A Missouri study conducted to determine agricultural extension usage patterns found that heavy users of extension publications tended to be younger farmers, those with a relatively large amount of land, and pork producers. Extension meetings were a less frequent source of information than either publications or county extension office visits. (LRA)

In three experiments, undergraduates evaluated student performance based on two sources of information differing in variability: test scores and grades. Differential weighting occurred only when instructions linked variability to reliability. It was concluded that evaluators will not ordinarily use relative variability of scores as an index of…

A study sought to examine factors affecting teacher acceptance of an instructional unit on international agriculture. Teachers were in significant agreement that the factors affecting teacher nonuse of the new unit during the two-month period immediately following its receipt were scheduling considerations. (LRA)

Outlines planning strategies and reports findings from an interview program comprising the second phase of Project INISS, which investigates information needs and services in local authority social service departments. Data gathered are organized under three headings: the context of information needs, organizational communication, and information…

Describes features of the emerging knowledge society, its relationship with education, role of international organizations in knowledge development and management, and the need for knowledge based aid policies. Suggests that knowledge development is the responsibility of governments in developing nations, while knowledge management could be tasked…

Discusses the growing diversity of college students; considers how academic libraries can meet their needs; and describes a study conducted at San Jose State University. This study investigated how students from diverse ethnic groups discover, select, and use information and the impact their cultural and educational backgrounds have on…

Four guidelines that make tables more effective data displays are presented. The need for these guidelines and their application are illustrated with data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). A theoretical structure is presented to help develop test items to assess students' proficiency in extracting information from…

Nine articles in this festschrift for Herbert Goldhor explore relatively new and innovative approaches to problem solving in libraries. The articles identify and discuss methods and techniques of applied and evaluative research, consider conceptual and practical issues related to problem solving in libraries, and recognize Goldhor's many…

A survey of 43 high school principals about the usefulness of feedback reports generated through the evaluation of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation's Community Health Promotion Grants Program suggests that principals found the reports very valuable in a number of ways, especially in designing and implementing programs. (SLD)

A study investigated whether the decision making of pharmacists and pharmacy students could be modified by providing computer-generated information on probabilities for efficacy and adverse reactions for antihypertensive agents, using case scenarios. Pharmacists were more likely than students to be influenced by probability information.…

Discusses the importance of developing strong skills in electronic searching and stresses the importance of teaching these skills across the curriculum. Several skill models, are suggested and components of search strategies are briefly outlined. (JKP)

Identified factors for matching individuals to treatments by surveying experts in the field of obesity about the indications and contraindications of 11 common approaches to weight loss. Experts provided 170 client characteristics as possible matching factors. Discusses potential variables for studies on matching individuals to treatments along…

Compares research studies conducted by Kuhlthau, McGregor, and Pitts that investigated the library research process used by high school students and their information retrieval and utilization strategies. Topics discussed include research methodologies; information seeking; cognitive aspects; narrowing the topic; stages in the research process;…

Discusses changes in the information science field based on personal reminiscences and suggests an agenda for the future. Topics addressed include information relevance; the reference process, including question negotiation; curriculum changes in information science; the value of information; and how people use information. (LRW)

Analysis of 150 case records of children identified to child protective services indicated the poor quality of health and developmental information provided for these children, information that would be useful in determining developmental status. A screening protocol is presented for use by child protective services workers to pinpoint indicators…