RAPID DIFFUSION OF POPULATION RESEARCH FINDINGS

GWU HAS DEVELOPED A VIABLE PROGRAM. THE "POPULATION REPORTS" ARE BEING MAILED TO ABOUT 30,000 INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN 4 LANGUAGES. "ABORTION RESEARCH NOTES," A 6-PAGE NEWSLETTER, IS PUBLISHED AT LEAST 3 TIMES A YEAR. RESPONSES INDICATE THAT THE "POPULATION REPORTS" ARE WELL RECEIVED AND THAT GWU IS FILLING A VALID GAP IN COMMUNICATING CURRENT DATA IN SEVERAL TECHNICAL POPULATION FIELDS. A SPECIAL EVALUATION TEAM REPORTED THAT: 1) PIP IS ONE OF THE LEADING INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SERVICES IN THE POPULATION FIELD; 2) THE PROJECT DIRECTOR IS ADMINISTRATIVELY AND PROFESSIONALLY OUTSTANDING AND HAS A HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF; AND 3) THE GWU DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS HAS MULTIPLE ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS WHICH WARRANT FURTHER EXAMINATION. A FOLLOW-ON EVALUATION TEAM RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTRACT WITH GWU BE TERMINATED UNLESS GWU AND THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FORM AN "EFFECTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP." GWU SUBCONTRACTED INFORMATICS, INC. TO ESTABLISH AND PROMOTE AN ON-LINE COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM - "POPINFORM." USE OF "POPINFORM" BY THE 6 SUBSCRIBERS IS MINOR IN RELATION TO THE HIGH COSTS OF DEVELOPING THE DATA BASE. DISCUSSIONS WITH THE 6 SUBSCRIBERS INDICATE THAT: 1) THE SYSTEM IS BY FAR SUPERIOR TO ANY OTHER AVAILABLE ON-LINE SYSTEM; 2) INFORMATICS, INC. HAS NOT BEEN AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH IN SELLING THE SYSTEM AND ITS CAPABILITIES; AND 3) THE USER CHARGE PER MACHINE HOUR IS MUCH HIGHER THAN OTHER ON-LINE SYSTEMS. THE AID OFFICE OF POPULATION SHOULD ALSO PROMOTE USE OF THE SYSTEM. AN ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO MERGE "POPINFORM" WITH ANOTHER SYSTEM AS A SEPARATE DATA BASE (E.G., WITH "MEDLINE" OFFERED BY THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE).