This paper originated as part of the early phases of internal planning within the National Institute for Education (NIE). A status study was conducted of the existing system of educational research and development (R&D) which (1) provided a framework of information as an initial context for framing policy and (2) examined a major mandate,…

Variables associated with curriculum familarity and adoption by a sample group of head teachers in England are examined. For journal availability, see SO 504 736. (DE)

Explains the purpose of establishing the Federal Data Processing Reorganization Project. Ten teams were formed to look into the problems of government agencies. High-level technical knowledge is lacking in most agencies, such finding and others, together with conclusions and recommendations were stated in the teams' reports. (GA)

Concludes that open-minded persons attend to the content and implications of a message while close-minded persons attend to the surface quality of information and to the reputation of the source. (RL)

A clear description of what educators, administrators, or students may and may not copy under the various provisions of the Copyright Law Revision of 1976 is attempted, but the author concludes that the language of the law itself makes such a description impossible. (LBH)

Discusses federal regulations that force federal agencies to justify budget requests through the use of benefit-to-cost analysis techniques. The description of a new approach, based on the Delphi technique, includes the information handling process, calculations of costs and benefits, and resulting value enhancements. (three references) (CLB)

Notes that the rapid rise in private practice of an economic model known as "contract medicine" (such as the HMO) has introduced powerful new organizational constraints on interaction between member physicians and their patients. Examines the negotiation of specialty referral in two practices participating in contract plans. (MM)

Discusses a study of the curriculum approval process at a community college, which using Walker's System for Analyzing Curriculum Decision Making to identify the avenues by which data enter the deliberations of a college's curriculum committee, and their patterns of data usage. Develops a hierarchy of most often used topics. (DMM)

Reviews the Council of Chief State School Officers' effort to establish a nationwide system of educational indicators. Suggests the benefits of such a system. (MCG)

Presents an overview of teacher preparation and concludes that the distinction between "knowledge" and "pedagogy" is a relatively recent development. Discusses different types of teacher knowledge ("content,""pedagogical content," and "strategic") and forms of knowledge…

This article focuses upon information that is made available to the mass of the people and the information that is withheld from the public. The term "information" is examined as it relates to knowledge. Information technology as it relates to the media and implications for adult education are discussed also. (CT)

Presents results from study of mathematical models (Cobb-Douglas model, mixture of Poissons, inverse effects of distance, weighted entropy) relating to usage of information systems, and notes papers developed during study which provide three types of analysis--literature reviews, analytical studies, and tests of models. Six references are…

Available from: Policy Studies Journal, 361 Lincoln Hall, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, $2.50 single copy.

This manual provides a beginning approach for research libraries to better describe the use and users of their networked services. The manual also aims to increase the visibility and importance of developing such statistics and measures. Specific objectives are: to identify selected key statistics and measures that can describe use and users of…

Reviews the birth, labor and growing pains, trials and tribulations, and eventual demise of IACTR, conceived in 1968 at a meeting of the American Psychological Association, the general mission of which was to focus on the wider dissemination of test reviews. (Author/JM)