Communicating National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Information to Data Users Letter Report (2011) / Chapter Skim
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PANEL CHARGE AND ISSUES The NCSES, as a means of fulfilling its mandate to collect and distribute information about science and engineering enterprise for the National Science Foundation, conducts an ambitious program of data dissemination in several formats: hard-copy and electronic-only publications, an extensive NCSES website, and two tools that are used to retrieve data from the NCSES database: the Integrated Science and Engineering Resource Data System (WebCASPAR) and the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT)
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and the emerging user capability for online retrieval of government statistics. IMPROVING DATA DELIVERY, PRESENTATION, AND QUALITY In their presentations to the panel, the NCSES staff produced a large hard-copy stack of tabulations, noting that the stack represented just one of the center's periodic reports.
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However, in general, a web release (following the practice that NCSES currently employs for the most detailed statistical tables) of the raw data will reduce the burden on NCSES's staff and will form the basis of a transition from "tables" to "information" and provide the users with more timely information.
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In this regard, the NSF Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners (DataNet) initiative is a ready in-house source of information on best practices and tools for implementing an active archival program.
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metadata transfer standard. The selection and adoption of a metadata transfer standard would be more effective if NCSES accomplished this through participation in a governmentwide initiative, such as the W3C contract template development, or the SCOPE effort focused on the federal statistical agencies.
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Such data workshops would be a good way to find out how knowledgeable data users use NCSES data and to find out what concerns users have about the data. RECOMMENDATION 3: The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics should proceed with its plans to conduct a customer survey through use of an online questionnaire; should analyze patterns of data use by web users; and should consider reinstating the program of user workshops in order to educate users about the data and to learn about the needs of users in a structured way.
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Through this presentation and the panel's subsequent discussion, it became clear that the issue of the accessibility of tabular data and data visualization is a research question. Although W3C has pioneered standards for accessibility of dynamic user interfaces, many other issues including table navigation, navigation of large numeric datasets, and dynamic data visualization raise computer-human interaction challenges that have been explored only peripherally.
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Sincerely yours, Kevin Novak, Chair Panel on Communicating NSF Science and Engineering Information to Data Users Attachments: Appendix A -- Panel Members Appendix B -- Workshop Summary Appendix C -- Workshop Agenda 8
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Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in available in a public Postdoctorates in Science and Science and Engineering; Science and use file format Engineering Engineering Indicators; Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering; Academic Institutional Profiles Science and Engineering Workforce Survey of NORC SESTAT; InfoBriefs; Access to restricted 1973 (conducted Doctorate data for researchers biennially) Characteristics of Doctoral Recipients Scientists and Engineers in the interested in analyzing United States; Science and microdata can be Engineering Indicators; arranged through a licensing agreement Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering; Science and Engineering State Profiles National Survey of Mathematica SESTAT; InfoBriefs; Access to restricted 1976 (conducted Recent College Policy data for researchers biennially)
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Universities, Colleges, and Universities, Nonprofit Institutions; Science Colleges, and and Engineering State Profiles; Nonprofit Science and Engineering Institutions Indicators; National Patterns of Research and Development Resources Survey of R&D ICF Macro WebCASPAR; InfoBrief; R&D Data tables only 1965 (conducted Expenditures at annually) Expenditures at Federally Federally Funded Funded R&D Centers; R&D Centers Academic Research and Development Expenditures; Science and Engineering Indicators; National Patterns of Research and Development Resources Survey of Research ICF Macro WebCASPAR; InfoBrief; Data tables (selected 1972 (conducted and Development items)
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Science and Engineering Research Facilities Survey of Science RTI WebCASPAR; Scientific and Microdata from this 1986 (conducted and Engineering International survey for the years biennially) Engineering Research Research Facilities Facilities; Science and 1988–2001 are not available Engineering Indicators Other Surveys Survey of Public NORC, via Data tables only ICPSR, 1979–2001; Science and Engineering Attitudes Toward an S&T CD, 1979–2004; Indicators and Understanding module on (conducted of Science and the General biennially)
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