The studies described in this paper were undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of information-exchange techniques for promoting the quality of life within given regions of a society. The first analysis describes the investigation of projects to enhance the functions of small businesses, joint regional planning, health care, education,…

Evaluation research should be viewed as the source of knowledge on two levels: (1) how evaluation studies utilize results, and (2) how the knowledge that was evaluated is utilized. The purpose of this document is to systematically examine the literature pertinent to the utilization of evaluation results. The impetus for legitimization of…

Professors were interviewed to ascertain the evaluative information they collected about their professional activities. Student ratings were used by most faculty to evaluate their teaching. Almost all received peer reviews of research productivity. Qualitative evaluative information was seen as more credible than objective ratings when used for…

The keynote article in this issue summarizes some of the lessons learned after a decade of using satellites for public service, and after five years of experimentation with information technologies designed for specialized audiences. Community service programs in the Appalachian Mountain and Rocky Mountain regions and in the state of Alaska are…

Although juvenile court records are often good predictors of the criminal tendencies of young adults, only sporadic information sharing between police, adult and juvenile courts occurs. A national survey of prosecutors showed that information sharing depends largely on local policy. Nearly half the prosecutors reported receiving little or no…

Patterned after a 1976 study, a study examined voters' decision making during the 1980 campaign for the presidency of the United States. Data from a survey of 183 registered voters indicated that partisan voters were likely to be precommitted to a candidate choice and thus relatively immune to mass mediated campaign effects. However, those voters…

To determine consumer preference regarding four forms of mass communication, an 18-item questionnaire was devised that asked individuals where they sought information on national and world affairs, local events, entertainment, and shopping (advertising). Results from the 108 respondents in the random sample indicated the following: newspapers…

Audience research activities were carried out to continue the development of the capacity of Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN) station personnel to understand the use of audience rating information for programming and promotion decisions. The project consisted of (1) continuing the PPTN contract with Arbitron to secure access to their…

The examination of credibility effects in predicting achievement, an important step in the study of source credibility effects on attributions, substantiates Birnbaum's findings that variation in the credibility of information can be represented by changes in the weight of the information. Undergraduate subjects (N=65) predicted the performance of…

This review surveys the literature emanating from less developed countries (LDCs) and international agencies that deals with their perception of the needs of LDCs for scientific and technical information (STI) in relation to social and economic development. It explores five major areas: (1) recognition of STI as it is expressed through…

This document is the fourth volume in a set of five Career Education Measurement Handbooks intended to help local education personnel in measurement and evaluation. Divided into thirteen units, this handbook is designed to show how evaluation can help improve the accountability of career education programs. Each unit is written to stand alone, and…

TRADITIONAL METHODS OF ANALYZING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AS THEY OCCUR IN REFERENCE LIBRARIES ARE DISCUSSED AND CRITICIZED. METHODS OF EXAMINING QUESTIONS, THE QUESTION-ANSWERING PROCESS, AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ARE EVALUATED. A PRAGMATIC SCHEME IS SUGGESTED WHICH CLASSIFIES ANSWERS BY THEIR FORMATS, DIVIDING THEM INTO EXACT-REPRODUCTION TYPE,…

Various notions about the obstacles to, and the conditions needed for, school districts' linking of externally mandated testing and evaluation with instruction are discussed. Two major points are made, the first being that evaluation and testing communities must attend to the needs of administrators and teachers as they are manifest in the…

Prompted by an awareness of the general public's lack of access to scientific literature in the medical field, this paper documents the practical and ethical desirability of eliminating obstacles to those seeking health information. Discussions based on a survey of the literature focus on (1) the concepts and definitions of information, knowledge,…