A framework is provided for planning for and using the Management Information System (MIS) most appropriate to an individual institution. Information needs are considered as part of the overall planning, managerial, evaluation, and inquiry system. Factors affecting MIS development and successful use are addressed. (MSE)

Discussion of information needs of rural areas and impact of computer technology on information dissemination focuses on information sources and services--the public or tax-supported sector (federal, state, and local agencies); the private sector (mass media). Computer technology in agriculture based on interactive computer systems, videotex, and…

Obstacles to full access to electronic information-based technology and assistive devices for people who are blind or visually impaired include: high costs and limited financial assistance sources for assistive technology, insufficient resources for providing instruction in the use of new technology, and developments such as the graphical user…

The characteristics of application generators and the reasons they are and will be used increasingly in collegiate institutional research are addressed. The incorporation of application generators within a total institutional data and information processing network is also outlined. The analysis considers the often noted "gap" between…

The most advantageous relationship between computer technology and institutional research is considered. Three potential problem areas are discussed: those associated with a central data processing center, those germane to minicomputers or terminals within the institutional research office, and those nondiscriminating types which cover both…

This study was conducted to assess the availability and use of scientific and technical information in Brazil, identify characteristics of information which are unique to developing nations, and help determine what technologies and policies would be most useful in improving resources available in the country. It concentrated on professionals who…

This is a collection of papers presented at an annual conference of the College and University Systems Exchange (CAUSE). Thirty-one papers are reproduced in their entirety and 39 are presented as abstracts. Of the 31 complete papers, 12 have been individually abstracted for "Resources in Education" (RIE). The major topics of the…

Society is currently in the process of shifting its central focus from the production and distribution of material goods to the production and distribution of information. Indeed, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that the majority of people are now involved in occupations that center around information rather than around industry.…

This paper explores ways in which technology (especially microcomputers) can improve the access to and utility of educational data for school improvement efforts. The paper focuses on the product and project options available to the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Database and School Profiling program, which offers technical and…

This 22-paper collection addresses a variety of issues related to representation and transfer of knowledge. Individual papers include an explanation of the usefulness of general scientific models versus case-specific approaches and a discussion of different empirical approaches to the general problem of knowledge representation for information…

In compiling the final report of Wisconsin's ERIC on-line Information Retrieval Demonstration and Research Project, an extensive review of research on information science, user needs and perceptions, and information use and saturation was seen as a vital first step. Such knowledge might help explain the successes and failures of the Project, which…