Microcomputer use and access, training needs, information sources, and self-perceived knowledge and skills regarding microcomputers were determined with a sample of college of agriculture faculty in 11 land-grant universities. Personal and organizational characteristics related to various levels of using microcomputers were also investigated.…

This report presents the results of a computer usage survey/inventory, the ninth in a series conducted at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to obtain information on the changing status of computer usage in the curricula. Data analyses are reported in 11 tables, which include comparisons between annual inventories and demonstrate growth…

A series of articles addresses issues concerning decision support and knowledge based systems. Topics covered include knowledge-based systems for information centers; object oriented systems; strategic information systems case studies; user perception; manipulation of certainty factors by individuals and expert systems; spreadsheet program use;…

In addition to data on FY 1988-89, the 12 tables that constitute the major part of this report on computer utilization at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) provide comparisons among the 10 annual inventories that have been conducted, and demonstrate growth patterns over the 10-year period. The first five tables organize data by…

Technologically Advanced Families (Taffies) were profiled in a study that compared media technologies penetration in North Carolina with national media penetration data. Telephone surveys were conducted in February 1986 by journalism students at the University of North Carolina. Subjects interviewed were 585 North Carolina households to determine…

Describes study that was designed to assess user interaction with InfoTrac, a computerized periodical index on optical disc that is accessed through workstations consisting of a microcomputer and printer. Use in three types of libraries--an undergraduate academic library, a graduate-level academic library, and a public library--is examined. (LRW)

Characteristics of users of electronic bulletin boards, the perceived impact that bulletin boards have on users, and how their use affects the use of other communications media were studied using a random sample of users of CompuServe and Prodigy, two major bulletin board services. Respondents (95 for CompuServe and 78 for Prodigy) were…

The experiences of novice users (freshman students at Ohio University) searching OCLC's FIRSTSEARCH set of databases were studied. The 13 subjects were asked to complete a search on the FIRSTSEARCH databases; and data were collected through observations, administration of a questionnaire, and a thinking-aloud protocol. Data were analyzed to…

The experience of novice users searching SilverPlatter's ERIC CD-ROM on the Macintosh was studied. Ten students from an introductory master's level course in library and information science were recruited as volunteer subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a search on the ERIC CD-ROM; and data were collected via observations, a think-aloud…

A study was conducted to determine the status of Internet access and usage in selected rural schools of northeast Alabama, and to contribute to an ongoing database that describes Internet access and usage in rural schools as a benchmark for future study. A 28-item survey of 107 teachers and media specialists in 18 selected rural schools in…