Web server logs contain a great deal of information about who uses a Web site and how they use it. This article discusses the analysis of Web logs for instructional Web sites; reviews the data stored in most Web server logs; demonstrates what further information can be gleaned from the logs; and discusses analyzing that information for the…

Reviews information from a quarter century of surveys, focusing on such topics as the view of public funding of the arts, differences among group attitudes toward the arts, and support/opposition views on federal arts funding. Addresses problems with surveys and investments in data collection and analysis. (CMK)

Describes when and how to carry out many of the most common statistical tests including mean, standard deviation, confidence limits, correlation, regression, t-test, Chi square test, and ANOVA. Uses Excel to perform these operations. (DDR)

Getting answers to questions about schools and student learning requires that educators know how to collect, analyze, and interpret data. Six critical steps in this process include: posing questions, establishing judgment criteria, making a plan, gathering data, analyzing data, and interpreting results. These steps can serve as a beginning guide…

Examines the role of physical surroundings and artifacts and how they contribute to the knowledge work occurring there, based on preliminary analysis of data collected in interviews and observations of a research group over a four-month period. General issues of the interaction between information work and environment can be revealed and applied…

A complex tool, data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate the relative efficiency of major academic research libraries that are members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Results of a two-year base line study using traditional measures taken from 1995-96 ARL statistics are reported. (AEF)

Presents analysis, graphs, and tables on trends in study abroad by American college students, noting a 13 percent increase last year. Identifies institutions with the largest numbers of students studying abroad, the top destinations, student characteristics, and program characteristics. Ascribes the increased demand to the strong U.S. economy,…

Describes an exercise designed to allow for student introductions at the beginning of a new semester while simultaneously revealing ways in which research questions can be constructed to collect data. (WRM)

This study developed an analytical approach to detecting groups with homogenous usage patterns in a Web-based information system. Principal component analysis was used for data reduction, cluster analysis for categorizing usage into groups. The methodology was demonstrated and tested using two independent samples of user sessions from the…

Describes a novel design of a Table Browser for casual users of statistical data. Focuses on the overall system architecture and the user interface. Describes the prototype interface and presents results of experiments testing the efficacy of the multi-threaded data flow. (AEF)

Discusses development of indicators for the safety of children in out-of-home care using administrative data from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Reports rates of abuse and neglect from 1996 to 1999, and presents an alternative that accounts for the length of time children are exposed to abuse or neglect. (JPB)

Assessment methods adapted from qualitative research including ethnographic interviewing and journal writing were applied to the case of an adult with aphasia. By analyzing reports of the client and significant others over the course of treatment, changes in social participation and psychosocial well being were documented. These descriptive data…

This study examines a sample of 35 male children and adolescents involved with a northeastern district of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. Subjects who participated in wilderness adventure therapy programs are compared to those who participated in group home programs. The study examines the rates of recidivism among the subjects within…

Having data available is so important because it can improve upon our personal perceptions. Admittedly, statistics can sometimes be skewed to tell whatever story their handlers want them to tell, but by and large, high-quality data allow us to step back from personal perceptions and embark on an analysis with an eye toward identifying the root…

A Head Start volunteer project was designed for a college-level child development course and implemented in three different sections of the class across two semesters. Overall, 70 students participated (65 females and 5 males) with assessment data collected from student volunteers and Head Start teachers and administrators. Students reported a…