the alternatives, (3) the costs, (4) the model (or models), and (5) the decision rule. With these five steps, the researcher should be able to specify the objectives, select alternatives,…

These proceedings include four articles intended to familiarize librarians with many facets of operations research and how they might be applied to their institutions. The first paper provides a brief definition of operations research. The second presentation, by Ralph Shoffner, relates, in the form of concrete examples, the questions one asks…

A bibliogrpahy of about 4,000 entries was compiled as a first step in assessing the state of the art of the systems approach to training (SAT). It was concluded that the voluminous SAT literature reveals an underlying confusion concerning the nature of SAT. The same terms are used to refer to different methodologies, thereby yielding the illusion…

Study results and design for an Educational Technology Assessment Model (ETAM) are outlined, and conclusions and recommendations of the study are summarized. An eight-task procedure is provided to guide the assessor of a training innovation through the required data collection and analysis steps leading to a decision to accept, reject, or continue…

The 189 papers are organized by topic: simulation methodology, hybrid systems and methodology, simulation in the chemical and physical sciences, simulation in environmental sciences and biological systems, systems for managerial and social sciences, simulation credibility, energy, systems engineering, and government simulation facilities. Articles…