NCJ Number
80791
Date Published
Unknown
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This paper describes and evaluates electronic communications systems used to link members of the Crime Survey Research Consortium (CSRC), a group of Government agencies, research institutes, and individual research teams involved in redesigning the National Crime Survey (NCS).
Abstract
The NSC research agenda requires the efforts of several geographically dispersed research organizations, it was decided to coordinate the project through a computer-based conferencing and message system. This report discusses the computing facilities located at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University as well as the telecommunications systems linking users to these computers. The programs used by the CSRC include on-line conference and messaging, which is primarily a seminar for research discussion but also serves as a newsletter, scheduling device, and consensus builder. Formatting and editing programs, bibliographic systems, and statistical computing are also available. In practice, however, librarians at the Bureau of Social Science Research have performed most on-line searches and little statistical work has been done on this system. The electronic communication network has been most successful as a central information source. Other benefits have included the use of store and forward messages for scheduling complex tasks and meetings along with storage for archival purposes. Participation has been either high or low with no middle ground, possibly due to the inability of certain members to acquire the necessary technical skills or to delegate these tasks. Cost benefits cannot be calculated yet. An example of an on-line conference item is provided.