Various aspects of the litter problem can be manipulated in the classroom and in the field to effectively develop concepts of scientific method, information acquisition and recording, techniques of data analyses, means of classification and interpretation, and also to predict new problems and hypotheses. (Author)

With a view to obtaining a set of standard times for information system operations, Aslib Research Department is developing and testing methods for collecting and analysing data on the time taken to perform certain operations. The current state of development of these methods is described. (2 references) (Author/NH)

A design is described for a system to manage the information directly related to the experimental work in a toxicological laboratory. A number of distinct input procedures provide data to a set of co-existing data bases. Periodic, event-triggered, predefined demand, and ad hoc reports are posited. (12 references) (Author/NH)

Discusses some of the problems which have impeded research into the various aspects of nonverbal communication, and outlines some aspects of necessary research into the subject. (AN)

Students collect data for long-term study of effect of urban development on stream characteristics. (AL)

A formula for determining sample size, which originally appeared in 1960, has lacked a table for easy reference. This article supplies a graph of the function and a table of values which permits easy determination of the size of sample needed to be representative of a given population. (DG)

It is imperative that stringent protective devices be included in each information system to involve limitations upon the scope and character of the data that are collected, their dissemination, and their use. (Author)

this essay attempts to integrate certain inferences from people processing research with certain other inferences from what might loosely be termed micro-theory through the use of the rather unusual medium of panel survey research data." The topic is the appropriate way in which to conceive of the relationships between organizations and their…

An installation at the University of California at San Diego is one of three systems used to illustrate the flexibility of computerized control systems. (Author/MLF)

Results of a study comparing two approaches to the identification of important literature in endocrinology reveals that association between ranking of cited items using the two methods is not statistically significant and use of citation or historical analysis alone will not result in same set of literature. Forty-two sources are appended. (EJS)

This discussion of the general principles of structure and construction of numeric databases introduces the concept of data points, their relationship to each other, and their storage in a nonredundant way. The collection of numeric data and their integration into the database structure are explained. Eight references are cited. (EJS)

This study investigates four widely used methods of collecting direct similarity judgments for nonmetric multidimensional scaling: rating scale, triads, rank order of pairs, and conditional rank order. (Author/PN)

A series of five questions forms a model for organizing the content of a continuing education staff evaluation system: What purpose will the system serve? What responsibilities should be evaluated? What characteristics are desirable in the position? Who supplies relevant information? Who uses the information? (SK)

Presents a method for collecting reference desk statistics in machine-readable form using optical marks. Useful data categories are identified, and figures illustrate how data can be recorded for each category. Ten references are listed. (FM)