SUBJECT: RELEASE AND DISSEMINATION OF REPORTS AND DATA PRODUCTS

NCES STANDARD: 7-3

PURPOSE: To ensure that all NCES products are disseminated in ways which help to promote the widespread use of NCES data, and to increase the awareness of NCES data among potential users.

KEY TERMS: DAS

STANDARD 7-3-1: All NCES products must be disseminated according to a plan that identifies intended and potential users.

GUIDELINE 7-3-1A: To ensure that the contents of a product reflect the needs of intended users, authors should consider user needs early in the publication development process.

GUIDELINE 7-3-1B: In designing a publication or product, the author should consider the Web presentation of the final product.

GUIDELINE 7-3-1C: Once a product has been approved for release by the Chief Statistician, an author should arrange a meeting with OC to review proposed dissemination strategies including press releases, targeted mailings, the number of copies to be printed, Web release, the use of print on demand, and the use of both print and electronic announcements.

GUIDELINE 7-3-1D: Innovative ways to disseminate NCES data should be explored. Presentations at annual meetings, seminars on specific publications, training on the use of databases, outreach to external groups, and special research efforts using NCES data should be encouraged.

GUIDELINE 7-3-1E: NCES should have strategies in place to collect user feedback on the utility of its products and solicit recommendations for making NCES data more useful.

STANDARD 7-3-2: NCES products should utilize a variety of dissemination techniques, as outlined in Table 7-3-A. All publications must be produced in PDF format, and all mandatory publications must also be produced in HTML format.

GUIDELINE 7-3-2A: Efforts should be made to produce other publications in HTML format as well.

STANDARD 7-3-3: Staff responsible for NCES products requiring minor revisions must prepare an errata sheet for a level 2 statistical review (see Standard 6-1). Staff responsible for NCES products requiring major revision must prepare a revised report for a level 2 statistical review. Reissued revised reports must carry the original NCES number followed by "rev." When minor revisions approved for an errata sheet are incorporated in a Web release, the NCES number must be followed by "rev."